Who is eligible for a carrel?

All law students who do not have an assigned desk space in another part of the Boyd Law Building, such as a journal office or legal clinic. Students who are not physically in Iowa City for the semester are ineligible. Undergraduates and non-law graduate students are ineligible as well.

I am a first-year law student (1L), how do I get a carrel?

All 1Ls will be assigned a carrel, usually on the first floor of the Law Library. The only action you need to take is to electronically sign the Carrel Use Policy agreement sent to you in your email to automatically receive a carrel assignment and combination.

I am a returning law student; how do I get a carrel?

An email was sent out to all returning law students in May with the link to sign up for a lottery, which will be conducted the week of August 10. The deadline to fill out the form is August 10. You will be notified about your carrel status by August 15. If you did not fill out the lottery form and wish to be assigned a carrel, please reach out to lawlib-infohawk@uiowa.edu to be added to our waitlist. 

For questions about accommodations, please reach out to Dean Carin Crain at carin-crain@uiowa.edu. 

How do I get a closed carrel?

Some closed carrels have been set aside for temporary, 4-hour loans. The keys to a closed carrel may be checked out at the circulation desk. 

I signed up for the lottery but missed out on a carrel. What now?

All students who signed up for the lottery but did not get a carrel assignment will automatically be added to our carrel waitlist for the academic year. Your placement on the waitlist will be based on the date and time that you completed the carrel lottery form. It is common for carrels to be relinquished throughout the year as students decide they no longer need them or get space in another part of the College of Law.

I don’t need a carrel anymore. What do I do?

Please remove all items from the assigned carrel and email us at lawlib-infohawk@uiowa.edu to let us know that you are relinquishing the carrel. Thank you for relinquishing your unused carrel as a courtesy to your fellow students on the carrel waitlist.

Where are some other places I can study privately?

There are many places in the Law Library, the College of Law, and across campus where you can study privately. Some of them are:

  • Group Study Room (126) in the Law Library
  • Lauridsen Commons (note: the Law Library does not handle reservations for the commons)
  • Main Library offers four-hour study rooms for reservation, as well as quiet study booths
  • Other available student spaces can be found at studentspace.uiowa.edu/available-spaces

What should I do if my lock doesn't work?

Before submitting a carrel maintenance request, ensure that you are operating the lock correctly:

  1. Spin the lock clockwise multiple times and then set the lock to 0
  2. Spin clockwise to the first number of the combination
  3. Spin counterclockwise around a full rotation, moving past the first number to the second number
  4. Spin clockwise to the final number, and then slightly move the lock further clockwise until you feel the mechanism move

If after a few tries using these instructions, the lock does not work, please fill out a carrel maintenance request.

There is an issue with my carrel, how do I request maintenance?

Please fill out the carrel maintenance form to request carrel maintenance.