Welcome to Spring 2016!

Welcome back Law Scholars. Hopefully this semester finds you rested and ready to get back to the books. If you aren't quite excited to be lost in legalese . . .well. . . only 8 more weeks until Spring Break!

In any case, we're glad to have you back, and are ready to assist you with any reference needs.

New library news: we have changed our hours for faculty, staff, and students. In addition to 24/7 access to the library (even during holidays and breaks), we will be offering circulation and reference services Monday-Thursday until 9 p.m. and Sundays 12:30 - 9 p.m.

Again, welcome back, and good luck with the upcoming semester!

Winter Break Hours

Congratulations to all our December graduates!  Now that the Fall finals exam period is over, the Law Library will be adjusting its service hours for the Winter Break.  The Law Library will no longer be offering extended service hours to students during the Winter Break.  From Monday, December 14 through Thursday, December 17, the Law Library will provide circulation and reference service from 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., our normal hours of operation to the public.

From Monday, December 21 through Wednesday, December 23, the Law Library will only be open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  The Law Library closes at noon on Thursday, December 24 and will be closed Friday, December 25.

From Monday, December 28 through Thursday, December 31, the Law Library will only be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  The Law Library is closed on Friday, January 1.

The Law Library will resume its normal schedule the week of  January 4.  Spring law classes begin on Wednesday, January 6.

Law students will continue to have 24/7 access throughout the Winter Break using their University ID cards.

Happy Holidays!

Labor Day Weekend Hours

The McKusick Law Library will be closed to the public on Monday, September 7 for the Labor Day Holiday.  There will not be any Circulation/Reference service hours to USD law students on Sunday, September 6 or Monday, September 7.  Law students will continue to have 24/7 access to the Law Library throughout the holiday weekend using their University ID cards.

The Law Library will reopen to the public on Tuesday, September 8 at 7:45 a.m.

Library Tour

As a post-tour reminder, we are providing you with an overview of the library layout and offerings.

General Information

Circulation Hours for Students and Faculty

Monday	7:45 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Tuesday	7:45 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Wednesday	7:45 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Thursday	7:45 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Friday	7:45 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Saturday	Circulation & Reference Closed
Sunday	12:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

• Open 24/7 with Coyote Card for law students and faculty.
• Books are cataloged according to the Library of Congress Classification. Search the online catalog for call numbers.  

Main floor: 

• The main floor houses reference materials such as the Legal Dictionaries & Thesauri, Encyclopedias, South Dakota Collection, Federal Reporters & Northwestern Reporter, American Law Reports, Forms, and the Study Aids Collection.
• Circulation Desk – Of course you can check out books but there’s more! Nooks, iPads, Kindles, laptops, portable projectors, and their various cords and wires are also available.
• Card swipe machine located to the right, and on the side of the circulation desk.
• Reference Office and services
• Reserve Room - Includes course reserves, career services, and archived faculty/student publications.
• Displays showcasing new and topical books and resources, as well as faculty publications (Faculty publications are also available online through the repository of SelectedWorks sites).
• Copier/Printers
• Technology Learning Center

Lower Level

• Displays – Covering topics of interest to 1Ls
• Lounge - Be noisy, but close the door. *Note that new computers and furniture are coming.
• Print periodicals – Most are available electronically through HeinOnline.

Upper Level - Silent Wing!

• Used mainly for quiet study and 3Ls carrels.

 
 

Law Library Closed for Memorial Day

The Law Library will be closed on Monday, May 25 for the Memorial Day holiday.  We will reopen to the public with normal summer hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., M-F on Tuesday, May 26.

Law students will continue to have 24/7 access using the University ID cards.

Law Library Summer Hours

The Law Library has switched to summer hours of operation, effective May 10.  The Law Library will be open to the public 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Circulation and reference services will be available during these hours.

(NOTE:  During the week of May 11 - May 15, Law Library hours may vary due to maintenance efforts in the Law School.  During this week there will not be any air conditioning and staff may be asked to close the Law Library with little advanced notice. We recommend you call ahead to ensure the Law Library is open during this period. We apologize for the inconvenience.)

