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Last Updated 11/2008. Direct feedback on this page to lawlib@umn.edu.

Library Catalogs

Searching in Library Catalogs

MNCAT (http://mncat.lib.umn.edu) is the University of Minnesota's online catalog and includes holdings from the Law Library, as well as all other University libraries. You can search MNCAT to find books, periodicals and other resources.  If you do not know the precise terms used by the Library of Congress for a topic, use a keyword search with terms you think may be relevant. After finding an appropriate work, search again under the Library of Congress subject headings used for this work.

WorldCat (http://www.lib.umn.edu/cgi-bin/wcat.cgi) is online catalog of libraries all over the world. If you find a book though WorldCat that is not held by the University of Minnesota or by another library in the Twin Cities, you may be able to request it through Interlibrary Loan: http://www.law.umn.edu/library/umlawstudentsaccessmaterials.html#ill


Books & Treatises

Here are some suggested Library of Congress subject headings for works on environmental studies. Use these terms as specific topics when you do subject searches in MNCAT Classic and WorldCat. For place, use the country, state or continent you are interested in - i.e. United States, Minnesota, Africa, etc.

Environmental Law or Environmental Law--[place]
Natural Resources--Law and Legislation or Natural Resources--Law and Legislation--[place]
Environmental policy
Conservation of natural resources or Conservation of natural resources --[place]
Environmental protection or Environmental protection-[place]
Environmental justice
Environmental health
Environmental sciences
Land use--Law and legislation--[place]
Human geography
Environmental ethics
Liability for environmental damages


Dictionaries & Encyclopedias

To find available encyclopedias on environmental studies, search MNCAT under the following subject search: [specific topic]--encyclopedias. To find available dictionaries, search MNCAT with: [specific topic]--dictionaries. Here are some examples of environmental studies dictionaries and encyclopedias held by the University of Minnesota:

A Dictionary of Ecology (Michael Allaby, ed., 3rd ed., 2005) Magrath Library Reference QH540.4 .C66 2005, Internet access

The Environment Encyclopedia and Directory (4th ed., 2005). Walter Sci/Eng Library Books Quarto GE10 .E68, Magrath Library Quarto GE10 .E68

Alan Gilpin, Dictionary of Environment and Sustainable Development (1996). Magrath Library Reference HC79 .E5 G518 1996, Wilson Library Reference HC79 .E5 G518 1996

David D. Kemp, The Environment Dictionary (1998). Magrath Library Reference GE10 .K45 1998

James J. King, The Environmental Dictionary: and Regulatory Cross-reference (1995). Law Library Reference KF 3775 .A68 K57 1995, Magrath Library KF3775.A68 K57 1995

Vicki R. Patton-Hulce, Environment and the Law : a Dictionary (1995). Magrath Library Reference KF3775 .A68 P38 1995, Wilson Library Reference KF3775 .A68 P38 1995

Nicholas A. Robinson, Environmental Law Lexicon (1992-). Law Library KF3775 .A68 R67

Terms of Environment [electronic resource] (1997-) http://www.epa.gov/glossary/


Bibliographies

Bibliographies

To find available bibliographies on environmental studies, search MNCAT under the following subject search: [specific topic]--bibliography.   Here are some examples of environmental studies bibliographies held at the University of Minnesota:  

Encyclopedia of Environmental Information Sources: a subject guide to about 34,000 print and other sources of information (Sarojini Balachandran, ed.,  1993). Forestry Library Reference Quarto Z5863 .P7 E54 1993, Magrath Library Reference Quarto Z5863 .P7 E54 1993, Walter Science & Engineering Library Quarto Z5863 .P7 E54 1993.

Diane M. Fortner, Environmental Studies: an annotated bibliography (1994). Wilson Library GE105 .F67x 1994.

Michael Marien, Environmental Issues and Sustainable Futures: a critical guide to recent books, reports, and periodicals (1996). Magrath Library Quarto GE123 .M37 1996, Wilson Library Quarto GE123 .M37 1996.

 


Periodicals & Indexes

Periodical Indexes

The Index to Legal Periodicals (http://vnweb.hwwilsonweb.com/hww/jumpstart.jhtml?custid=0000053689&prod=ILPIN) and LegalTrac (http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/umn_wilson), both of which are available in the Law Library's reference office and on the law student network, provide electronic access to articles on environmental issues published in legal periodicals. The University Libraries subscribe to several periodical indexes covering environmental topics.

The following environmental indexes are online at http://www.lib.umn.edu/articles/indexes.phtml

BIOSIS Previews (http://www.lib.umn.edu/cgi-bin/ovid-biosis.cgi) covers the biological and medical sciences, including biochemistry, biophysics, biotechnology, botany, environment, microbiology, and zoology.

Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) (
http://www.lib.umn.edu/get/envimpstaftdig) are documents that help the government and the general public understand the effects of developments on the environment and to decide whether developments should go ahead.Full text statements are available from 2003-present and summaries are available from 1985-present.

Environmental Sciences & Pollution Management Database (http://www.lib.umn.edu/cgi-bin/esp.cgi) provides comprehensive, multidisciplinary coverage of the environmental sciences. Abstracts and citations are drawn from over 6000 sources including scientific journals, conference proceedings, reports, monographs, books and government publications. Incorporates Pollution Abstracts, Water Resources Abstracts, and other specialized databases.
Areas of coverage include agricultural and environmental biotechnology, ecology, energy resources, environmental engineering, environmental impact statements (U.S.), pollution, toxicology & toxic emissions, and water resource issues.

