The communities we serve

Law reference librarians Joseph Gerken, Christine George, Nina Cascio and Marcia Zubrow gather at the information desk in the Charles B. Sears Law Library. (photo: Nefeli Soteriou)

By Nancy Babb, Melissa Bednarz, Theodora Belniak, John Mondo and Marcia Zubrow

"When I walk into the Law Library, I feel and see the palpable collegiality and cooperation between the students, faculty and law library staff," says Laura Reilly, SUNY Buffalo Law School Lecturer in Law, Legal Analysis, Writing and Research. "Everyone is working in sync to learn, share and teach. That's why I love the Law Library!"

As part of their commitment to providing excellent service, law reference librarians work tirelessly to understand and anticipate users' diverse needs, providing information and advising how and where to search for materials. Many law faculty members are interested in diverse areas of the law, and law reference librarians routinely provide research assistance that reaches out beyond law into these areas. "I work in an obscure field that is basically undocumented - historical Buddhist legal systems," notes SUNY Buffalo Professor Rebecca R. French, "and UB's law reference librarians never fail to find any book that I need in any language that I require. I could not exist or write without their expertise in understanding and finding what I need. Of all the law firms, institutions and academic departments that I have been in, they are absolutely the best."

In addition to providing research assistance, each law reference librarian is paired with several members of the law faculty to provide liaison services tailored to each faculty member's unique curricular and research needs. "Whenever I start a research project, I meet with a law librarian to discuss my project and ask how they would go about the research," says Susan V. Mangold, SUNY Buffalo Professor. "The response is always filled with genuine interest, creative research ideas and thorough follow-up." Law Professor John H. Schlegel agrees: "It really doesn't matter who is at the desk when I seek help, for the level of service is uniformly high. If one member of the Public Services staff doesn't know how to find something, the group as a whole cheerfully pools its talents to get the job done."

As participants in the teaching, learning and research that are part of the Law School's educational mission, law reference librarians teach basic legal bibliography and legal research techniques as part of the Legal Analysis, Writing and Research (LAWR) Program required of all first-year law students. Law librarians also provide instruction in advanced research skills as part of LAWR III, a required class for second-year law students. Law students interested in deepening their understanding of legal research can enroll in a semester-long course taught by a law librarian; such courses include Advanced Legal Research, New York Legal Research and International Legal Research.

Within the Law Library, one finds a choice of quiet places for individual study and thoughtful reflection as well as vibrant spaces for collaboration and discussion. As a place to study, to prepare for classes, to meet with other students, and to find help in using legal research materials, it's a popular destination for students such as second-year law student Jessica Noto. "The Law Library is a place where I know I can find other law students working on the same or similar problems," she says. "There's always a librarian available and willing to help students find materials."

To encourage law students' intellectual and technological growth, library staff make it a priority to investigate and incubate emerging new technologies, including e-book accessibility and the use of mobile devices. "Legal materials are always developing and changing in an increasingly complex and interdependent world," notes SUNY Buffalo Law Distinguished Professor Alfred Konefsky. "In some ways," he adds, "technology has made the task of legal research both more accessible and more intricate. There has, however, been one constant throughout this evolution in the UB Law Library: the librarians and professional staff who have continued to provide the most responsive and modern service in the best tradition of libraries."

The search for new ways to make legal research and intellectual discovery as seamless as possible is supported by the library's Access Services team, whose staff members oversee circulation services and coordinate Delivery+, the UB Libraries' interlibrary loan and document delivery service. SUNY Buffalo Law Professor Mark Bartholomew appreciates their efforts, noting, "The Law Library does two wonderful things for me. It makes my job easier and it makes my writing better. By collecting and delivering the scholarly articles, monographs and primary historical source materials that I need, whether available on campus or halfway around the world, the Law Library staff streamlines my work day, giving me more time to work on the main part of my job: the production of new scholarship."

Technical Services librarians order, process and make the Law Library's information resources available in all formats: print, electronic, microform, audio and video. They oversee the library's website and online search tools, and troubleshoot any problems that one may encounter with library tools. Thanks to their essential behind-the-scenes support, law students, faculty, alumni and community members can access any of the more than 500,000 items in the library's collection with relative ease.

Since 2004, the Law Library has served as a Passport Acceptance Facility, operating under U.S. Department of State guidelines and providing all services related to obtaining a U.S. passport, including photographs and guidance on completion of required paperwork. The staff works with UB's Office of International Student and Scholar Services to ensure that students can process their U.S. visas in a timely manner. All are welcome to use the Passport Acceptance Facility, especially when facing uncommon circumstances.

The Law Library welcomes members of the bench, the bar and the public, as well as UB students, faculty and staff, and we take special pride in providing SUNY Buffalo Law students and alumni with information resources for lifetime learning. We hope to see you soon!