Borrowing & Renewing

Returns in Person at D'Angelo Law Library

Current students, faculty, and staff of the Law School may return materials at D'Angelo Law Library.

Returns in Person at Other UChicago Libraries

Current UChicago students, faculty, and staff may return materials in person to the Regenstein Library, Crerar Library, and Eckhart Library. See the building hours for each on our Library Hours page. There are also external bookdrops available on the west side of Eckhart and outside the Social Work Library. Materials from any library can be returned to all of our return locations.

Return by Mail

If you are unable to return materials in person, you may return them by mail.

The Library will currently pay the ground shipping costs from anywhere in the contiguous United States (excluding Alaska and Hawaii) for items that need to be returned by mail due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For more information, please contact Regenstein Circulation.

D'Angelo Law Library Borrowing Policies

Students, faculty, and staff of the University of Chicago have borrowing privileges at the D'Angelo Law Library. A current validated UChicago Card is required for all charges. University of Chicago Law School students with current validated ID's have full privileges at all University of Chicago libraries, including Regenstein (social sciences and humanities), Social Work, and Crerar (science and medicine). Detailed information on borrowing at all campus libraries, including the D'Angelo Law Library, is provided below.

Reserve Collection Policies

  • The first and second copy of reserve items are available for 4 hour loans.
  • Additional copies on reserve are available for 24 hour check out.
  • These 24 hour copies will generally have a sticker on the back under the barcode labeling them as 24 hour copies.
  • Reserve items checked out within four hours of closing will be due an hour after the library opens the next day.
  • Overdue reserve items accrue fines at the rate of $3 per hour, with a maximum of $100.

Reserve Renewals

  • Reserve items can only be renewed if there is another copy of the same book available in the Reserve Room for other students to check out.
  • If all other copies of a reserve book are checked out, a student must wait thirty minutes before checking the item out again to give other students an opportunity to check out the book.
  • If there is only one copy of a book on reserve, the item can be renewed if we haven't had demand for the item from other students.
  • Renewal requests for reserve items must be done in person.
  • During interim periods, longer loans can be arranged for items on permanent reserve.
  • Reserve material cannot be checked out to a carrel.

Special Borrowing Policies for D'Angelo Law Library Collections

  • Primary Law Materials. Primary law materials, such as case reports, session laws, and legislative codes, and other titles, are building use only.
  • Multiple Volume Sets. Certain multi-volume treatises, looseleafs, and other sets are building use only.
  • John P. Wilson Reading Room Books. Books in the John P. Wilson Reading Room must be used in the Reading Room. Many of these books have duplicate copies in the bookstacks, which may be charged to D'Angelo Law Library carrels.
  • Reference Books. Books in the reference collection do not circulate and must be used in the John P. Wilson Reading Room.
  • Faculty and Alumni Writings. Books from the D'Angelo Law Chicago Collection and D'Angelo Law Alumni Collection may be paged at the Circulation Desk and checked out for 72 hours.
  • City of Chicago Collection. Books in the City of Chicago Collection are shelved ion the 5th floor in range 31 and circulate on regular loan.
  • Fulton Room Collection. The Fulton Room's collection of general periodicals does not circulate and use is limited to the Fulton Room.
  • DVD Movies from the Reserve Reading Room circulate for 14 days.
  • Storage Collections. The D'Angelo Law Library maintains several storage collections and staff page items from those collections for patron use. Items in storage circulate on regular loan unless they are primary law or part of a multiple volume set. Consult the storage collections web page for additional information.
  • Silver Special Collections Rare Book Room. Items in this collection do not circulate and may be requested for in building use at the Circulation Desk.

Borrowing Policies for D'Angelo Law Library Carrels

Most D'Angelo Law Library materials may be charged to carrels or offices in the D'Angelo Law Library. These include books that are building use only such as law reports and advance sheets, codes, and multiple volume sets. In addition to being subject to regular recall, a book charged to a carrel may be removed briefly for the use of another patron. Books charged to carrels may not be taken out of the D'Angelo Law Library. Carrels are assigned to law students quarterly by the Head of Access Services. Law students who wish to apply for a carrel may do so using this online form or pick up a print application form at the D'Angelo Law Library Circulation Desk.

Borrowing Policies for Those Not Affiliated with the University

Non-University affiliated persons should use Interlibrary Loan for borrowing from the D'Angelo Law Library and other campus libraries. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, law students and faculty from other Chicago area law schools (Northwestern, DePaul, Loyola, Chicago-Kent, John Marshall) do not have access privileges at D'Angelo Law Library. Please view our access privileges webpage for up to date information about access to D'Angelo Law Library.

Students and faculty affiliated with other law schools may use the interlibrary loan services at their home institution to request D'Angelo Law Library books. While the D'Angelo Law Library does not lend books to individual attorneys, law firms which are members of the Chicago Association of Law Libraries may borrow books through Interlibrary Loan.

Alumni of the Law School and the University may purchase borrowing privileges for all campus libraries.