The circulation desk staff performs a variety of functions including lending library materials, handling books and other materials placed on reserve, selling copy cards, and coordinating access to audiovisual equipment, personal computers, wireless network antennae, and carrels.
The circulation desk maintains a collection of items placed on reserve by faculty. Additional items are placed on reserve by the Law Library's staff to facilitate more equal access to heavily used materials and items of special interest. These items include such materials as Shepard's Texas Citations, slip opinion services for Texas appellate cases, Dorsaneo's Texas Litigation Guide, Kendrick's Texas Transaction Guide, audio cassettes, videotapes, unbound copies of heavily used legal periodicals, Texas Rules of Form, Texas Subsequent History Table, and The Bluebook: A Uniform System of Citation. Most reserve materials may be checked out for use in the Law Library for a period of two hours by presenting to the circulation desk staff a valid SMU identification card or current driver's license.
Photocopiers are distributed throughout the Law Library on the second, third, and fourth floors and in the Central Basement. Photocopiers are operated by coins or by copy card. A change machine and copy card dispensing machine are located in the second floor lobby across from the circulation desk. Inquire at the circulation desk for information on obtaining copy cards. Problems with copiers should be reported to the circulation desk.
Portable video viewing equipment may be checked out from the circulation desk for use in designated carrels. Video cassettes are on reserve at the circulation desk.
The Law Library subscribes to several newspapers and popular magazines. Current issues are located in the second floor lounge area.
Items "found" in the Underwood Law Library building should be taken to the circulation desk. Unclaimed items are used by the Law Library or given to a charitable organization. Other lost and found services are maintained by the Admissions Office in Storey Hall and the SMU Department of Public Safety.
Substantial fines are assessed for overdue books. After thirty days an overdue book is considered lost and replacement costs will be assessed.
The loss of any material owned by the Underwood Law Library will result in an assessment of the following charges in addition to any fine due when the loss is reported: the current price of each lost item being replaced plus a processing charge of twenty-five dollars per item being replaced. The return of lost material after the replacement procedure has started will reduce the total assessment by the cost of the replacement material only. The material returned remains the property of the Law Library.
