Reference Departments
Three Points of Reference
Reference service at Harvard Law School Library is provided by professional reference librarians with backgrounds in library science and law. Reference librarians work at three separate reference desks, each supporting their division of the Library collection.
- Langdell Reference answers research questions related to the law of the United States, Australia, Canada, Ireland, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.
- International Legal Studies Reference answers questions related to comparative and international law and the laws of all other foreign jurisdictions.
- Special Collections Reference answers questions related to older and rare materials, manuscripts, archives, and the library's art collection.
At the Desks...
Finding materials in this enormous collection can be challenging. Reference librarians want to make sure patrons have a frustration-free research experience by helping them to find information in the most efficient way. While at the reference desks, the librarians help students and faculty locate books and articles, start research projects, or just find the answers to tricky questions. They assist with the use of on-line resources such as the HOLLIS Catalog, Lexis, Westlaw, legal and non-legal indexes, the Internet, and more.
...And Beyond
While away from the desk, reference librarians perform research projects for faculty, write research guides, and maintain web links on the Library web page. They teach research classes to support the law school curriculum, to prepare students for moot court and summer internships, and to train students to use Westlaw and Lexis. They also offer one hour drop-in classes on a variety of topics. Suggestions for desired classes are always welcome.
Reference librarians also participate in the faculty liaison program, the oversight of the RA for Hire program, and the provision of Library tours. They meet individually with students, research assistants, and visiting researchers to familiarize them with library resources and suggest time saving research techniques.
Contact Us
Reference librarians are happy to help you find needed information, learn to use library resources and just be a helpful guiding hand as you tap into this dauntingly vast collection.
We welcome requests from faculty for tours of the Library or research instruction for their students. Students are warmly encouraged to come to the reference desks for help with research projects, sub-citing assignments, or with any legal research question. Students working on a third year or graduate paper are especially encouraged to make individual appointments with a reference librarian.
For questions or suggestions please drop by any Reference Desk or call one of the following numbers.
Langdell Reference (617) 495-4516 Langdell Hall, fourth floor
Regular semester hours are:
Monday through Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Saturday & Sunday, 1:00 to 5:00 p.m.
Regular semester hours are:
Monday through Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Currently, ILS Reference assistance is available Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until noon and then from 2:00 until 5:00 p.m.
During the summer, ILS Reference assistance is available Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. until noon and then from 2:00 until 5:00 p.m.
Special Collections (617) 495-4550 Langdell Hall, fourth floor, South