Access Services

Where is ...
Harvard Law School Map   or handout
Harvard University Map or Harvard Library map
Caspersen Treasure Room & Reading Room - Langdell 4th floor.
Langdell North is L 225  or Vorenberg. Outside to Holmes Field and left. Next set of stairs lead to classroom.
​Langdell South is L 272 or Kirkland & Ellis. Outside to Holmes Field and right. Next set of stairs lead to classroom.
Langdell 233 is library Computer Lab.
Langdell 130 Not in Library, go to tunnel, head towards Pound. Room is on the left.
Langdell 175 Not in Library, go to tunnel, head towards Austin. Room is on the left.   
Library, Reference Offices are on the 5th floor. CHECK phone list for room number.
 
When HLS student has questions about HLS you cannot figure out who to ask: direct student to ask Dean of Students Office, dos@law. 5-1880
Always remember, if you don't know the answer, library questions can be directed to the full-time staff.
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Where can I get Coffee & Vending- Coffee Room Langdell 4th floor, by Caspersen Room. Always open for hot, cold, filtered water. Bring your own mug. Free coffee & tea on evenings and weekends during the school year. Maintained by Restaurant Assoc./cafteria 5-1880 
Vending machines with soda and candy on Tunnel level under Griswold and Lewis.

How do I look for info about all library resources:  Harvard Library- Borrow Direct, Catalogs, Databases. . 

How do I look for a book when I know the title HOLLIS Classic- hollisclassic.harvard.edu   A simpler look, searching Harvard's library catalog

How do I look for articles & books HOLLIS Plus- hollis.harvard.edu ; single starting point to search across books, articles, images; integrates with library account

How do I find a book by call number or country Location of Books by Call Number  & country name

Do you have a library map Maps of Langdell and Lewis (ILS)      Maps of carrel location  

Where is there a Restroom - With HUID, closest is Langdell 2nd floor, down by Computer Lab.  No public restroom; Student Center is outside and to left. 

Where is there a Water Fountain - Closest is Langdell 2nd floor. 4th floor by Caspersen Room for filtered & hot

Where do I get Westlaw and Lexis-Nexis passwords: Reference Desk, 4th floor.

How do I get Wi-Fi - Law School's IT can help with problems connecting to Harvard-wide wi-fi, and printing from laptop. No log-in needed for Harvard Guest wi-fi

Helpful Links

Access Services Staff Teams

Asklib (to add to tally of questions asked at Circulation)
Bathroom Reader Library News
​Harvie (to hr.harvard.edu & Peoplesoft to enter time worked each week)
Hours - Law Library
Locate a Law Library Book by Call Number or Country Name - or see hand-out
Printing -  Student FAQs   Guest accounts: papercut.law.harvard.edu/admin  [staff only]
Shiftboard to check & change desk schedule
Student Worker Rules
Zones - Library Zones for collaboration, phone calls, quiet. Food in Lemann Lounge only.     
   Note: 3 Group Study Rooms on Langdell 3 South, for HLS sign up only. Reserve thru myrooms.law.harvard.edu .
   Group work, no reservation, in Lemann Lounge, Microforms Room, Reference Room.

A - Z  Department Policies  STUDENTS - ASK STAFF ANY QUESTIONS. This is just a rough outline of policies.

Access & Privileges -  For non-Harvard people it is best to email access@law.  Staff at Circulation can answer questions about library access, & electronic resources for patrons without HUID or Special Borrower card. In general, faculty & students from other universities can come to use collections here for free, not study space. Best to email in advance because many materials are off-site.   Exceptions - ask staff, but includes contractors, people with a Harvard program badge/name tag. The public, pro se, and law firms, pay $20 per day for access.  Special Collections acts like a separate library, with its own access process, scheduled by appointment Tues-Fri 10-5.  - specialc@law.harvard.edu.   

