Law school library receives top recognition

In a recent study done by the National Jurist, a popular student-oriented law magazine, IU's School of Law Library was ranked as No. 1 in the country. Tied with the University of Iowa, IU "outlibraried" 181 other accredited universities.\nInstituted in 1842, the library accommodates 735,000 volumes and boasts the title of 15th-largest academic law library in the nation, said Colleen Pauwels, the library's director.\nAccording to the article, law libraries nationwide were ranked by scores in various categories: number of volumes; titles and serial subscriptions; ratio of library study capacity and professional librarians to student enrollment; and number of hours open per week.\nSince the magazine is student-oriented, it focuses more on students' preferences and academic requirements.\n"The National Jurist puts emphasis on how libraries respond to law students," Pauwels said.\nShe admits to trying to cater to law students and their needs here at IU with a helpful staff and a good environment.\n"We're always trying to be more service-oriented," she said. "We want students to feel welcome and be able to use this library successfully."\nThe library was built to assist law students in finding necessary information for classes, as well to give them an environment conducive to studying law.\n"Law students really use the library as a base of operation," Pauwels said. "They spend hours and hours here each week." \nAlthough the library is mostly utilized by law students, some non-law school students could find information here very beneficial as well.\n"There are a lot of courses outside of the law school that require the use of this library," Pauwels said.\nSecond-year law student Jennifer Rich admits to daily use of the law library.\n"I'm here basically all day in-between classes," she said. "It adds up to at least 12 hours a week." \nDoug Skelley, another second-year law student, finds himself continually satisfied with the resources available to him at the library.\n"I always feel like whenever I need something, it's here," Skelley said. "I don't need to go all over the place to find the information I am looking for." \nThe library boasts 10 professional librarians, each skilled and supportive of students' needs.\n"The librarians here are amazingly helpful," Skelley said. "They always point you in the right direction." \nAlso, many law students find themselves struggling to study and complete their hectic workload at home with so many distractions, and the library is a good alternative.\n"It's a better place to study than at home," Skelley said. "It's also a good environment to be able to ask other students questions if I need help."\nPauwels added that there is a helpful Web site available to students in addition to the law library itself.\n"A library is more than just a room of books," Pauwels said.\n-- Contact staff writer Teri Rosenbaum at terosenb@indiana.edu.