During the summer, current students of the Law School will continue to have 24/7 access to the Law Library using their University ID cards.  Recent graduates will also be able to access the Law Library using their ID cards through the end of July.  Don't forget, however, that the Law School building will be completely closed May 16 and 17 due to the maintenance efforts.

Law Library Hours: Friday, April 3 through Sunday, April 5

The McKusick Law Library will be closing to the public at noon on Friday, April 3.  Also, there will not be any Sunday circulation/service hours for law students on Sunday, April 5.  Law students will continue to have 24/7 access to the library using their University ID cards.

The McKusick Law Library will reopen to the public on Monday, April 6 at 7:45 a.m. 

Law Library Hours During Spring Break (March 7 - March 15)

During the week of Spring Break at USD and USD Law School (March 9 - March 13), the Law Library will be open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m, Monday through Friday.  Circulation and reference services will be available to students and the public during these hours.  Law students will have continued 24/7 access to the Law Library using their University ID cards throughout the break.

The Law Library will not be offering extended service hours to students after 5 p.m. during the week of Monday, March 9 to Friday, March 13.  There will also not be any Sunday circulation/reference service hours for students on Sunday, March 8.  Circulation/reference services will be available to students on Sunday, March 15 from 12:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  The Law Library will resume its normal schedule of student service hours on Monday, March 16:

Mondays, 7:45 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Tuesdays, 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Wednesdays, 7:45 a.m. to 9:00 p.m.
Thursdays, 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Fridays, 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Sundays, 12:30 p.m to 9:00 p.m. 

President's Day is Monday, February 16 - Law Library Hours

Monday, February 16 is the President's Day holiday.  No law school classes will be held and the McKusick Law Library will be closed to the public.  We will resume our normal hours to the public of 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays, on Tuesday, February 17.

Law students will have continued 24/7 access to the Law Library throughout the holiday weekend with their University ID cards.  Circulation and reference services will be available to students on Sunday, February 15 from 12:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., but there will not be any service hours for students on Monday, the 16th.  

Extended Service Hours for Law Students This Semester

The Law Library is pleased to announce that we will be extending our service hours to law students this semester.  Two of our student workers, Ryan VanVugt and Warren Berry, will be staffing the Circulation/Reference Desk on Monday and Wednesday nights, and Sunday afternoons/evenings.  Mondays and Wednesdays the Desk will be staffed from 6:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m., as well as on Sundays from 12:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.  These hours are in addition to our normal hours of staffing at the Circulation/Reference Desk of 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., Mondays through Thursdays and 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Fridays. 

Ryan and Warren are both trained to provide circulation assistance (check-in/check-out) as well as ready reference help.  They can also contact a member of the full-time Law Library staff with more in-depth or detailed questions.

We hope that law students will take advantage of these extended service hours.  The Law Library will continue to remain open to the public 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. only.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  There will NOT be Sunday hours this Sunday, January 18, due to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday on Monday, January 19.

Ryan Van Vugt (pictured left). Ryan has been a Law Library student worker for almost 2 years, joining the Law Library in Fall 2013. Ryan is a senior at USD, majoring in Health Services Administration. Ryan is originally from Northwest Iowa.







Warren Berry (pictured left). Warren joined the Law Library as a student worker in Fall 2014 and is a graduate student in Political Science at USD. Warren previously taught high school, and served as an intern for Senator John Thune and the State Legislature. Warren graduated from Northern State and is from Kadoka, SD.

Welcome Back to the Spring Semester!

USD Law School classes resume tomorrow, Wednesday, January 7.  Circulation and reference services will be available to law students from 7:45 a.m. to 6:00 p.m, Monday through Friday.  The Law Library is open to the public from 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Law students will continue to have 24/7 access to the Law Library using their University ID cards. 
  

Update to Law Library Services and Hours - Winter Break

The Law Library will be closing to the public at noon on December 24.  For more information about the Law Library's hours and services over the Winter Break, please see our previous post here. 

Happy holidays! 

Law Library Services and Hours - Winter Break

Effective today, the McKusick Law Library will be modifying circulation and reference service hours for the Winter Break.  Circulation and reference services will be available from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  During the Winter Break, the Law Library will be open to the public from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for designated state or federal holidays.  The McKusick Law Library will be closed Thursday, December 25 and Friday, December 26.  The Law Library will also be closed on Thursday, January 1. 

