Circulation Department

The majority of books in the Mendik Library are research and primary source materials that may only be borrowed for short-term use. Other types of materials may be borrowed for longer periods.

Reserve Collection:

• Reserve Collection Materials: Reserve items may be borrowed for three hours. If they are charged out within three hours of the Library's closing time, they are due within one hour of opening time on the next day that the Library is open.
• Reserve materials may be renewed twice.
• Reserve materials must be returned before the Library closes.  Use the book return bin located at the Circulation Desk.

Research & Primary Sources:

• Primary Sources and Finding Tools: Case reporters, statutes, regulations, digests, citators, indexes, serials, periodicals (unbound and bound) and other updated works such as Newsletters and Loose-Leaf Services may be borrowed for one day.
• Government Documents Reference items may be borrowed for 3 days.

Monographs & Treatises:

• Monographs: One- or two-volume works that are not updated and do not contain primary source material may be borrowed for four weeks.
• Treatises: Updated treatises and parts of multi-volume sets may be borrowed for three days. The loan period for treatises is shorter than that of monographs because the value of a multi-volume work is diminished if some of its volumes are unavailable.

Students can check their Library account and self-renew items that are due at http://lawlib.nyls.edu/. Once the items for renewal are selected, your record will be automatically updated and the system will display the new due dates in the “due” column.

To get into your record, you will need to enter your network username and password in the Library account login screen (similar to what you use for the NYLS portal). 

To help students avoid overdue fines on treatises and monographs, the Library will send email courtesy reminder notices shortly before the item’s due date.

• For items whose loan period is four weeks, the courtesy notice will be sent two days before the item’s due date.
• For items whose loan period is three days, the courtesy notice will be sent two days before the item’s due date.
• Courtesy notices cannot be generated for Reserve items or hourly loans.

• Notices of overdue loans are sent daily to your NYLS email account.
• Approximately two days before an item is due, a courtesy reminder notice will be sent to you.
• Students are expected to pay overdue fines, with cash, by check, or by OneCard, when they return their borrowed books at the Circulation Desk.

• A fine of 50¢ per day is charged for overdue monographs and treatise volumes. The fine accumulates until the item is returned.
• A fine of 50¢ per hour is charged for overdue Reserve Materials. The fine accumulates until the item is returned.
• For each type of overdue loan except Reserve Material, there is a grace period. No fine is charged for monographs returned within 7 days after their due date, and no fine is charged for treatise volumes returned within 3 days after their due date. There is no grace period for Reserve Material.
• Fines do not accumulate on days that the Library is closed.

• The student is responsible for informing the Library when a borrowed book is lost. If a treatise or monograph you have borrowed remains unreturned one month after its due date, we will presume that it is lost. An item you’ve borrowed from Reserve is presumed lost ten days after its due date. In either case, the Library will send an email to your student email account for the replacement cost of the lost item.
• If you have lost a book you have the following choices:
  • Purchase for the library a replacement copy of the book you lost.
  • Pay the price of the book plus a $20 processing fee.
• If later you find the book and return it to the Library, the replacement charges will be waived or refunded but you will still be charged the accumulated overdue fines.
• All payments and transactions regarding lost books are to take place with Library staff at the Circulation Desk.

• Books should be returned or loans renewed prior to the due date. Books may be returned to the Circulation Desk on the 1st floor of the Library or the Remote Book Return on 185 West Broadway at the Security Desk.
• Please note:  Reserve materials must be returned before the Library closes.  Use the book return bin located at the Circulation Desk.
• Loans may be renewed in person or by telephone at any time during Library business hours.  Patrons can also use the self-renew option that is offered online at http://lawlib.nyls.edu/ under My Account/Renew Books.
• The renewal period starts at the time of renewal, and is identical to the original loan period.
• Monographs may not be renewed more than three consecutive times. Treatise volumes may be renewed only once. Materials in the categories of Primary Sources, Finding Tools, and Reserve materials may be renewed twice.
• You will not be permitted to renew a loan:
  • If the maximum number of renewals will be exceeded.
  • If the item is overdue.