When searching for a book or other print resource, begin by searching the UNC Libraries catalog on the UNC Law Library homepage. You can search generally by keyword or choose a specific segment to search, such as title or author.
Be aware that the catalog searches all the libraries on campus, not just the Law Library. Pay attention to location codes to determine where a resource is located on campus. If a resource is located in the Law Library, note the call number AND the floor where the resource is located before going to look for it.
If a resource is located at another library on campus, you may request that it be delivered to the law library by selecting the request button near the title of the resource in the catalog. Follow the steps to log in to your Interlibrary Loan account to complete the request. When the book arrives at the Law Library, you will be notified by email and can pick it up at the Circulation Desk.
If the resource is not available through the UNC Libraries catalog, the next step is to search for the resource at another library located in the Triangle. The Triangle Research Libraries Network can be searched online here, and it will allow you to search for the resource at UNC, Duke University, North Carolina Central University and North Carolina State University.
You can follow the same process of selecting the request button near the title of the resource you would like to have delivered to the UNC Law Library. Make sure to select UNC Chapel Hill - Law as your institutional affiliation, then follow the steps to log in to your Interlibrary Loan account to complete the request. When the book arrives at the Law Library, you will be notified by email and can pick it up at the Circulation Desk.
If the resource is not available through the UNC Libraries catalog or TRLN, you will have to make an Interlibrary Loan request from another institution. For more information on that process, please see the Interlibrary Loan tab (nested under "Requesting Library Items") of this LibGuide.
Before making the request, you can attempt to look up the resource in WorldCat. This is a worldwide catalog that searches institutions all around the world. Searching for the resource can help you in two ways: (1) to identify further publication information which can help in making the ILL request and (2) to give you some idea of how many institutions have the resource you are trying to find (which may give you some idea of how easy it will be for the library to obtain a loan of the resource).
FYI: You can't make an Interlibrary Loan request for newspaper articles. Please consult a librarian if you can't find the article after searching the above resources.
Remember: Consult Bluebook Rule 16.6(f) on Internet and Online Newspapers. If the author viewed the electronic version of the article, the print version may not be the same. The electronic version should be cited.
Consult the Bluebook for the official publication of a jurisdiction's statutory code. For cite checking purposes, the goal is to obtain a copy of the official publication of the statute.
Remember: The HTML versions of codes on Westlaw and Lexis are not appropriate sources for cite-checking and obtaining scanned copies of a state's code can be difficult. Please let a Reference Librarian know if we can help.
When gathering any of the materials that were produced during the process of a bill becoming a law, legislative sources should be consulted. Databases that contain legislative materials such as bills, hearings, and reports are listed below, but more information on conducting a Federal Legislative History or a North Carolina Legislative History can be found in the Law Library Research Guides dedicated to these topics.
Whenever you view a citation to a case, your first step is to identify the name of the case reporter from the abbreviated citation. Then you can begin the process of locating the reporter or PDF images of the reporter.
Court documents such as briefs, motions, orders, and trial transcripts may be available online through a few different sources.
When you have a citation that you can't identify or locate the cited source, you may need to get creative in how you figure out what is being cited.
Remember: If it seems like you have been spending too long searching, you can always ask a Reference Librarian for help!
