Primary Materials
The Library is balancing patron preferences and space needs and is relying solely on electronic access for older and low use primary materials. These policies are outlined in the Supersede & Withdrawal Policy Guidelines.
Federal ─ The Library will maintain a print copy of the Statutes at Large, the United States Code, as well as the United States Code Annotated.
Michigan ─ The Library will maintain a print copy of West’s Michigan Compiled Laws Annotated but will rely on Lexis for the Michigan Compiled Laws Service. Print copies of the Public and Local Acts of the State of Michigan (the session laws) will be maintained.
Other States: The Library has a historic collection of other state session laws in microfiche (ending 2009), as well as historic session laws in PDF through Hein Online. The Library will rely upon commercial databases and official government web pages for more current session laws. Paper copies of print session laws from other states will not be maintained.
Legislative History Materials
Federal ─ The Library will maintain a strong collection of legislative materials. The Library owns a digital copy of the serial set, provides access to ProQuest Congressional, and has access to ProQuest Legislative Insight through the Main Library. The Library also owns a comprehensive retrospective CIS Congressional fiche collection which is currently under retention review. The Library will purchase individual works dedicated to a single law based upon the significance of the law, the value of any editorial features, and the availability of legislative material in other formats.
Compiled legislative histories will be evaluated on a title-by-title basis. The factors that will be considered are the availability of the information in ProQuest Legislative Insight, ProQuest Congressional, USCCAN, www.congress.gov, Westlaw, Lexis, or CIS microfiche; the relevance of the legislation to our curriculum; and the availability of the materials in the Lansing area.
Michigan ─ The Library will purchase any print copies that are available.
Other States ─ The Library does not collect print legislative history materials for other states; any materials available will be through Westlaw, Lexis, Hein Online, the Internet, or through loose-leaf services.
Federal ─ The Library will rely on commercial databases or official government webpages for the current Code of Federal Regulations, with historical issues in microfiche, and through Hein Online.
Michigan ─ The Library will purchase any print copies that are available.
Other States -- Administrative rules and regulations for the other 49 states will not be purchased in print. Access will be available through Lexis, Westlaw, the Internet and other subject-specific databases and loose-leaf services.
Federal ─ Decisions of various agencies will be selected depending upon curricular relevance. The Library does not seek to collect all administrative decisions from all federal agencies.
Michigan ─ Every effort will be made to obtain all published Michigan administrative decisions in print.
Other States ─ The Library does not collect print administrative decisions for the remaining 49 states. Access will be through Westlaw, Lexis, the Internet, subject-specific databases or loose-leaf services.
Federal Courts ─ The Library will subscribe to the United States Reports, and the United States Supreme Court Reports, Lawyers’ Edition in print. Copies will be retained on a permanent basis. The Library will rely on e-format for all other federal courts.
Topical reporters that are relevant to the curriculum (e.g., USPQ) may be preferred in e-format.
Current Regional Reporter titles ─ The Library on e-format for titles in the West Reporter system.
Pre-National Reporter System – The Library owns a comprehensive pre-reporter set in microfiche, and a selective collection of pre-reporter titles in print. Digital copies are available through Hein Online and Gale’s Making of Modern Law, Trials. The Library will make no collection efforts to fill any gaps in this print collection.
Michigan ─ The Library will strive for a comprehensive Michigan collection, including both commercial and official reporters, as well as a historical collection in both print and microfiche.
Official State Reports (non-Michigan): The Library does not maintain a print collection of state reports.
The Library provides subject access to case law via annotated codes, secondary sources, full-text online sources including Westlaw, Lexis and Bloomberg Law. The Library does not purchase print digests.
In keeping with the current trends among practicing attorneys, the Library will purchase only electronic citators.
The Library maintains a print collection for all Federal courts, including the local court rules. The Library will seek a comprehensive collection of Michigan court rule material and will purchase multiple commercial sets. Selected titles will have permanent retention.
Other States ─ The Library will rely on commercial databases and the free Internet for court rules from other state jurisdictions.
The Library will maintain a print collection of all MSU College of Law academic journals.
The Library seeks to own all flagship law reviews from ABA accredited schools, and to own select secondary and topical law reviews from ABA accredited schools based on subject interest.
