Borrow and Renew

Borrowing

With their own valid School of Law ID card, law school students may check out library materials under the following circulation policies:

  • Three Hour Reserve - These materials, which include items on course reserve, hornbooks and nutshells, are checked out from the Circulation Desk.
  • Forty-Eight Hour Reserve - When the Library owns three or more copies of a hornbook or nutshell, copies three and above are allowed to circulate for a forty-eight hour period.
  • Four Week Circulation - Most single volume monographs from the classified collection are allowed to circulate for four weeks.
  • Audiovisual Room and Study Room Keys - Room keys circulate for three hours and may be renewed subject to the Room Reservation Policy.

Law alumni borrowers should refer to the RWU Law Alumni Services page for information about their borrowing privileges and responsibilities.

Renewals

Patrons may renew material via the telephone when full-time staff are available or renew material online anytime.

To renew via the telephone, call the Circulation Desk at 254-4546 during the normal business day.

To renew online, patrons may use the "My Library > My Account" option in the WebCatalog. They can review a list of the materials currently checked out, see the due dates and times for all items, and select items to be renewed.

Overdue materials may not be renewed.

Overdue Materials

  • Overdue notices are sent the first business day an item is overdue. Materials not returned after two notices are billed and a billing notice is sent. Bills are issued for the estimated replacement cost of the item plus a billing fee in the amount of $25.00.
  • Borrowing privileges will be suspended while a bill/billing fee is outstanding. Periodic reminder notices will be sent for unpaid bills/billing fees.

Patron Record Access

All patrons have the ability to view their Patron record from the WebCatalog. Either:

  • Select the My Library Account link under Task Links on the Library home page, or
  • From any search results screen, click on Login at the bottom of the page. The library software will prompt you to provide your name, library barcode, and PIN.

After logging in, click on your name at the top of the screen to check on due dates, renew items which are not overdue, or change your PIN.

  • The library barcode is on the back of your School of Law ID and will start with the number "25166...".
  • Your PIN is six alpha/numeric characters selected by you.

You should see a Login screen like the one below asking for your name, Bar Code, and PIN:

Login screenshot

If you do not have a PIN and need to establish one for the first time, enter the following on the Login screen:

  • Your name in the Name field.
  • Your barcode in the Bar Code field (from the back of your RWU Law ID (starts with 25166….).
  • Any character in the PIN field (any number or letter).
  • Click on the Submit button or press ENTER.

The system will recognize if you do not already have a PIN and take you to the page on which you can create a PIN:

Establish a PIN screenshot

If you already have a PIN, you will receive the message “Sorry, the information you submitted was invalid. Please try again.”

Invalid information screenshot

If you already have a PIN and do not remember it:

  • Click on the Forgot Your PIN? link under the Submit button.
  • You will receive an email with a link to reset your PIN.
  • The email will go to your RWU email address.
  • Use the link supplied to reset your PIN.

Forgot your PIN? screenshot

If you still have problems, please contact the law library to verify that your patron record is up-to-date.

Frequently Asked Questions about Borrowing Materials

Can I borrow materials from the University Library?

  • Yes. Go to the University Library and present your student ID. You should be in their online system. If not, they will enter you into their system.

What if an item seems to be "missing" from the stacks?

  • Ask a member of the Law Library staff to join the search. We may be able to identify additional places to look.
  • If it is at the bindery, we can determine when it should be back and arrange to have it available as quickly as possible.

What if I need an item that is not available at either the Law Library or the University Library?

  • Item(s) can be requested through Interlibrary Loan. The request form and additional information is available on this site under Interlibrary Loan.
Close Course Type Descriptions

Course Types

We have classified RWU Law classes under the following headers. One of the following course types will be attached to each course which will allow students to narrow down their search while looking for classes.

Core Course

Students in the first and second year are required to take classes covering the following aspects of the law—contracts, torts, property, criminal law, civil procedure, and constitutional law, evidence, and professional responsibility.  Along with these aspects, the core curriculum will develop legal reasoning skills.

Elective

After finishing the core curriculum the remaining coursework toward the degree is completed through upper level elective courses.  Students can choose courses that peak their interests or courses that go along with the track they are following.

Seminar

Seminars are classes where teachers and small groups of students focus on a specific topic and the students complete a substantial research paper.

Clinics/Externships

Inhouse Clinics and Clinical Externships legal education is law school training in which students participate in client representation under the supervision of a practicing attorney or law professor.  RWU Law's Clinical Programs offer unique and effective learning opportunities and the opportunity for practical experience while still in law school.