About the Law Library

The mission of the Dickinson Law Montague Law Library is to provide collections and services to sustain legal scholarship and instruction in a first-tier research university.

Four primary objectives guide the Law Library in the pursuit of its mission.

OBJECTIVE #1: Support Legal Research and Instruction

Within a research university the Law Library supports and enhances the research undertaken and instruction provided by the Law School community through the quality of collections and archives, together with information resources, regardless of format or physical location. The diverse requirements of students, faculty, and the community at large need constant monitoring, evaluation, and response.

OBJECTIVE #2: Prepare Law Students for Careers in Law

For students to succeed in their chosen calling, they must be skilled in using the information tools commonly employed by legal employers. To this end the Law Library faculty provides instruction, training, and services to cultivate and improve the legal research abilities of all members of the Dickinson Law community.

OBJECTIVE #3: Collect, Preserve, Archive, and Enhance Discovery

Greater reliance on digital data banks and services has heightened concern about the medium- and long-term collection and preservation of data. Digital publishing practices cannot guarantee that digital resources will be permanently maintained or preserved for future use. Print resources valuable for historical and contemporary research must be preserved. Dickinson Law historical collections and archives that deserve greater access should be candidates for digitalization and made generally accessible. The Law Library preserves essential information resources through internal collection preservation policies and through participation in collaborative projects with peer organizations.

OBJECTIVE #4: Serve the University and the Larger Community

The University and Dickinson Law have a clear philosophy and proven history of serving the community. As an integral unit within the Pennsylvania State University, the Dickinson Law Montague Law Library supports the University's commitment to public service.

Approved by Dickinson Law Faculty on December 7, 2016