Journals from un-accredited law schools will rarely be purchased.
Format Considerations for Academic Law Reviews:
Subscriptions: In choosing whether to subscribe in print or digital, digital will be preferred if it is image-based (PDF) and if it provides current coverage (no embargo). Print copies will be purchased if a satisfactory digital copy is not available. Institutional repositories and free internet sources will be relied on only if the source is not available in print or (proprietary) digital format.
Back issues: Print holdings will not be retained for digital subscriptions if back issues are held in PDF by a stable, respected vendor (e.g., Hein Online or JStor).
Other Journals
Journals published by the Michigan Bar Association and the American Bar Association will be purchased in print. Publications that are ephemeral in nature (newsletters, etc.) and publications from other professional organizations will be purchased selectively, based on the level of subject interest.
Academic journals from other disciplines and commercial journals will be purchased only if expected to receive significant use from our students or if they support faculty research.
If the Library receives more than two patron-submitted Inter-Library Loan requests for a given title in a twelve-month period, the Library will consider that title for purchase. Digital format will be preferred.
The Library will avoid subscribing to specialized materials that are strictly meant as currency tools (e.g., newsletters, routing services). The Library will purchase a few select materials for currency purposes if the materials provide an over-arching treatment of a more general subject, and will actively be used by patrons, faculty and staff (e.g., Chronicle of Higher Education)
Format Considerations for Other Journals:
Subscriptions: In choosing whether to subscribe to print or digital, cost and ease-of-use will be considered first and second. Availability of PDF is less important.
Back Issues: Any decision to provide comprehensive back coverage (either in print or digital) will be made on a title-by-title basis.
The Library will not routinely purchase dissertations but will purchase selective dissertations in areas that support a high level of faculty research if they are published by a credible, mainstream publisher.
The Library does not regularly purchase reprints of historic works. Reprints will be purchased only if they replace an existing, damaged copy, or if they support faculty research.
Renewal of existing microform subscriptions will be carefully examined. Titles that are now available in e-format from a reliable vendor will be considered as viable alternatives to microfiche.
The Library purchases MP4 audio files through its course review digital subscription bundles. Other audio files will be purchased based on acceptable licensing terms for library use.
The Library purchases non-fiction video materials if recommended by a faculty member and if license terms permit classroom use.
Certain titles combine print, audio and video features. These materials will be purchased to support the Trial Advocacy Program, Moot Court and our student clinics/competitions.
The only series routinely published are for course and bar review and are identified in IV. Appendix.
National ─ Major sets, such as American Jurisprudence, and Corpus Juris Secundum will be purchased in print.
Michigan ─ The Library will seek to have a comprehensive print collection of Michigan encyclopedias.
Other States ─ As a general practice the Library will not purchase print encyclopedias for other states but will rely on commercial databases for state jurisdictionally specific materials.
While most patrons prefer to work with the Restatements on Westlaw, the Library will continue to keep a comprehensive print collection of American Law Institute publications, permanently retaining all draft Restatements. In addition, the Library purchases a print copy of Uniform Laws Annotated.
The Library aggressively seeks to purchase all Michigan legal materials of repute. The Library will purchase all substantive titles that are published by the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) but will only selectively purchase ICLE titles that are the result of an ICLE workshop or seminar.
The Library will purchase out-of-state secondary sources and practice materials only if they provide significant curricular support.
The Library will maintain a basic collection of primary authority. Secondary sources will be purchased only on topics of active faculty research.
Since ABA guidelines mandate a core collection and since most proffered donations fall within this category, it will be unusual for the Library to accept a donation. If a donation is accepted, it will be so with the provision that materials might not be retained longer than the period specified in the tax code for charitable deductions. The Library will make all final decisions regarding the use and policies governing gifts. The Library cannot provide a valuation statement to the donor for tax purposes. Because donations often involve alumni relations, donations are handled by the Director and Associate Director.
The Library does not consider it a priority to own a collection of books that function as valuable artifacts. On occasion, the Library may accept a rare book donation if it is a work of notable interest and relevant to the school’s history, mission, or curriculum.