Book Requests  - Borrowing is for HUID and some Special Borrowers, but not all.  Need a book today? If a book is at a Harvard, at an on campus library and available for borrowing, you can visit the library to retrieve from shelf rather than use request link. A book will not necessarily have a request link because not all libraries deliver, and not all materials can be delivered.

Book Returns - any Harvard books or Borrow Direct books can be returned except non-HLS Library reserve materials. 
Empty the Book Return bin promptly.  Check to see if a Reserve book has been requested on the Reserve Request clipboard.

Borrowing & Renewing - Any current HUID can borrow at Law. Semester loan for students, semester for faculty, staff, SJD.  5 renewals (online) if no other patron has requested; then bring to library to return or re-start five.  Only following Special Borrowers have borrowing at Law: Fletcher, Officer Dependent, Spouse, or Harvard Direct patrons. Not alums. Borrow Direct loans are 16 weeks with no renewal.

Carrels (Person Hold Shelf) - shelf in 4th floor Reference area for a patron to keep books for school year or summer while working on a project or thesis.  Mainly for HLS students and visitors without office space using a large number of HLS Library books. Prior to spring 2017 these shelves were at carrels, and a  handful of scholars are finishing  up in 2017-18.  At the carrels HLS Library books are check out to a carrel card, others are checked out to patron. Not reserved seating!   Maps of carrel location

Disabilities Services for Patrons - Staff can assist with retrieval. Should be coordinated by full-time staff through access @ law. (i.e. Harvard Direct doesn't include In-Library Use materials, so patron with mobility issues can ask for delivery to Hold Shelf.) Needs for HLS students are coordinated with Dean of Students Office.

DVD's / Popular Media - Popular Media DVDs are 7 day loans, kept in alphabetical order by title, across from Reserve shelves with AV Sticker.  Patron brings the empty case from the Lemann Lounge to check out.  DVDs with Reserve stickers are on reserve for a professor, and are shelved after the Popular Media.  Loans vary from 1 day to 7 days.

Electronic Resources - use HUID and PIN.  Non-Harvard queries to access@law but the answer given is that access is through HLS Library computers, on site use only. For HLS patrons:  Westlaw and Lexis-Nexis passwords are requested at the Reference Desk.

Fines & Billings - $3.00/day if recalled. For Law Library fines only contact Melanie Evans thru access@law. Otherwise, contact the library the books came from. We cannot see non-Law fines. Charges applied automatically to term bill or processed thru accounts receivable. Bill from the Accounts Receivable or Term Bill offices must be made directly to them.

Harvard Depository - Patrons request books in "HD" thru HOLLIS, choose delivery location. Available in 1-2 business days.   Non-Harvard patrons request by emailing access@law .

Hold Shelf - Holds are for 7 days and can be extended if not requested by another patron - but not as a replacement for a carrel or check out.

Interlibrary Loan -  5-3176 hlsill@law ; for HLS patrons to request other, non-Harvard Libraries, beyond Borrow Direct  
Calls inquiring about borrowing an HLS Library book outside Harvard:  Lending Services Phone: 617-495-3176 Email: hlsill@law.harvard.edu

Lost & Found cabinet - One for library at Circulation, and one for Law School in Holmes Hall (Facilities 5-5521), Room 4

Microforms Room -  Patrons need a drawer number rather than call number.  Staff can help use the microforms scanner. Printing is free. Printer trays are kept at Circulation.

Newspapers & Magazines -  listed in HOLLIS.  Casual Reading in Lemann Lounge. Some titles have older issues in the cabinet below and in closet at back of Lounge.

