Access Policy
The William M. Rains Law Library serves as a resource to the students, faculty, staff and alumni of Loyola Law School and Loyola Marymount University, as well as to members of the legal education community, the bench and the bar. This policy is intended to provide access to those individuals likely to use materials available in the library collection. Some services and portions of the collection may not be available to all patrons. However, as a library dedicated to the free flow of information, and as an official depository of the United States Government, the library's goal is to maximize the use of its resources by the various groups that it serves.
The Rains Law Library must also provide an academic environment that is conducive to the efficient and comfortable study of law. As part of this environment, the library must ensure that its facilities do not become overcrowded to the point where this objective is jeopardized. Furthermore, the library must maintain a reasonable level of security to protect the library's contents as well as the staff, students and other groups using the library and their personal belongings.
In order to provide an optimum environment for research and study, and to provide for the personal security of its patrons and its collections, the library has instituted an access policy that applies to those who wish to enter the library.
Appropriate identification for each of the following categories of the library patrons must be presented to the security guard at the entrance to the law school.
- Law students at Loyola Law School
- Students at Loyola Marymount University
- Faculty and staff of Loyola Law School and Loyola Marymount University
- Alumni of Loyola Law School and Loyola Marymount University
- Recipients of Loyola Marymount University gold cards
- Law students and faculty of other law schools
- Lawyers and members of the judiciary
Appropriate identification includes identification cards from Loyola Law School or Loyola Marymount University, identification cards from other institutions of legal education, or bar cards for members of the practicing bar.
Other individuals are not allowed access to the library unless they comply with the procedures set forth below.
- Members of the public may request United States Government documents, which are available free for their use in the library, only by requesting admission to the law library for this purpose.
- Patrons will be requested by the security guard to sign in, if the patron is not part of the Loyola Law School or Loyola Marymount University communities. Individuals who refuse to comply with the policy will be denied entry to the library.
- Authorized patrons who find it necessary to bring minor children with them to the law library may bring their child(ren) into the library so long as the child(ren) respects(s) the academic environment of the facility. Patrons with their children may be asked to leave if their child's deportment is inappropriate.
- Individuals who are otherwise not authorized to enter the library under this policy may seek permission to enter by contacting the Library Director in advance of their visit. If circumstances do not permit prior notice to the Library Director, an individual may request access from the reference librarian on duty during evening hours. Those seeking such permission should note that the reference librarian is generally not available after 9 P.M. on weekday evenings (except Friday) or after 5 P.M. on weekends. Accordingly, after 9 P.M. on weekdays, except Friday or 5 P.M. on Fridays and weekends, no waivers of the access policy are possible.
The Law School Administration, Library Administration or Security Services of Loyola Law School may request any patron to leave the law library whose behavior is disruptive to the academic environment, threatens the personal safety of others, or exhibits a disregard for the law school's or library's property.
Update 6/6/08