Frequently Asked Questions
General Questions
- Who May Use the Library?
- How do I make a copy of something in the Library's collection?
- How do I get a copy card?
- Where is the Student Computer Center and what services and amenities are available there?
- Computer Service available to the Public
Library Services
- Where can I obtain reference and research assistance?
- What is Interlibrary Loan and how can I take advantage of it?
- What are my Circulation and Borrowing Privileges?
Locations
- What do the locations mentioned in the catalog mean?
- Where can I locate periodicals?
- How can I obtain electronic access to periodicals?
- Where are government documents?
- Where is the Reserve Room and what is included in this collection?
- What are unclassed materials?
- Where can I find case reporters?
- Where are the digests?
- Where are state materials?
- Where are legal encyclopedias and the American Law Reports?
- Where are the United States Code and the Statutes at Large?
- Where can I find hornbooks and nutshells?
- Where are old exams?
General Questions
Who May Use the Library?
The Washington College of Law Library is open to the public, and all patrons may be asked to show a photo ID when they enter the building. Parking is available in the garage at 4801 Massachusetts Ave., NW for a charge of $8.00. Please note that the District of Columbia requires that the Washington College of Law inform all of our visitors that they cannot park on nearby public streets. Those who do so may be subject to a $75.00 fine.
How do I make a copy of something in the Library's collection?
Self-service photocopiers are located on both floors of the Library, and photocopy machines for microform are located in the Reserve Room on the first floor. Because all Library photocopiers require the use of a copy card, there are no facilities available for making change from coins or bills. There are several banks and local businesses in the immediate area of the Law School that might assist you, as well as an automatic change machine in the vending area near the Student Lounge on the 6th floor.
How do I get a copy card?
All currently enrolled WCL and AU students, faculty and staff have a copy card “Eagle Buck$” account. To activate your Eagle Buck$ card, deposit cash in $1, $5, $10 or $20 bills on the card at one of the “Card Value Centers” located in the Library’s first and second floor copy rooms. You may also fund the card with a check, cash, or credit or debit card through the Office of Student Accounts, located on the second floor of the Asbury Building on the AU main campus. Their phone number is 202-885-3548.
If you are not a currently enrolled at WCL or AU and are not a faculty or staff member, you may purchase a copy card at one of the “Card Value Centers” for $1 in one of the Library’s copy rooms. To use your card, you must place additional value on it with $1, $5, $10 or $20 bills.
Where is the Student Computer Center and what services and amenities are available there?
The main student computer lab is located on the second floor of the Library and has over 30 PC workstations; additional computers are dedicated Web research and have access to Westlaw and Lexis/Nexis research databases. Students can use the six Hewlett-Packard LaserJet printers located on the 2nd floor of the Library and the Research Printer, which is located on the 1st floor of the Library either from the lab workstations or from anywhere in the Library via their own laptops. A complete description of the services provided to WCL students by the Office of Technology is at http://www.wcl.american.edu/techres/complab/. The Student Computer Lab is available to all WCL and AU students.
Computer Service available to the Public
Members of the public who wish to use a computer may use one of the workstations located on the first floor of the Library; these computers are able to access the internet and do not have word processing programs installed. You may print from these printers to the Research Printer, located on the first floor in the Student Convenience Center.
Library Services
Where can I obtain reference and research assistance?
Professional reference assistance is available in the main reading room on the first floor of the Library. Reference service is available from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., Monday through Thursday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Friday; 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 pm Saturday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. during the academic year. Reference librarians are also available to faculty and students for research consultations by appointment. You may contact a reference librarian at reflib@wcl.american.edu or by telephone at 202-274-4352.
What is Interlibrary Loan and how can I take advantage of it?
WCL students, faculty and staff may borrow books and materials that are not in our collection from other institutions and organizations. Please allow at least two weeks for processing. A detailed explanation of Interlibrary Loan services, policies and procedures is at http://library.wcl.american.edu/ill.cfm. You may contact Interlibrary Loan at ill@wcl.american.edu.
WCL students, faculty and staff may borrow books and materials that are not in our collection from other institutions and organizations. Please allow at least two weeks for processing. A detailed explanation of Interlibrary Loan services, policies and procedures is at http://library.wcl.american.edu/ill.cfm. You may contact Interlibrary Loan at ill@wcl.american.edu.
What are my Circulation and Borrowing Privileges?
WCL students may borrow circulating materials from the monograph collection for a period of three weeks. Other materials, including items from the Reserve Collection, materials that are updated on a regular basis and some international materials have 2 hour check-out periods. A detailed explanation of Circulation services, policies and procedures is at http://library.wcl.american.edu/circulation.cfm. You may contact Circulation at circ@wcl.american.edu or by telephone at 202-274-4300.