Personal Hold Shelf - see Carrels

Photocopying -  $0.10 a page using Crimson Cash.  Encourage scanning for free! HLS students can then use their print account. Copiers 3rd floor near restroom, 409

Printing & Print Accounts -  Law School's Papercut networked print system is set up for Law students login with HUID or email & password  ; 10 cents per piece of paper, Color printer in Lemann Lounge, 25 cents; yo must choose the separate color print queue.
  For Circulation Staff:  Set up and Add to Printing - papercut.law.harvard.edu/admin
                                       Report public printer problem - IT ticket system

Recall - Request - recalled books are due in 7 days if already out for 14 days

Reserves - ?'s to Ashley Pierce in FRIDA  ; all books are on shelves by call number.  Reserve books can leave the library and can be checked out overnight during the last two hours of the evening.  Reserve DVD's are shelved after the Popular Media DVDs.  Text to Notify when a Reserve book is checked in and available thru: textem.net    Black's Law Dictionary and The Bluebook are on a shelf just behind the left PC, not in with the rest of Reserves. 

Scan and Deliver - free, electronic document delivery for HUID holders through HOLLIS. PDF sent for certain items from collections currently on the shelf; If item is eligible for scanning, it will have a "Scan & Deliver" link. Processed within 4 business days. No Scan & Deliver for Reserve items.

Scanning - patron scanning is free. HLS students can scan at the printer/scanner/copier stations.  Scan-only stations are in 2nd flr Microforms, back of Reference, Computer Lab 408 and 409; no papercut account needed for these.

Shelving - Out of date but useful for Unclassed.

Subcites, Law Journals - Questions to Alethea at access@law ;  Shelves are like carrel-set up for Law Journals to keep HLS Law books during cite checking. No extra slips! US Codes/Laws cannot be checked out.  Non-Law books cannot be checked out to the Subcite.  Interlibrary Loan books should not be placed there.
Harvard Law Review checkouts are different; they can leave the library and do not get a subcite slip. They can also borrow non-Law books on the card, including Borrow Direct. 

Tech Cabinet - Reserves Tech Cabinet has thumb-drives, laptop power cordsheadphones, etc.   When returned, re-wrap power cords, and keep the cabinet neat.   

Tourist Policy -
Harvard alumni, prospective students, and visitors from other universities and the legal community are welcome to tour the library.  Caspersen Room exhibits are open to all, 9-5, when there is not an event. Staff at Circulation can use their discretion, let in small groups in the categories mentioned, and continue to allow small families in to see the Reading Room, whether they technically fit under the category of prospective HLS student or not.
No tour guides with groups, even broken up into smaller groups.  The only tours are for people with Harvard IDs showing friends and family, HLS led tours (Admissions, programs, staff), or tours arranged with a Harvard librarian.  People with Harvard IDs asking about showing a group of five or more should be reminded that the library is a quiet space.
No photography or filming allowed.  Admin (Gail) can answer questions about setting up a future tour or photos.  5-3170       

Work Orders - Creating Work Order for "Rush Cat" Materials to Go Back to Catalog

1. Scan in Physical Items - Barcode
2. Choose " ... " More Actions "Work Order"
3. Fill in Process Type "Tech Services Work Order"
4. Be sure "Do Not Pick from Shelf" is checked.
5. Put in note field "return to cataloging"
6. Select Managing Department "ITS-LANG Tech Services"
7. Click on Submit.

