The Julien and Virginia Cornell Library at VLGS

Study Carrels At The Library

Study carrels are single-seat desks equipped with a power outlet, built-in light, and small bookshelf. If you prefer to have a dedicated space in the library for your daily study sessions, study carrels are an excellent option. However, if you do not need a reserved seat in the library for daily study, there are additional study space options available.

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Study Carrel Reservation

The study carrel reservation system is active at the beginning of each semester. The reservation period is for an entire semester, and students may reserve one and only one carrel per term. It’s important to note that space for carrels is limited, and the reservation process can be competitive, especially during the fall semester. Be sure to pay attention to the opening date and time and review the reservation process below so that you are well-prepared.

In the event that you are unable to secure a reservation at the beginning of the semester, we maintain a waiting list and will notify you promptly if a carrel becomes available.

Before proceeding with your study carrel reservation, we recommend reviewing the Study Carrel Policy to ensure compliance with the guidelines and regulations.

Spring semester reservations are now full. Summer 2024 applications will open on the first day of classes, Tuesday, May 28, 2024, at 8:00 am.

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Study Carrel Locations

Carrels are located on each of the 4 floors of the library building. We recommend visiting the library a few days before the signup date to familiarize yourself with the available study areas and determine which one best suits your preferences. 

The basement level is quiet with no distractions from outside. 
Example: B03 Basement

Parking Lot Level

• Microfiche side is near Study Room 2, away from the noise of the stairs and bathrooms. Example: P12 Microfiche PL
• The driveway side is closer to the bathrooms and water fountain, with natural light from windows. Example: P58 Driveway PL

Campus (aka Main) Level has natural light and easy access from the lobby. It can also be a bit less quiet than the lower levels of the building. Example: M20 Campus

Loft Level

• Environmental Reading Room has beautiful views but can pick up noise from the library lobby. Example: ERR04: Loft
• Loft carrels are located in the back of the building adjacent to the environmental collection; this area is a bit quieter. Example: L07 Loft.

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How to Use the Study Carrel Reservation System

On the opening date, click the “Reserve a Study Carrel” button on the library home page.
The button will look like this:

Step 1:
Navigate to your preferred carrel location using the numbers on the bottom left of the table.

Click the green box for the carrel you want to select (it appears as a single day but spans the entire semester). When you make your selection the box color changes to yellow.

If you select the wrong seat by mistake, click the small trash can icon to deselect the one you chose, then pick a different seat.

Click the blue “Submit Times” button at the bottom of the page to move to the next step.

Step 2:
Review Terms and Conditions and click the blue “Continue” button to move to the last step.

Step 3:
Fill in Status (year in school from the drop-down box), agree to terms and conditions, and click the blue “Submit My Booking” button.

A confirmation message will appear on the screen and a confirmation email will go to your VLGS email address.

Check your email inbox for your reservation confirmation.

Remember that you must complete all of these steps in order to make a reservation. For any questions please feel free to stop by the library Information Desk or send an email.

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Reserve a Study Room

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Other Study and Seating Options at The Library

Study rooms are for group study and can be reserved in a two-hour time slot per day. Each has a whiteboard, table, and chairs. We encourage quiet group study, but please be aware these rooms are not noise-proof.

Additional seating options include tables and soft furnishings scattered throughout the library and the green-labeled “Open” carrels which are available for daily use. These are available on a first-come-first-served basis. Please do not leave materials in any of these locations overnight.

Happy studying!

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Request Interlibrary Loan

VLGS Interlibrary Loan Procedures and Policies

If the material you are looking for is not available in the JULIEN library catalog, it may be requested through interlibrary loan (ILL). To search for the item or article, look up the journal or publication title in the JULIEN catalog (not the article or chapter title) to get accurate results.

For all transactions, use the interlibrary loan system to create requests, retrieve articles, check the due date for ILL books, and request renewals.

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Create a Request

1. Sign in to the interlibrary loan page using your VLGS credentials.
2. Complete a separate request form for each item you need.

Use the Book / Book Chapter form for a published book or specific chapter.
Use the Article form for newspaper, journal, or published scientific paper.
Use the Other / Media form for DVDs, sound recordings, or grey material such as conference papers, white papers, and dissertations.

Make sure to plan ahead when requesting materials. Journal articles generally take 3-4 days to receive, and books may take one to two weeks. When the material is available, you will be notified by e-mail.

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Policies

The library’s Access Services Department accepts borrowing requests from all current Vermont Law and Graduate School students, faculty, and staff for materials related to academic work (teaching, learning, and research).

Non-residential faculty and students enrolled in online classes through VLGS can submit requests for items owned by the VLGS Cornell Library, as well as scanned book chapters and articles owned by VLGS or by other libraries in our borrowing network. Physical items owned by the VLGS Cornell Library, such as a book, will be mailed to non-residential borrowers through the U.S. Postal Service and should be returned via USPS.

VLGS alumni and members of the public should submit interlibrary loan requests through their local public library or other affiliated institution.

Generally, articles and book chapters are made available electronically as a PDF. These are available to download for 30 days. These documents are for you, the borrower, to keep, and you are responsible for “fair use” (private study, scholarship, and research) of the reproduced material. Be sure to download and save your documents before the 30-day window has ended.