WCL students may borrow circulating materials from the monograph collection for a period of three weeks. Other materials, including items from the Reserve Collection, materials that are updated on a regular basis and some international materials have 2 hour check-out periods. A detailed explanation of Circulation services, policies and procedures is at http://library.wcl.american.edu/circulation.cfm. You may contact Circulation at circ@wcl.american.edu or by telephone at 202-274-4300.
Locations
A map of the Library with specific stack locations is at http://library.wcl.american.edu/maps/library_maps.cfm.
What do the locations mentioned in the catalog mean?
The Library uses the Library of Congress classification system to arrange its monograph collection. It is an alphanumeric system that is used to arrange books in subject order. Most classification numbers consist of three lines:
| KF | alphanumeric - indicates the general subject area |
| 1500 | whole number - indicates the specific subject area |
| .W53 | decimal - identifies the specific book |
The majority of the monographs in our collection are housed on the second floor of the Library at stack ranges 209-249.
Where can I locate periodicals?
Bound periodicals from about 2005, including law reviews, bar journals, newsletters, etc. are located on the second floor of the Library in stacks 250 to 256. Unbound periodicals are shelved in the Reserve Room in stack ranges 114 to 124 (on the far wall to the right as you enter the Reserve Room). Periodical indexes, including the Index to Legal Periodicals and Books, LegalTrac, the Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals and others are accessible online at http://library.wcl.american.edu/resources/research_tools.cfm. Bound and unbound periodicals are shelved alphabetically by title.
How can I obtain electronic access to periodicals?
Many periodicals are available through Hein Online, a full-text electronic database available on our website by linking to this database under the Research Tools Links on the library webpage at http://library.wcl.american.edu/. Many indexes to legal periodicals are also available at this link. Full-text periodicals and indexes are also available at http://library.wcl.american.edu/resources/resources.cfm?parm_val=All&local_attribute_id=20. To access the electronic version of these periodicals through our webpage, you must be connected to the WCL network, either in the law school or via remote access and use your my.american.edu password.
Where are government documents?
The Library is a partial depository for U.S. government publications. Our selective collection includes Executive Agency, Congressional and Presidential materials and other legal and law-related materials. These documents may be in paper or microform and are located in the Reserve Room on the first floor of the Library, the paper in stack ranges 102 to 109 and the microform in the cabinets to the right as you enter the Reserve Room. Some government documents are also shelved with the classified collection on the second floor of the Library. Use the Library’s online catalog, LEAGLE, to locate government documents by keyword, author, title, or subject or Sudoc number.
Where is the Reserve Room and what is included in this collection?
Materials that are heavily used, such as hornbooks, nutshells and items placed on Reserve for class by professors are kept in the Reserve Room in stack ranges 110 to 113. The Reserve Room is open and materials may be used there without checking them out. If you wish to use reserve materials outside the Reserve Room you may do so by checking them out at the Circulation Desk for a renewable period of 2 hours. Renewals of Reserve materials must by done in-person. Materials returned late are subject to fines of $1 per hour.
What are unclassed materials?
There are a number of titles in our collection that are not shelved in their Library of Congress call number order. These include West’s Federal Reporters, the National Reporter System, the American Law Reports (A.L.R.) series, the U.S. Code, Statutes at Large, United States Code Congressional and Administrative News (U.S.C.C.A.N.) and the national and regional digests. These are located on both floors of the Library. Use the Library’s online catalog, LEAGLE, to locate unclassed materials by keyword, author, title, or subject.
Where can I find case reporters?
The federal case reporters are located on the first floor in stacks 126 to 133. The regional reporters are also on the second floor in stacks 258 to 262. Official state court reports for Virginia and Maryland and the District of Columbia are housed on the first floor in ranges 138 to 142. Official state court reports are also available through state and federal court websites and through Lexis and Westlaw.
Where are the digests?
The American Digest System, consisting of the Century Digest, the Decennial Digests and the General Digest is shelved in stack 257. The West Regional Digests are shelved with their companion regional reporters in stacks 258 to 262. Federal Digests are shelved adjacent to the Federal Reporters on stacks on stack 134.
Where are state materials?
The great majority of the Library’s collection of state materials are located in ranges 201 to 205 on the second floor. The collection includes each individual State Code and many individual state digests, and other materials, which vary by state. Materials from the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia can be found in the Local Materials collection on the first floor of the Library in stacks 138 to 142.
Where are legal encyclopedias and the American Law Reports?
Am Jur 2d and Corpus Juris Secundum are located on the second floor at stack 206 and the American Law Reports are located on the first floor of the Library in stack 123.
Where are the United States Code and the Statutes at Large?
The United States Code, the United States Code Annotated and the United States Code Service and the Statutes at Large are shelved in stacks 124 and 125.
Where can I find hornbooks and nutshells?
These study aids are located in the Reserve Room in stacks 110 to 113. They may circulate for two hours.
Where are old exams?
Old Exams are available online in our Ye Old Exam Book database. Only exams submitted by professors are available on our database and paper copies are not maintained. Some exams will require you to obtain a password from a reference librarian, or, rarely, from your professor.