Geobase (http://www.lib.umn.edu/cgi-bin/geob.cgi) indexes worldwide literature on geology, geography, and ecology. Provides good coverage of the literature of landscape architecture that deals with restoration and rehabilitation ecology.

Pollution Abstracts (http://www.lib.umn.edu/get/pollabs) combines information on scientific research and government policies in a single resource. Topics are extensively covered from the standpoints of atmosphere, emissions, mathematical models, effects on people and animals, and environmental action in response to global pollution issues. Includes material from conference proceedings and hard-to-find documents, along with information from primary journals in the field.

Water Resources Abstracts (http://www.lib.umn.edu/get/waterabs) provides summaries of the world's technical and scientific literature on water-related topics covering the characteristics, conservation, control, pollution, treatment, use and management of water resources.

Periodicals

To find available periodicals on environmental studies, search MNCAT under the subject search: [specific topic]--periodicals. The full text of some periodicals will be available electronically on WESTLAW and LexisNexis and/or through university subscriptions. To access the electronic journals subscribed to by the University, go to the University libraries page:  http://www.lib.umn.edu/articles/ej.phtml. ElsevierScience Direct is one of the collections listed that provides access to many full text journal articles on environmental topics. Here are some examples of environmental law journals held by the law school:

Environment, energy, and resources law. (1999-)
TC Law Library Periodicals Per.E588 

Environmental Law.(1970-) Law Library Periodicals Per .E595 Lexis-Nexis: ENVLAW Westlaw: ENTL

Environmental Policy and Law. (1975-) Law Library Periodicals Per .E597

Fordham environmental law journal. (1993-) Law Library Periodicals Per .F672855 Lexis-Nexis: FELJ Westlaw: FDMELJ

Georgetown International Environmental Law Review. (1988-) Law Library Periodicals Per .G4578 Lexis-Nexis: GIELR Westlaw: GEOIELR

The Harvard Environmental Law Review. (1976-) Law Library Periodicals Per .H345 Lexis-Nexis: HRVELR Westlaw: HVELR

Journal of Environmental Law and Litigation. (1986-) Law Library Periodicals Per .J7345 Lexis-Nexis: JENV Westlaw: JENVLL

Journal of Environmental Law and Practice. (1990-) Law Library Periodicals Per .J7346

Journal of Land, Resources, & Environmental Law. (1997-) Law Library Periodicals Per .J7456 Lexis-Nexis: JLREL Westlaw: JLRENVL

New York University Environmental Law Journal. (1992-)Law Library Periodicals Per .N567 Lexis-Nexis: NYENVJ Westlaw: NYUELJ

onearth : environment, politics, people.(2001-) Law Library Periodicals Per .A72

Stanford Environmental Law Journal. (1987-) Law Library Periodicals Per .S82 Lexis-Nexis: SELJWestlaw: STENVLJ

Tulane Environmental Law Journal. (1988-) Law Library Periodicals Per .T8315 Lexis-Nexis: TELJ Westlaw: TLNELJ

Wisconsin Environmental Law Journal. (1994-) Law Library Periodicals Per .W581 Lexis-Nexis: WELJ Westlaw: WIELJ


Government Publications

To find recent federal government publications related to environmental studies, use the Monthly Catalog of Government Publications. This source is available electronically on CD-ROM in the law library's reference office, on the Internet at http://catalog.gpo.gov/F, and on Westlaw as GPO-CTLG (this version covers 1976-date). For earlier publications, refer to the bound volumes found in the U.S. Documents collection on the second floor of the law library under GP3.8.

Many scientific publications, not covered in the Monthly Catalog, are listed in the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) online database:   http://www.lib.umn.edu/cgi-bin/ntis.cgi.

Congressional publications, starting with the first Congress, are indexed in LexisNexis Congressional, available at: http://www.lib.umn.edu/cgi-bin/cong.cgi. It is also available on LexisNexis as CISINX.

National Service Center for Environmental Publications (EPA)
"This site is EPA’s premier site for accessing EPA publications, with more than 7,000 in stock and 26,000 digital titles, free of charge! EPA’s print publications are available through the National Service Center for Environmental Publications (NSCEP), and EPA’s digital publications are stored in the National Environmental Publications Internet Site (NEPIS) database! You can search and retrieve, download, print and/or order only EPA publications from this site."


Related Web Sites

Center for International Environmental Law   (http://ciel.org/) -- "a nonprofit organization working to use international law and institutions to protect the environment, promote human health, and ensure a just and sustainable society."

Earthjustice  http://www.earthjustice.org/ -- "is a non-profit public interest law firm dedicated to protecting the magnificent places, natural resources, and wildlife of this earth, and to defending the right of all people to a healthy environment."

Environmental Law and Policy Center   http://www.elpc.org/ -- "the Midwest's leading public interest environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation organization."

Environmental Law Net   http://lawvianet.com/ -- "the leading law firm produced resource for environmental law research and news."

Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense  / Asocacion Interamericana para la Defensa del Ambiente (AIDA) http://www.aida-americas.org/aida.php -- "AIDA's mission is to empower citizens to protect human health and the environment by developing and enforcing national and international environmental laws and mechanisms for citizen participation."

Sierra Club  http://www.sierraclub.org/  -- "America's oldest, largest and most influential grassroots environmental organization."

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency  http://www.epa.gov/ 




Links verified 2/28/08

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Last modified on November 20, 2008