You have joined a great team!  We recognize that you are a student first, and we try to be a flexible workplace for student workers, but we have some ground rules to keep the department running:
1. Show up for your shift on time. Notify the desk if you are going to be late.  5-3455. 
2. Scheduling & Canceling  - Shiftboard allows you to cancel a shift a day or more in advance, and lets the staff know.  Please cancel shifts as far in advance as possible so we can be prepared. Do not make a habit of canceling shifts late in the evening of the day before, even though the system lets you.  This does not give us much time to find a replacement.  The schedule is ordinarily two hours or longer, and is made for the semester through exams. If you cannot regularly make the shifts, make a new schedule for the semester.  We purposely don't schedule people for the hour after we open, or up to the hour before we close because it is not fair to have only one hour shifts.
3.  Breaks - Take your break during the shift.  As a rare exception you can take at the end, but we usually need you to stay.  2 hrs = no break ; 4 hrs = 15 minutes ; 6 hours = 30 minutes; 7 hours = 30 minutes plus two 15 minute breaks.
4.   Phone call breaks: We all get calls we need to take once in a while, family and job-searching - just take your cell phone in the back or in the Lounge. Don't make email, facebook or calls a regular part of your library shift before 6 p.m.
5.  Look up!  You need to be aware of people in the lobby who may have questions, to always be ready to help patrons, and look approachable. You can't be so buried in your books or computer screen that you don't see or hear people come up to the desk. "Hi, can I help you" is a great way to see why someone is standing around in the lobby.
6.  No headphones.  
7.  Don't spread out your laptop, books and belongings. Keep the space neat to work with the check-out computer and the books being checked in or out.
8.  Tech equipment such as chargers or headphones are for patron use.  It is fine to borrow one while on the desk but you should be prepared to give it up to someone asking to borrow if it is the last one.  Similarly, reserve books need to be available.
9.  No food at the desk.  Take a break, or mini-break away from the desk to have a snack.  Crumbs and greasy fingers are no fun to share on the keyboard.  Beverages in covered lids, please.
10.  Some shifts require help with different office tasks such as book returns, straightening up, processing storage/Depository books, scanning, checking library printers paper, etc.  Once the tasks are done, there is usually plenty of time to get some reading done while continuing to help patrons who come to the desk.  If there are two student-workers on for a shift, you two should share in the tasks, including emptying the book return and helping patrons.
11.  Understand the basics of how Library of Congress Call Numbers work:  2nd line is whole number, 3rd line is a decimal. Reserve and Study Guide books need to go back in exactly the right spot!

12.  Understand the basics of HOLLIS, how to help someone find a book when they have the author or title.  This includes being able to describe how the following works:  Harvard Direct delivery, recalls, Borrow Direct, Scan & Deliver, Resource Sharing, Interlibrary Loan requests.  Broader subject searches, and help with paper topics, are done  by the Reference staff on the 3rd floor, Monday - Friday 10 am to 6 pm.  They can be reached to set up an appointment at research@law.harvard.edu .

HLS Directory - See Printed Phone List booklet with Faculty & Staff, and Programs at the back 

Harvard University Directory

Acquisitions, for HLS Library purchase requests - 617-495-3172   acquistn@law

Alumni - Library Resources for HLS Alums; for access to other libraries see Alumni library resources. The main privileges office is in Widener Room 130, 5-4166, library_privileges@harvard.edu .   

Fines - The fines & billing office for Harvard Library is at the main privileges office ,Widener room 130, 5-4166, library_billing@harvard.edu .
  
FRIDA - Faculty Document Delivery 6-2147 frida@law ; Langdell 262 shared with Circulation; service for HLS faculty and SjDs

Harvard Library Office of Information Systems (OIS) - Aleph support, report problems

Interlibrary Loan for HLS Library 5-3176  hlsill@law  MAIN NUMBER @ WIDENER  5-2972

IT at Harvard Law School    5-0722 - put in repair/service ticket  [staff only] on bottom left of page

Libraries @ Harvard - A-Z with links to hours  

Library Innovation Lab (at Harvard Law School Library) lil@law web: librarylab.law.harvard.edu  NO PHONE CALLS

Notary Public at HLS

Programs / Departments at HLS (Berkman, East Asian Legal Studies, etc.)

Registrar  5-4612, Wasserstein 4007

Reference Desk for HLS Library  5-4516 research@law  or Asklib

Special Collections, HLS Library - BY APPOINTMENT  specialc@law  4th floor South

Widener Circulation  5- 2414

Widener Privileges Office - Main library privileges office for Harvard libraries. Room 130, 5-4166, library_privileges@harvard.edu  

Wiki for Harvard Law School Library log-in with Harvard Key

Old intranet page  [only available on department computers] Note that this has no updates since May 2013.

Wiki      - Policies and Procedures testing  Requires staff log-in