While the Law Library is physically closed, the Law Library continues to offer access to a wide variety of electronic resources and to the same great reference help you would receive in person.

Reference Service

For reference assistance, please email refdesk@iowa.uiowa.edu. You may also call 319-335-9005 and leave a message with your contact information. A reference librarian will then return your phone call.

Book Returns

While due dates have been extended, you can now return books to any of the locations shown on this map. If none of these locations will work for you to return your Law Library materials, please email Amy Koopmann at amy-koopmann@uiowa.edu to discuss options. 

Carrel Access

Law students may contact Amy Koopmann at amy-koopmann@uiowa.edu to schedule an appointment to retrieve materials from their carrels. 

Electronic Resources

To access the Law Library’s electronic resources, please visit our Electronic Resources page. Popular resources include HeinOnline, LexisNexis Study Aids, and West Academic Study Aids, but our collection goes far beyond these resources and covers a wide range of resource types and legal topics.

In addition to our typical extensive collection of electronic resources, we currently have access to several special offers for study aids, casebooks, and other resources, including the following:

New Electronic Study Aid Access

While you’ve had access to West Academic Online Study Aids and LexisNexis Online Study Aids all year, you now also have access through June 30 to Wolters Kluwer Study Aids Online, due to the generosity of Wolters Kluwer. Wolters Kluwer Study Aids include the popular Examples and Explanations series. 

Casebook Access

Carolina Academic Press Casebooks

Carolina Academic Press casebooks are now available for the remainder of the semester through the LexisNexis Online Study Aids platform. Access the casebooks here. 

West Academic Publishing Casebook Access

West Academic Publishing is allowing temporary ebook access for titles that are (1) required for your class and (2) not currently available to you. If you have access to your print casebook, please do not request e-book access, as they are trying to a handle calls from law students throughout the country.

To get access:

1. Set up an account here: https://eproducts.westacademic.com/.
2. Call West Academic Publishing's support line (877) 888-1330, Ext. #4. Their customer service representatives will complete the process to allow remote access for any of your course-required casebooks that are no longer available to you.

Wolters Kluwer Casebook Access

Wolters Kluwer is working with VitalSource Helps to get you access to their ebooks. Please use your University of Iowa email address when registering.

VitalSource Helps Access Instructions:

1. To get started, students should visit bookshelf.vitalsource.com and log-in or create a Bookshelf account with your University of Iowa email address. 
2. Here are instructions on creating a Bookshelf account for both students and instructors.
3. Once students create an account with an institution-provided email address, they should log in and click on the “Explore” tab in the upper left corner of the screen. This tab provides access to the freely available e-textbooks.

For a complete list of VitalSource frequently asked questions regarding access to the VitalSource Helps Program, please visit their site to learn more.

Please note that at this time, student downloads are limited to 7 titles and trial access will expire on Monday, May 25, 2020.

Bluebook Access

If you no longer have access to your print Bluebook, please contact amy-koopmann@uiowa.edu to arrange electronic access, generously provided by the Bluebook team.

RedShelf Responds

A large group of academic publishers, including Oxford University Press and Cambridge University Press, are working with RedShelf Responds to provide free e-book access to students. Students may access up to seven free e-books, with access running through May 25, 2020.

To register, visit RedShelf's login page for RedShelf Responds. You must use your University of Iowa email address to create your account.

Once your account is setup, search for books here.

HathiTrust Emergency Temporary Access

HathiTrust typically offers full digital access to a wide range of out-of-copyright books and search within options for in-copyright books. In connection with the current emergency, University of Iowa faculty, staff, and students can access e-books of some in-copyright works through HathiTrust. Find out more information here.

Internet Archive National Emergency Library

The Internet Archive has made almost 1.4 milliion digitized books available to support remote teaching, learning, and research, without waitlists, through its National Emergency Library.