Orientation to the Library for 1L Students

Books can only be checked out when the front desk is staffed. You must have your Penn State ID card. No exceptions! 

Check-Out Periods

• Browsing and Anti-Racist Collections: 4 weeks, with a renewal option
• Reference Works: 2 hours
• Other Circulating Books: 1 semester

Renewing Items

You can renew items online with your My Library Account. See Checkouts/Renewals. Alternatively, we can do it for you at the Service Desk. Reserve and Reference materials are among the items that can be renewed. 

Returning items    

You can return materials at the Service Desk. This includes interlibrary loans and books from other Penn State campuses. Most items can be left on the counter on the book cart near the service desk. The procedure is different if you have a reference book or course reserves because the loan period is only 2 hours. You should return these items directly to library staff to ensure prompt check-in. You will be charged overdue fines if you fail to return reference or reserve items on time.    

You can also use the outdoor book return receptacle at the South Street entrance to the law school or even return items to another Penn State campus library.      

Reference Books

Reference books are on the library’s main floor. They are marked as Reference. You can use reference books in the library or check them out for two hours.   

Course Reserves

Some professors use course reserves to supplement lectures and the assigned textbook. There are two types of course reserves: print and electronic. To find the list of materials your professor has placed on reserve, go to the Penn State Libraries webpage and click the Course Reserves tab at the top of the box.

For print reserves, search by course name or course number. Print items have a 2-hour loan period. They are organized by the instructor’s name and course number. If you need print course reserves, ask at the Service Desk when it is staffed. 

Electronic course reserves are mainly PDF files with links to electronic books and databases. They are available 24/7. Select the course reserves tab and click the Electronic Reserves link to find electronic course reserves.  

Special Collections

The library has three contemporary collections of books: New Books, the Anti-Racist Collection, and the Browsing Collection. You can find all three collections in the first row of stacks (102) on the library’s main floor.

A florescent orange star identifies books in the Anti-Racist Collection. Books in the Browsing Collection are marked with a pink star. The Browsing Collection includes items related to law school success. Both of these collections circulate for four weeks. 

New Books are items that the library has recently acquired. The New Books collection circulates for the routine semester-long lending period.

As a Penn State Dickinson Law student, you have access to the vast resources of the Penn State Libraries system. To borrow a book from another location:

1. Locate the item in the catalog.
2. Select the I Want It button.
3. On the next screen, click Place Hold. 

Usually, you will get an email notifying you that the item is available in five to seven days. Go to the Service Desk to check out the book. You will need your Penn State ID. 

Step 1: Select the I Want It Button

Step 2: Click Place Hold