LIBRARY COLLECTION POLICY STATEMENTS

I. PROGRAM INFORMATION

In addition to the Doctor of Jurisprudence degree program offered by the William S. Richardson School of Law, which is supported by the Law School Library, the university offers numerous graduate and undergraduate level law-related courses, including courses supporting the joint JD/MBA. The departments offering such courses range from American Studies to Philosophy to Sociology to Political Science. The Hamilton Library collections support law-related courses from programs in American Studies, Philosophy, Sociology, Political Science, and others. Additionally, there are numerous courses that might require the use of materials with subject headings such as "--legal aspects of." Examples might include land tenure and use in Hawaii, labor economics, the press and society, personnel administration, or pesticide use and the environment, just to name a few.

II. COORDINATION OF COLLECTING RESPONSIBILITIES

The Law School Library collects primarily legal materials, e.g., statutes, regulations, case law, horn books, and practitioner manuals. The Government Documents Collection houses the depository collection of United States statutory, regulatory and legislative materials. The Hawaiian Collection collects Hawaiian statutory, regulatory and legislative materials of the Kingdom, Republic, Territory, and State. The Asia and Pacific Collections acquire selected legal materials from or about their geographic areas.

Aside from works classified in the K call number ranges, the primary responsibility for selecting law-related materials rests with the subject and area selectors, who are assisted by the advisory selector for law-related materials.

III. GUIDELINES TO MATERIALS COLLECTED OR EXCLUDED

Language: The primary language of the collection is English. Materials in Asian and Pacific languages are collected in the respective area collections.

Chronological: The primary emphasis is on current materials. Historical materials are collected as appropriate, especially in areas such as constitutional law, philosophy of law, and biographical information.

Geographic: The emphasis is on the United States. Statutes are collected for the United States and Hawaii; other areas are generally excluded. Asia and Pacific materials are collected by the appropriate area collections. There is an interest in monographic works on international law.

Date of Publication: The emphasis is on current imprints.

Types/Formats of Materials Collected: Selection is limited primarily to monographic works. Looseleaf materials and electronic resources are subscribed to very selectively, primarily in the area of taxation. Government documents are not normally purchased. Depository items are received in the appropriate collections. Pamphlet materials are acquired very selectively.

Treatment: Statutes, regulations and case law are not collected, with the exception of United States and Hawaiian state statutes, and Hawaiian and federal tax case law. Textbooks, hornbooks, continuing legal education materials, procedurals materials, and practitioners handbooks are not collected. Popular works are not collected.

Date compiled: 7/01 Compiler: David Flynn

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