Law Collections
Collection Development Policy Statement
Principle Selector: Social Sciences Librarian -- Specialist: International/Foreign Government
Information, Political Sciences, International Relations, Law, Women’s Studies, LGBT Studies
Helen M. Sheehy, Social Sciences Librarian
208 Paterno Library
814-863-1347
hms2@psu.edu
Primary Location: Social Sciences Library, 208 Paterno
I. Introduction
Historically the Pennsylvania State University Libraries has maintained an research level
collection of legal materials to serve University scholars as well as community users. This
includes a comprehensive collection of statutory, regulatory, and case law materials as well as
legal treatises and monographs to support those collections.
The expansion of the Dickinson School of Law (DSL) program to the University Park
Campus has significantly affected the rational for development of the law collections within
the main University Libraries. While the UL will maintain a broad based collection (largely
electronic) of statutory, regulatory, and case law, development of the collections is shifting
from providing comprehensive coverage of law to a collection more focused on the
intersection of law and society, law and public policy issues. Emphasis will be focused on
materials of use to “non-lawyers”, particularly students, and faculty not affiliated with the
DSL.
The Business Library supports intellectual property law and the law research needs of the
College of Business. The collection is not designed support the Penn State University,
Dickinson College of Law or practicing attorneys.
The University Libraries Law Selector works closely with the Dickinson School of Law to
minimize duplication between the collections.
II.
Program Information
The law collection supports the faculty, staff, and students (undergraduate and graduate)
across the curriculum. Courses on legal issues permeate the curriculum across all colleges.
Among the departments served by the social sciences library that are primary users of the law
collection are African, African American Studies, Political Science, Sociology (particularly
Crime, Law, and Justice), Women’s Studies, and the College of Communication. The
collections (particularly electronic collections) support many similar programs at other the
Penn State campuses. A sample of courses illustrates how broadly legal research is integrated
into the curriculum.
 ADM J 270 LAW OF CRIMES AND CORRECTIONS
 COMM 587 INTERNET LAW AND POLICY
 CRIMJ 408 LEGAL ASPECTS OF LAW ENFORCEMENT ADMINISTRATION
 EDUC 484 SCHOOL LAW FOR TEACHERS
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III.
IST 432 LETGAL AND REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT OF INFORMATION
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
HRIM 405 LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY
L I R 401 THE LAW OF LABOR-MANAGEMENT RELATIONS
LST 370 FEDERAL AND LEGAL INFORMATION
PHIL 105 (GH) INTRODUCTION TO PHILOSOPHY OF LAW AND LEGAL
ETHICS
PL SC 471 ADMINISTRATIVE LAW
PL SC 473 CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: THE FEDERAL SYSTEM
PL SC 474 CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: EQUAL PROTECTION
SOC 412 CRIME, SOCIAL CONTROL, AND THE LEGAL SYSTEM
SUR 372W LEGAL ASPECTS OF LAND SURVEYING
WF ED 441 CONCEPTUAL AND LEGAL BASES FOR COOPERATIVE
VOCATIONAL EDUCATION
WMNST 453 WOMEN AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Coordination and Cooperative Information
Because the study of legal issues is deeply embedded within the curriculum, rather than
serving a single department or college, the law selector works closely with selectors
throughout the Libraries. Key among those relationships are:
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Business
Crime, Law, and Justice
Government Information: Federal documents, State, and International
Documents
Health Policy Analysis
History
Labor and Industrial Relations
Political Science
Collection development policies for these areas are available at
http://www.libraries.psu.edu:8001/admin/companion/principlesandpolicies.htm
IV.
Language modifiers.
English is preferred. Non-English language materials are acquired if they are particularly
important and likely to be significant use the University Community.
V.
Formats
All formats (paper, microform, and electronic) are collected. Electronic resources are
increasingly important to maintaining the comprehensive nature of Penn State University law
collections. Electronic versions may be preferable when access is required across campuses
and for ease of maintenance.
VI.
Materials collected:
Constitutions. The U.S. Constitution Annotated, Pennsylvania Constitution. Constitutions
of other states are available through Lexis/Nexis and Westlaw. Constitutions of other
countries are also collected.
Federal Law. The library maintains a comprehensive collection of federal statutes, codes,
Administrative Regulations and Codes, and federal case law. A comprehensive collection of
the Treaties and International Agreements of the US is also maintained.
Pennsylvania—statutes, codes, administrative materials, and case law
Other States. The Libraries rely on online sources (Lexis/Nexis Academic and
Westlaw primarily) for access to current statutes, codes, and case law. The library
has a historical collection (through 2003?) of regional reporters and digests.
Legal Periodicals. The Library historically has had a very strong collection of legal
periodicals and law reviews. More recently we have moved from print collections to
online access. Selected law reviews are still maintained in print to maintain the
quality of the overall collection.
