Collection Description

The Law Library historically collected with a heavy focus on the law of the United States, Canada, Great Britain, British Commonwealth and former Commonwealth countries, and Western Europe. A strong public international law collection has been expanded over the last fifteen years to include private international law and related topics. The scope of foreign jurisdictions represented in the collection with some depth is now much broader than those countries noted above. Materials are collected for Central and Eastern Europe, the former Soviet Union, the People's Republic of China, the Middle East, the countries and islands of the Pacific Rim, several African nations, the West Indies, and Mexico. The library collects actively in Scandinavian law and has an especially strong collection of Swedish materials. The library prefers materials in the English language but purchases in several other languages.

The Law Library buys material on all traditional legal topics, but the collection of materials for non-lawyers is modest. The library collects Minnesota practice and continuing legal education materials; similar materials written exclusively for practicing attorneys in other states are seldom purchased. The Anglo-American collection contains both primary materials and a broad range of secondary materials, government documents and legal treatises. Secondary materials on the law of individual states outside of Minnesota are seldom collected.

The library is a selective depository for U.S. federal documents and a full depository for Minnesota documents. The library collects comprehensively in international law, including documents from governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations. The library has a strong historic collection of government documents from foreign jurisdictions, but current purchasing of foreign government documents is very selective. Primary materials are purchased for major foreign jurisdictions when they are readily available within a reasonable cost, but this practice is changing as more governments provide free and reliable electronic access to official publications. Purchase of secondary materials from foreign jurisdictions is dependent on the importance of the jurisdiction to the overall collection and research needs and on the topic of the material.

In addition to the jurisdictional collecting patterns noted above, recent worldwide events are reflected in an increase in materials on comparative law, international taxation, human rights, international trade, commercial law, computer law, and family law issues. Interdisciplinary topics such as women's studies, criminal justice, law and economics, and biotechnology are also receiving greater emphasis in the collection.

The library purchases monographs and multi-volume treatises, law journals, periodicals, looseleaf services, and a variety of serials and other continuing sets. The library does not actively purchase casebooks but will add them to the collection when they are received as gifts. The library does not acquire textbooks, reprints, and dissertations. Some general newspapers and periodicals are collected for current awareness and student use. Multiple copies are purchased selectively and only to satisfy high demand. Duplication of materials held in other University of Minnesota libraries is avoided whenever possible, but the size of the campus and the student body make duplication of high use items unavoidable.

Approximately two-thirds of the collection is in paper and one-third in microform, but the format of the material is not the primary consideration when making a decision to purchase a title. The microform collection supplements the hard copy collection with periodical back files, major sets such as the American Bar Association archive publications and the CIS microfiche, archival collections of legal treatises, materials from the United Nations and the European Community, government documents, and superseded primary materials. The audiovisual collection consists mainly of continuing legal and library education programs.

The Law Library owns and provides access to materials in a variety of electronic formats. Selection of these resources is based on the same general criteria that are applied to all other formats included in the collection, but supplementary criteria are applied for various types of electronic resources. [See separate Collection Development Policy for Electronic Resources.]

Law, Literature, and the Arts Collection

The creation of The Barbara Steffens Hedin Alcove on Law, Literature, and the Arts was made possible by a generous donation to the University of Minnesota Law Library by Douglas A. and Barbara S. Hedin. The nucleus of the Law, Literature and the Arts Collection is Mr. and Mrs. Hedin's extensive collection of legal fiction, including both classic and popular works of fiction. The collection includes plays featuring the bench and bar, poetry, legal humor, and artwork. It also includes secondary works that comment on the relationship of law to literature and art.

The Alcove Collection is located just inside the wooden doors on the 2^nd floor of the law library.

Reserve Collection

Located behind the circulation desk in a closed stack area is the Law Library's Reserve Collection, which includes frequently requested items, such as the United States Code, current periodicals, and course reserves. If an item is located in the Reserve Collection, request its retrieval from the circulation desk staff.

Due to their high demand, Reserve Collection materials circulate for two hours at a time.

For a limited time before exam periods, professors allow the library to display past years' exams for use as student study aids. The hard copies of exams are kept in binders near the circulation desk. Binders do not circulate, but may be used for photocopying. Electronic copies are found at the link below. Not all past exams are available. Ask at the circulation desk if you need help locating an exam.

Access Electronic Reserves (log-in required for full access)

Leisure Reading - The Loft Collection

Located on the second floor of the law library, just at the top of the stairs, is a collection of leisure reading materials, games, and comfy chairs for using them. All of the materials have been donated to the law library. If you would like to use the materials, feel free! You can take the materials from the library without checking them out and return them whenever you want.

If you have materials to donate to the collection, just drop them off at the circ desk or put them in the book drop after hours.

Also in this area are the daily newspapers, popular news magazines, and other periodicals to enjoy.

Microform Collection

The Law Library has a significant amount of material available in microform format. This includes microfilm and microfiche. Some examples of Law Library materials in microform format include: recent UN documents, Human Rights documents, many legal periodicals, and Supreme Court records and briefs.

Many microforms are located in the Microforms Room, room 140, 1st floor of the Law Library. Some microforms are located in Storage and can be retrieved upon request. Reference Staff are available to assist in the location and use of Microforms materials during library hours.

Microform materials do not circulate. A microform reader-scanner is located in room 140 on the plaza level. It is possible to view, download to a disk, or email scanned documents from this equipment. Patrons who need to print from microforms should consult with the Reference Staff.

STO (Storage) Collection

Certain library collections are located in the Basement Storage area of the law library. These items are indicated in the catalog by location STO and are generally available for check out upon retrieval. Other collections that are located in storage are indicated in the catalog by their collection code. Examples include the India-Pakistan Collection (IP), "X" books (unclassified), and portions of the microform collection (non-circulating), as well as certain obsolete materials and other documents.

To make a request for an item housed in the Storage Collection, submit your request to the circulation desk during library hours M-F. Library staff retrieve storage materials at least twice daily and will contact you when the item is available for pick up at the circulation desk.