Inns of Court LibrariesStudent Services

• This session will explain the services provided by your Inn of Court Library

• The four Libraries are independent of each other but offer a similar range of services to their students

• We work closely with the BVC providers and co-operate wherever possible

Admission Policies

• Gray’s Inn – Gray’s Inn students only

• Inner Temple – all BVC students

• Lincoln’s Inn – Lincoln’s Inn students only

• Middle Temple – all BVC students

• Saturday opening – all students may use the Library that is open

Opening Times

• Gray’s Inn

Legal term - 9am - 8pm Mon - Fri

• Inner Temple

Legal term - 9am - 8pm Mon – Thurs, 9am - 7pm Fridays

• Lincoln’s Inn

Legal term - 9am - 8pm Mon – Fri

• Middle Temple

Legal term - 9am - 8pm Mon – Thurs, 9am-7pm Fridays

• During legal term one Inn Library is open every Saturday

• There is a rota so each Library takes it in turn to open from 10am to 5pm

• Saturday opening calendars are available from the Inn Libraries

• All students may use the Library that is open regardless of membership

Saturday Opening

Enquiries

• Each Inn Library has an enquiry point that should be the first port of call for any enquiry

• The Libraries are staffed by professionally qualified librarians

• Enquiries can be made in person, by telephone or email

Contact Details• Gray’s Inn Tel: 020 7458 7822 Email: library.information@graysinn.org.uk

• Inner Temple Tel: 020 7797 8217/8218/8219

Email: library@innertemple.org.uk

• Lincoln’s Inn Tel: 020 7242 4371

Email: library@lincolnsinn.org.uk 

• Middle Temple Tel: 020 7427 4830 Email: library@middletemple.org.uk

Library Collections

• The Libraries’ collections are primarily for practitioners

• Books specifically aimed at students will be held by the BVC providers

• Each Library will have the key practitioner textbooks on the law of England & Wales. There will be multiple copies of some titles

Library Collections

• The four Inn Libraries each maintain special collections in addition to their core holdings of English law

• Commonwealth law – Inner Temple and Lincoln’s Inn

• EU law – Middle Temple

• International law – Gray’s Inn

• Parliamentary material – Lincoln’s Inn

• US law – Middle Temple

Library Collections

• As well as textbooks each Library has an extensive collection of law reports and legal journals, primary legislation (including Local and Personal Acts), secondary legislation and official publications

• Each Library has an online catalogue that can be used to search for items held. The catalogues can be accessed either in the Libraries or via the web

Library Collections

• There are various online and printed union lists available. These include:

• Current law reports and periodicals

• Current looseleaf publications

• Electronic legal resources

• These lists can be viewed and printed from the Inner Temple Library web site at www.innertemplelibrary.org.uk/

Electronic Resources – held by the Libraries

• In addition each Library subscribes to various other online databases and CDs

• These databases cannot be accessed remotely

• The databases are free to use but there is a charge for printing

Loans

• Gray’s Inn – for reference only

• Inner Temple – for reference only

• Lincoln’s Inn - there is a limited collection of books to borrow. The loan period is 2 weeks. There is an overnight loan facility for items behind the Enquiry Desk. They can be taken out at 6pm for return at 9.30am the following morning

• Middle Temple - there is an overnight loan service for books when more than one copy is held. Items can be taken out half an hour before the Library closes, and must be back before 9.30am the following morning

 

PCs and Laptops

• All the Libraries have PCs that can be used for legal research, word processing and emailing

• You can use laptops in all the Libraries

• All the Libraries have Wi-Fi

Weblog

• In April 2007 the Inner Temple Library launched a selective Current Awareness weblog, which aims to provide up to date information on new case law, changes in legislation and legal news. It is aimed at UK lawyers and law students. The content is selected, updated and indexed daily by Library staff.  Each item is tagged with subject terms so that users can view in a single list all the items on a given topic

• Users can subscribe to the RSS feed or to the daily email alerts; alternatively they can simply look at the web site itself

• The weblog can be accessed at: www.innertemplelibrary.wordpress.com

AccessToLaw

• This is a legal gateway service, started in 2000, which is compiled by Inner Temple Library staff

• It provides annotated links to selected UK, Commonwealth and worldwide legal web sites. The sites are mainly free

• The aim is to select sites that will be of relevance to lawyers practising in the UK and which contain substantive law (legislation, case reports and treaties) and related material

• AccessToLaw is accessible at: www.accesstolaw.com/

FAQs on Legal Research

• On the Inner Temple Library web site there is a series of FAQs covering UK and EU case law and legislation research

• These aim to answer questions frequently asked of the staff at the Inner Temple Library. There are sections on cases, Acts and Statutory Instruments. The sources suggested are those that the staff have found to be most useful and include free web-based sources, hard copy materials and subscription-based databases

Web Site Information

• All the four Libraries have web sites giving details of services, opening hours, collections etc

• Inner Temple Library - www.innertemplelibrary.org.uk/

• Middle Temple Library - www.middletemple.org.uk/library

• Gray’s Inn Library www.graysinn.org.uk

• Lincoln’s Inn Library - www.lincolnsinn.org.uk/lib_gen.asp

Conclusion

• The Libraries hold extensive collections and offer quiet surroundings in which to study

• They will be of huge value to you as students, pupils and as practising barristers

• Use them now and you will have a head start

Gray’s Inn Library

Inner Temple Library

Lincoln’s Inn Library

Middle Temple Library