Welcome back (or just welcome in general) to the UW Law Library! We are looking forward to working with you throughout the coming year. By now, many of you have probably taken advantage of the library services and resources in some way, but that will not stop us from creating another internet top ten list to grab your attention!

Without further ado...Here are 10 great ways to utilize the Law Library to excel in law school:

1. Discover hidden spots in the library to study - we cover five floors and have numerous and diverse places to study that range from sun-flecked (in the Habush, Habush, Rottier Reading Room) to extremely silent (try a desk on the first floor!) Find whatever works for you to really bear down on the studying.
2. Check out something great besides a book - Did you know that you can check out standing desks, frisbees, phone chargers, ping-pong paddles, fun DVDs and more from the Law Library? Just ask us what we have at the circulation desk and we will set you up so you are the envy of all your studious friends.
3. Scan your materials...for free - There are three scanning stations situated throughout the library: two in the fifth floor copy center and one on the third floor. Each one has a document feeder and a book scanner, making it quick and easy to create a PDF of whatever you need. Best of all, you can email it, add it to Google Drive or send it to a USB drive all for free.
4. Chat with a reference librarian from anywhere - Our chat feature (located on our homepage) allows you to quickly get a hold of a reference librarian from anywhere. Stuck on a research question? Looking for a tough cite? Just ask us! We are here to help from 9am to 9pm Mondays-Thursdays, 9-5 on Fridays and 1-5 Saturdays and Sundays.
5. Learn more about UW Law's rich history by listening to oral histories of famous faculty – The Law School's Digital Repository, administered by the Law Library, contains countless great collections and materials. Our six oral histories of well-regarded UW-Law Faculty members will shine a light on the great work that has been done right here at the Law School and how that has affected and changed our laws and society in very real ways. Law in Action!
6. Find friends, family or just older fashion styles in our alumni photo collection – Located on the second floor of the Library, our alumni photos reach back to the 1800s, showcasing graduates throughout our 150 year history. An added bonus – you can find every single photo, plus all the recent classes, in our digital repository.
7. Dig into intensive research starting with a study guide – The Law Librarians have created over 50 unique guides focused on specific topics ranging from Copyright Law to Water Law to a 1L survival guide. Each guide is designed to get you started off on the right foot as you begin your research or begin your law school career. Best of all, these guides are always updated and connected with the friendly librarian that created it, so if you have more questions…just ask!
8. Suggest a purchase recommendation or just an improvement to the Law Library – Are we missing a book that you think should be in our collection? Suggest it to us and we'll review it and get back to you ASAP – we'll even place it on hold for you when we get it. On top of that, you can help us improve – simply fill out a suggestion form either on our website or in our suggestion box located in the Copy Center. We've made the library better in many ways thanks to these helpful suggestions.
9. Check out our awesome new website – We've worked hard over the summer to create a functional and attractive new site for you. The site is fully optimized for browsing on phones or tablets and keeps all of our great resources, including our beloved "Top Database" list. If you have questions about something, please just let us know!
10. Ask a friendly Law Librarian for help – One thing we love as librarians more than anything else is supporting you in your research. This means helping you with a difficult research question, helping you find a book, finding a room where you meeting is being held, or just asking you how your classes are. Anytime you have a question, just ask a librarian in person, via chat, email or phone. We are happy to answer the questions you have.

I could go on and make this a top 100 list of ways the Law Library can help you through your time here at UW Law, but we've all got studying to do! Bottom line – welcome, and stop by to say hello or ask a question. We're ready to help!

                    

Submitted by Kristopher Turner on September 4, 2019

This article appears in the categories: Law Library