On-campus VLGS borrowers will pick up their loans at the VLGS Cornell Library Information Desk during our staffed hours. Physical books and other media may be returned anytime in one of the library book drops. Non-residential VLGS borrowers will return the borrowed item(s), using the envelope with pre-paid postage provided. It is the borrower’s responsibility to return materials to the VLGS Library by the due date. If a borrower loses their return envelope it is their responsibility to pay for return postage.

To renew a physical book borrowed from another library, submit a renewal request through the ILL system. Not all lending libraries offer renewals, and occasionally borrowing restrictions are specified. Borrowers are expected to honor these conditions and to make a renewal request before the due date. Please help us maintain excellent relationships with our lending library partners by returning all loans on time. Renewal requests for items owned by the VLGS Cornell Library can also be made through the ILL system. One renewal is usually permitted.

The VLGS library follows federal copyright law (Title 17 of the United States Code).

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Restrictions

There is no limit on the number of ILL requests borrowers can make, but please use sound judgment when requesting a large amount, as every item incurs a cost to the library.

The library is unable to borrow textbooks, casebooks, and other assigned reading materials for classes. Students are expected to rent or purchase their own textbooks. Faculty may be able to request a review copy of texts directly from the publisher.

The library does not charge for borrowing books or articles. However, we reserve the right to review the cost of purchased articles, chapters, or lending fees from other institutions, and to suggest alternative sources.

Not all materials are available to borrow. Some rare or out-of-print materials or unpublished items such as white papers and dissertations may be difficult to acquire.

Student borrowers are responsible for lost, damaged, or unreturned materials and will be billed accordingly.

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Federal Work Study at the Library

Are you a returning 2L or 3L JD student or a Master’s student who’s interested in earning some money through Work Study? The library hires Federal Work Study eligible VLGS students to help at the Information Desk and as needed for library projects. The application period opens a few weeks before each new semester begins and closes three weeks into the semester.

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General Information

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Eligibility

Federal Work Study eligibility is determined by the Vermont Law and Graduate School Financial Aid Office. Contact [email protected] to confirm your status, or visit this page for more information about financial aid opportunities at VLGS.

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Application

Submit an application for a Work Study position in the library for the Spring 2024 semester.

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Environmental Law Collection Resources

Environmental Law Collection

Located on the loft level of the library, the Environmental Collection, comprised of over 20,000 physical volumes and thousands of e-books, concentrates on environmental law and policy, supporting the VLGS curriculum and experiential programs. The collection is diverse and has evolved to reflect the changing nature of the discipline; topics include environmental justice, climate change, food and agriculture, energy law and policy, water law, environmental economics, biodiversity, sustainability, planning and zoning, hazardous waste, and more.

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Environmental Law & Science Databases

The library subscribes to a number of online databases that focus on environmental law and support the study of and research in environmental law. They are freely available for use by the VLGS community.​

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Environmental Law Research Sources

The Environmental Law Research Sources database is a collection of over 500 free environmental law websites, selected in consultation with VLGS faculty and students. Topics include environmental justice, environmental health, climate change, energy, agriculture law, food law, animal law, land use, endangered species and wildlife biodiversity, environmental dispute resolution, water law and policy, ocean and marine law, international environmental law, and more. Each website has a description of its information resources.

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Environmental Law Research Guide

The Environmental Law Research Guide focuses on environmental, international environmental, and environmental justice law and policy resources that are useful in leading you to environmental case law, statutes and legislative history, administrative law, scientific and statistics sources, and specialized web sites. It includes research resources: books, databases, statistics sources, Westlaw and Lexis, and an ever-expanding number of free, vetted websites.

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Food & Agriculture Law and Policy Research Guide

The Food & Agriculture Law and Policy Research Guide focuses on food and agriculture law and policy, which often involves related areas including water quality, land use, energy, food labeling, etc. This resource will lead you to many useful resources using books, databases and articles, vetted websites, news and statistical sources, specific resources relating to farmed animals, equity issues, and climate change, and government sites. Also included are the National Agricultural Library, the National Agriculture Law Center, and the VLGS Center for Agriculture & Food Systems.

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Additional Resources

Environmental Law Collection

• Library Catalog: JULIEN
• Research Guides
• Databases
• Environmental Research
• Lexis+
• Westlaw & TWEN

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Helpful Links

• Library FAQ
• Services for Online Students
• Study Aids
• About the Library

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Legal Research Tools For Vermonters

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Research

Find Books

1. 1​. Search the Online Catalog JULIEN

Search the library catalog JULIEN to locate books, including ebooks, from our collection. 

2. Search WorldCat

​WorldCat​ is the union catalog of all libraries around the world. Search WorldCat to identify books beyond JULIEN, available by request through Interlibrary Loan (ILL).

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Find Databases

Need to search for articles beyond Westlaw and Lexis? Don’t forget about our collection of specialized legal and non-legal journal article databases.

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Find Research Guides

This is a collection of online research guides created by VLGS librarians on various topics. Check out the full list of research guides here

• Ebooks Research Guide
• Environmental Law Research Guide
• Federal Legislative History Research Guide
• Food and Agriculture Law and Policy Research Guide
• Foreign and International Law Research Guide
• Regulations Research Guide
• Vermont Law and Graduate School Research Guide

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​Request an Interlibrary Loan

​​​​Still not there? Request the book through the Interlibrary Loan service ILLiad and we will find a library that has the book and get you a copy. ​

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