Disability Services at the Law Library

The Law Library is committed to principles of equal access to those with disabilities, including research assistance, services for those with physical disabilities, and services for those with print disabilities.

UCI Disability Services Center (DSC)

Maybe. Some Law Library services for students with disabilities—such as scanning services and extended loan periods—require registration with DSC (Disability Services Center) so that disabilities can be documented.

DSC offers a wide range of services for UC Irvine students with disabilities that are individually tailored to the needs of each student. Contact DSC at (949) 824-7494, disability.uci.edu.

General Questions

  • Jeff Latta, the Operations Manager, is the Law Library's disability services liaison. 
  • If you need help with library material, you should email the disability services liaison to set up an appointment.
  • Drop-in requests are welcome and every effort will be made to assist students who request assistance during operating hours. But advance notice guarantees staff availability for larger requests.
  • We help get books from shelves, and can help with getting around the Law Library. Please contact Operations Manager Jeff Latta, our disability services liaison, if you need significant or ongoing assistance.
  • We provide longer check-out periods for reserves. You need to register with DSC to use this service.
  • We can scan portions of books that may exceed our usual policies. You need to register with DSC to use this service.
  • We can reserve a study room farther in advance than our policies normally allow, for working with readers, as long as we are given the exact time. Study rooms are not guaranteed without advance notice. 
  • We provide research help. See the section on "Research Services," below.
  • The Law Library has a variety of adaptive technologies. These include hardware such as larger screens, and software such as document-reading programs.
  • Law Library staff receive general training on the adaptive technology, such as turning equipment on and off and providing basic troubleshooting. But DSC takes care of questions about equipment and software that go beyond the basics. 
  • If you need to use adaptive technology, Library staff can make sure that you're given priority for adaptive workstations.

Self-scan option. If you prefer to scan yourself, scanners are available in the Law Library. You can also check out books that circulate, and bring them to DSC for scanning.

Scanning by Library staff. The Law Library will scan limited portions of all library material (with the exception of Course Reserves) for all patrons. When you find the item in UC Library Search,  look for the option that says Request Article/Chapter Scan (you will need to sign in using the prompts on screen before seeing request options). On the following screen, specify the pages or chapter(s) you need scanned.

If you need more than our policies allow us to scan for general users, or need a Course Reserve scanned, you'll have to register with the DSC. After registration is confirmed, here's how it works:

  • You tell us what you need. Contact Operations Manager Jeff Latta. Help us easily identify what you need by including:
    • Full citation (including author, title, journal, edition, year of publication, etc.)
    • Call number
    • Exact pages to be copied
    • Deadline
  • We get it and scan it. Law Library staff retrieve items from any UCI library, and scan the pages you specify. We also scan pages from ILL books. (ILL restrictions apply.)
    • We do not scan entire books. But students with print disabilities can check out Law Library reserves for an extended period. 
  • Eligible items. Items can't also be available in an accessible electronic format.
  • Turnaround. Most retrieving and scanning will be done in a week, but larger requests can take longer. Scanning requests are handled in the order they are received.
  • Format. We provide a pdf copy of scanned pages. If you need to convert the pdf to a different format, DSC can help.
No. The Law Library seeks to make all of the content that we control accessible. However, most aspects of the Law Library’s online catalogs and online research databases are operated by businesses that the Library does not control. If you encounter problems when using the Library’s online resources that are due to incompatibility with assistive technology, please contact Christina Tsou, the Head of Public Services.

Reserves

  • Students with documented print disabilities have extended loan periods for reserve materials. 
  • Accessible versions of sample exams are provided by faculty assistants.
DSC can provide accessible versions of required reading, such as case books. DSC requires a receipt for this service. 
We can provide an extended loan period for Law Library books, and we can also scan specific pages upon request.

Research Services

  • In-depth research help. If you need research assistance on long-term or in-depth research projects, you can email refdesk@law.uci.edu to request a meeting with a research librarian.
  • Quick research help. If you need quick reference assistance, you can come to the reference desk during normal reference hours, or make an appointment with a research librarian in advance. 
  • Students with visual impairments can contact Christina Tsou, the Head of Public Services.
Research librarians can:
  • help students develop a research strategy, identify relevant sources, generate search terms, and help with general problem solving. Students do independent research after receiving instruction.  This includes reviewing results and identifying necessary resources.
  • make recommendations about specific resources and materials, but will not make decisions on the exact articles, books, and other sources to use. 
  • read over basic tools, such as indexes and tables of contents.
  • help you work with our Access Services staff to reserve a study room for working with readers, as long as we are given the exact time. Study rooms are not guaranteed without advance notice.