Treatises. Scholarly works are collected on a broad array of legal topics constituting a
research level collection. Priority is given to materials that complement work in the social
sciences disciplines and which focus on the intersection of law and societal issues. Materials
suitable for undergraduate students exploring legal issues within the social sciences
disciplines are intensively collected. Areas of emphasis include:
 Communications law
 Constitutional Law
 Criminal law and proceedure
 Education law
 Environmental law
 European Union law
 Human Rights
 Immigration law
 International Organizations
 Labor Law
 Settlement of International Disputes (War, Arms Control, etc.)
 Trade Law
 Treaties
 Women and the Law
VII.
Exclusions
Materials which are not collected or are collected very selectively include:
 Restatements of the Law
 Uniform Codes (Uniform Commercial Code is collected)
 textbooks (casebooks)
 hornbooks
 practitioner-oriented materials
 popular works
VIII.
IX.
Collection Strengths/Highlights
General Law –
Reference sources
Legal dictionaries, encyclopedias, and other sources are
available in the Legal Alcove in the Social Sciences Library on
the 2nd Floor of Paterno Library or Online.
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Federal Law
Black’s Law Dictionary
Corpus Juris Secundum
American Jurisprudence
West’s Encyclopedia of American Law *soon to be online*
Topical encyclopedias, particularly those of use to
undergraduate research.
Harvard Blue Book
The federal law collection is a research level collection of both
historical and contemporary U.S. law. Among the most important
sources are:
 Statutes at Large
 USC and USCA
 The Federal Register and the Code of Federal Regulations
 Supreme Court Digest and Shepards U.S. Citations
 U.S. Reports, the Supreme Court Reporter, and Lawyers Edition
 The Complete oral arguments of the Supreme Court of the
United States. [microform] : a microform 1980-2001/2
American Law Reports
State Law
Resources
Legal Looseleaf
services
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The state law collection focuses on research level collection of
Pennsylvania materials, both historical and contemporary. Among the
most important sources
 The Laws of Pennsylvania
 Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes Annotated
 Pennsylvania Code
 Pennsylvania Bulletin
 Pennsylvania Law Encyclopedia
 Atlantic Digest
 Reporter
 Pennsylvania Digest
 Supreme Court, Superior Court, Commonwealth Court, and the
Court of Common Please reporters are collected.
Historically, the libraries maintained a significant number of looseleaf
services including many of the BNA and CCH materials. More
recently we have moved to providing electronic access to these
materials (see database listing)
International &
Foreign Law
European Union -- as a EU depository library we have a
comprehensive historical collection of EU treaties and case law from
the European Court of Justice
UK – a strong historical collection of statutes, cases and parliamentary
materials is available. More recent material is available through
online resources eg Lexis/Nexis Academic.
Canada -- a strong historical collection of statutes, cases and
parliamentary materials is available. More recent material is available
through online resources e.g. Lexis/Nexis Academic.
Treaties
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The libraries maintains a complete set of U.S. Treaties and
International Agreements, historical and contemporary
The United Nations Treaty Series (Also available online)
League of Nations Treaty Series (microfilm)
Online Legal Resources
Principle databases. (Note: databases marked with an * are purchased in whole or
part by the Dickinson School of Law.)
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Advertising Law Guide (CCH)
BNA Law Resources Library*
CCH Health and Human Resources Network*
Hein Online (full text legal journal articles)*
Index to Foreign Legal Periodicals*
Index to Legal Periodicals*
InterAM Database (National Law Center for Inter-American Free Trade)*
International Law in Domestic Courts*
LegalTrac
Lexis/Nexis Academic
Making of Modern Law*
Pike & Fischer Communication Regulations
Shepard’s Citations (Available in Lexis/Nexis Academic)
Supreme Court Collection (CQ)
Tax Research Network (CCH)
U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs, 1832-1978*
Westlaw Campus
Supporting databases
 Congress Collection (CQ)
 Lexis/Nexis Congressional*
 Access UN*
 Lexis/Nexis State Capital
 United Nations Treaty Collection
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Supporting Collections
Government Information
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Federal Depository Collection. Including, laws, codes, administrative materials, Supreme
Court opinions, and congressional materials. See the full collection development state for
federal documents at
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/select/companion/policystatements/CDFedDocs21.doc .
This collection is supplemented by a comprehensive collection historical and contemporary
congressional materials on CIS Microfiche and online full text.
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Pennsylvania Depository Materials: Including the Laws of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Code,
Pennsylvania Bulletin, and Legislative Journal
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International Documents. The Libraries’ have a comprehensive collection of international
intergovernmental materials including a comprehensive collection United Nations documents
in paper or microfiche, a European Union depository collection, International Court of
Justice, and European Court of Justice materials. See the full collection development
statements for International Documents at
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/select/companion/policystatements/INTERN~1.DOC
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Foreign Government Information. The Libraries is a Canadian government depository
library, and maintains a highly selective collection including some statutory and case law
materials. We also have a collection of historical and current materials on UK statutes and
cases. In both cases as these materials have moved to electronic form the library has moved
to collecting electronically rather than maintaining print collections. The full collection
statement for Foreign Documents is at
http://www.libraries.psu.edu/select/companion/policystatements/Foreign%20Documents.doc.