Library patrons can now take advantage of three new service features.  First, borrowers can self-renew borrowed items online.  Second, items stored at the library’s off-site retrievable storage facility can now be requested directly via the catalog.  Look for the blue Request button at the top and bottom of the item’s catalog record entry.  Finally, borrowers will now receive emailed courtesy notices reminding them of upcoming due dates.  A fuller description of all three services can be found under Circulation Policies on the Library’s home page.

Over the last two weeks, the Library completed its move out of the old building at 240 Church Street, which is now completely closed, and into its renovated temporary quarters on the 7th floor of 40 Worth Street.  All Library offices are now at 40 Worth, and while staff continue to settle into our handsome new space, we are up and running.

For students, the new 7th floor space offers spacious computer labs with networked printers and photocopiers, wireless connectivity throughout, and two attractive study areas that feature ample seating with sixteen group study rooms!

Beginning Wednesday July 5, and for the duration of the summer, the 7th floor labs and study areas will be open weekdays from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.  The other Library areas are on the 4th and 14th floors of 40 Worth, and these will remain open for the full Library schedule.

We proudly welcome all members of the NYLS community, and urge you all to drop by and visit us in our new quarters.

During the library move, there will be no remote access to our subscription databases. If you are at NYLS, you can still connect to our databases using this page:

http://www.nyls.edu/pages/4709.asp

For further information, please IM us at nylslib or call us at 212-431-2332.

Beginning Thursday morning (6/15) all remaining contents of the old Library will be moved from the 240 Church Street building to the 7th floor of 40 Worth Street.    The 7th floor will house the library staff offices, significant new areas of student study space, group study rooms and computer training labs.  We hope to have the floor open and ready for all uses early in the week of June 19.

During this time access to the Library collection, facilities and study areas on the 4th and 14th Floors at 40 Worth Street should be uninterrupted.  The Reference, Circulation, and Interlibrary Loan departments will be open regular hours throughout this period.  The Reference Desk will be staffed as usual.  Additional study space also remains available in the Stiefel Reading Room in the A Building.

We expect the following interruptions of service, which may persist into the week of June 19:

            Telephone Service for Staff Who Are Moving:  This applies to all Reference Librarians, Technical Services Librarians and Library Administrative Staff.  Starting Thursday June 15, please use our reference desk number (212-431-2332) or circulation desk number (212-431-2333) when trying to reach any staff member. Your messages will then be passed on to the appropriate person.  Beginning next week, Library staff will all have the same phone numbers at 40Worth.

            Online Catalog and Subscription Databases: The public catalog and access to the Library’s subscription databases from off-campus will not be available beginning Friday (6/16) at 12:00 noon.  We hope to restore all catalog service by Monday 6/19.  The reference librarians [(212-431-2332) or e-mail at reference@nyls.edu] will be able to determine our book holdings and, if you are on-campus, direct you to alternative access for many of our subscription databases.

            Circulation Services: Book check-outs, renewals and returns will function normally, although we will not have access to Circulation Account Records between Friday afternoon (6/16) and Monday morning (6/19).

We apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to welcoming you to our new spaces next week.

240 Church St., the old library building, will close one week earlier than originally announced.  There will be no access to this building for students or other users after the close of library business on Friday, June 9.  Study areas will remain available on the 4th and 14th Floors at 40 Worth Street, as well as the Steifel Reading Room in Building A.  We also look forward to the opening of significant additional library study space on the 7th Floor at 40 Worth Street, beginning Monday, June 19.

— Graduating Students

As you begin your preparation for the Bar Exam in July, please take note of available options for study spaces.

NYLS:

Library spaces, as well as other spaces in the NYLS building complex, will be open through the summer for Bar study by our graduates.  Our old library building at 240 Church St. will close permanently sometime this spring or early summer.  But this will coincide with the opening of new study spaces on the 7th floor of 40 Worth St.  We do not anticipate any significant disruption of available study spaces during our move from 240 Church St. to the 7th floor.  The spaces elsewhere in NYLS will be more than adequate to accommodate our graduates.

After finals, the Library is open reduced business hours through May, and closed over the long Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29.  Our summer business hours begin on May 30: We’ll be open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. every weekday, and from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every weekend.  The only exception is the Independence Day holiday, July 1 – 4, when the Library will be closed.

Beyond Library spaces, NYLS keeps several areas open 24-hours, 7-days, including the Independence Day holiday.  These areas are the Stiefel Reading Room; the C Building Cafeteria area (though there is no sale of food;) and the Student Lounge, computer labs, and vending areas in the basement of B and C Buildings.

All NYLS study spaces are air conditioned, and we will make every effort to keep them free of noise or other disruption.  To gain access, please make sure to bring your NYLS ID card to show the security guards.

OTHER OPTIONS:

You’re probably aware that our library has reciprocal agreements with certain other local law schools’ libraries that allow our students free use of those libraries.  But these agreements do not apply to our graduates.  Thus, if you wish to use another law school’s library for Bar study this summer, you may have to purchase a pass.

If you wish to use to another law school’s library for Bar study, you must contact the other library directly.  Most local law school libraries charge other schools’ graduates for a Bar study pass.  The typical charge is $50.  Some graduates will find it most convenient to study at the library of the law school that is hosting their Bar review course.  If this is your situation, then you should contact the library of your course’s host school immediately, as the number of passes being sold may be limited.
We have been advised that the law libraries at Pace in White Plains and St. John’s in Queens will be under construction this summer.  Pace’s library will not be open to graduates of any other school, while St. John’s is selling just a limited number of passes.  If Fordham’s law library is the most convenient place for your Bar study, you should contact Kristen Vissers at 212-431-2350 to inquire about access to that facility.  We will be collecting the details of other schools’ policies as they are made known to us.  You may inquire with our Reference librarians about these details, and about how to contact the other schools.

Finally, if you are employed by a member of the Association of the Bar of the City of New York, you may gain access to this association’s law library in midtown for Bar study.  If this applies to you, you should contact Janice Johnson at 212-382-6739.

If you have any questions regarding summer Bar study options please call the library’s Reference librarians at 212-431-2332, or you may e-mail reference@nyls.edu.