Law classes resume on Wednesday, January 7.  Stay tuned to the Prairie Law Blog and the McKusick Law Library LibGuide for our service hours effective for the spring semester.

Library Hours - Thursday, December 11

The Law Library will be closing today to the public at our normal closing time of 5:00 p.m.  However, circulation and reference services for law students will not be available after 5:00 p.m. today. 

Tomorrow (Friday, December 12) is the last day of the finals period for law students.  Please stay tuned to the Prairie Law Blog for updates regarding circulation and reference service hours during the winter break.  Law classes resume on Wednesday, January 7. 

Thanksgiving Weekend - Law Library Hours

The McKusick Law Library will be closing to the public at noon on Wednesday, November 26.  Circulation and reference services will be available on Wednesday, November 26 from 8:00 to noon.

The McKusick Law Library will also be closed to the public on Thursday, November 27 and Friday, November 28 for the Thanksgiving holiday, and circulation and reference services will not be available.  We are also normally closed to the public on Saturdays and Sundays, and will be closed on Saturday, November 29 and Sunday, November 30.  We will resume our normal hours to the public on Monday, December 1, from 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Law students will continue to have 24/7 access to the Law Library using their University ID cards throughout the holiday weekend. 

Veterans Day - Law Library Hours and Info on Display

Tuesday, November 11 is Veterans Day, an official state holiday in South Dakota (see SDCL Section 1-5-1).  The McKusick Law Library will be closed to the public on November 11.  We will resume our normal public hours on Wednesday, November 12.  Law students can continue to access the Law Library 24/7 using their University ID cards.

In honor of Veterans Day, the Law Library is currently featuring a display highlighting resources that concern veterans, military service, and the law. Included on the display is an article by Law Library Director Darla Jackson titled At Ease: A Primer for Legal Research Related to Military Law Issues.  The article is available via Professor Jackson's Selected Works author page here.  Other titles featured on the display include:

Veterans Appeals Guidebook: Representing Veterans in the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims / Ron Smith, editor

Veterans Benefits Manual / Barton F. Stichman, Ronald B. Abrams, editors

Medicine Bags and Dog Tags: American Indian Veterans From Colonial Times to the Second Iraq War / Al Carroll

Military Service and the Law / Joseph Butler and Brian Clauss, editors; foreword by L. Tammy Duckworth

Military Law Sourcebook / American Bar Association 

Monday, October 13 is Native Americans' Day - Library Hours and Display

Monday, October 13 is Native Americans' Day, a legal holiday in the State of South Dakota.  In South Dakota, Native Americans' Day is "dedicated to the remembrance of the great Native American leaders who contributed so much to the history of our state" (SDCL 1-5-1.2). 

The McKusick Law Library will be closed to the public on Monday, October 13, and circulation and reference services will not be available.  We will resume our normal public hours of 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October 14.  Law students can continue to access the Law Library 24/7 throughout the weekend and on Monday, October 13 using their University ID cards. 

In honor of Native Americans' Day the Law Library is currently featuring a display with resources from the Law Library's Native American Law collection.  The Law Library also offers a LibGuide with information on additional resources for researching Native American Law. 

Labor Day - Law Library Hours

Monday, September 1 is Labor Day, a state and federal holiday.  The McKusick Law Library will be closed to the public on Labor Day.  We will resume our normal hours to the public of 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (weekdays) on Tuesday, September 2. 

Law students will continue to have access to the Law Library throughout the holiday weekend using their University ID cards.   

Law Library Hours for the Fall Semester

Effective today, August 11, the Law Library will be returning to its schedule for the academic year.  The Law Library will be open to the public from 7:45 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, during which time circulation and reference services are available.  Circulation and reference services are available to law students until 6:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.  Law students will continue to have 24/7 access to the Law Library using their ID cards. 

Law Library Hours - July 4th

The McKusick Law Library will be closed to the public on Friday, July 4th in observance of Independence Day. The Law Library will resume its normal summer hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. weekdays on Monday, July 7. Law students may continue to access the Law Library 24/7 throughout the weekend, using their ID cards.