Using the Law Library’s Website to Find Books and Articles Stacy Etheredge, JD, MLIS Reference Librarian Coleman Karesh Law Library University of South Carolina

What You Need to Know How to find them How to get them once they’re found Sounds simple, but there’s a little more to it than that ….

How to Find Them We’ll Focus on Secondary Sources Books and Treatises Journal Articles

How Do We Find Books? The answer is … … the Law Library’s online catalog So where is this online catalog? … … it all starts with the Law Library’s main webpage …

Using the Law School’s Catalog “Law Library Catalog” “Columbia Law Library” (or “Columbia Campus Libraries”)

The Different Search Methods Keyword Title Author Subject Advanced Keyword

Keyword Searches Great for when you are just starting your research Don’t need to use “and” as a connector; the search engine will do it for you Words will be searched across the entire catalog record, but, keep in mind that catalog records are not meant to be a description of the book Law Library Catalog

Title Searches When you are looking for a specific book and you know the title The most important thing to remember – It operates as a “string search”, i.e., what you type in is exactly what it looks for!! Law Library Catalog

Author Searches When you are looking for a specific book and you know the author’s name When you want to see other books written by an author Names need to be entered in a certain order (last name, first name); however, the catalog will usually suggest an alternative Law Library Catalog

Subject Searches Best to avoid this unless you’re a licensed library professional … Except – it’s great when you “go in through the back door” (i.e., do a “subject search” after you have search results from a previous search) Law Library Catalog

Advanced Keyword Searches More options are available Can do combinations of options The only place where can do “keyword” type searches within the title, author, and subject fields (i.e., are not string searches) Thus, searching is much more powerful Law Library Catalog

Important! Always remember … the law library catalog does not include individual articles from journals and law reviews All you can do is check to see if the library has a specific law review

How to Find Them Secondary Sources: Books and Treatises Journal Articles

Important! (in case you forgot) Always remember … the law library catalog does not include individual articles from journals and law reviews All you can do is check to see if the library has a specific law review

How Do We Find Articles? Need to use databases of articles p.s. print indexes for articles are also in the Law Library, (just in case anyone cares … ) Index to Legal Periodicals (ILP) Current Law Index (CLI)

Databases of Articles on the Law Library’s Website LegalTrac (an indexing service) HeinOnline (a fulltext service) (There are also databases of non-legal articles on the USC Libraries Website)

Where are These Databases of Articles? Once again, all roads lead to the Law Library’s website …

Finding LegalTrac “Online Resources” “Electronic Indexes” Choose “Law” as a subject “View Sources” “LegalTrac”

LegalTrac Pros Search screen is easy to use Searching is fast Subject classifications available for “back door subject searches” Cons Usually just citations and sometimes abstracts; almost no full-text content in LegalTrac itself (although often links to the articles in other USC Libraries databases) Doesn’t go back very far in coverage (1980)

Finding HeinOnline “Online Resources” “Online Research – Limited Access” “HeinOnline” “Subscribers, Please Click Here to Enter” “Law Journal Library” “Search”

HeinOnline Pros Over 600 law journals Coverage back to their starting dates Articles are.pdf files (thus, includes official pagination, photos, graphics) Cons Searching is a little slow (.pdf files) Navigation is not always intuitive (caveat - it keeps getting better and better)

What You Need to Know How to find them How to get them once they’re found

How To Get Them Once They’re Found There are specific procedures to follow when The materials are located in our Libraries The materials are not located in our Libraries (Please consult handout)

The End Remember to ask the Reference Librarians for help if you need assistance (You may also contact the reference desk via e- mail at