Law library changes policy for undergrads

Further restrictions have been placed on access for undergraduates and other non-Law School students to the school's Biddle Library, under a new policy issued last Monday, library spokesperson William Mulherin said. Under the new regulations, access privileges vary for different members of the University community seeking to enter the main entrance to Biddle Library and the Law School, located in Tannenbaum Hall. Law School students have unlimited access as long as they present their PennCards at the door. Penn students unaffiliated with the Law School are allowed access to the library only if prior arrangements have been made to include their names on the guard's list, Mulherin explained. Students who wish to use the library during business hours Monday through Friday, but whose names do not appear on the list, are required to explain their needs for law-related materials to a reference librarian. After conducting a brief interview, the librarian will decide whether to admit the student or refer them to alternative resources, Mulherin added. Students without permission to the library will not be admitted after business hours. According to the former policy, undergraduates could use the library during regular business hours without prior permission. University faculty and staff members unaffiliated with the Law School must show the guard valid identification in order to use the library, but do not have to go through the screening process, Mulherin said. Members of other law schools and the general public may only access the Biddle Library during weekly business hours with proper identification, the policy states. Discussion about changing the policy arose last semester as a direct result of complaints from Law School students of overcrowding, Law School Associate Dean for Student Affairs Gary Clinton said. Suggestions from the Law School's Council of Student Representatives were also taken into consideration. "Law students complained about overcrowding and the fact that they weren't able to find a space to sit down and do research," Mulherin said. Clinton sympathized with Law students on the space availability problem. "I'm sure it's frustrating to see Medical students and Dental students reading their textbooks while you're trotting around looking for a space to sit down," he said. Mulherin said the new policy "actually represents a liberalization of access, since undergraduates were only allowed in the library between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday" under the former regulations. The new policy allows undergraduate students with special permission to access the library during evenings and weekends as well. However, it denies access to those undergraduates who want to study at Biddle. "Its purpose is as a law library and not a study hall," Clinton said. Third-year Law student Michael Williams, student body president of the Law School, said the policy is being enforced as a result of complaints from law students and library staff. "A lot of [undergraduate] students were coming in eating, smoking and talking in the library," he said. But undergraduates who used to study at Biddle said they are upset by the Law School's actions to restrict access in general. "I don't see enough Law graduate students there to justify the fact that other students should be kept out," College freshman Heather Roehrs said. College of General Studies junior Aaron Rathblott said he agreed. "I never have a problem finding a seat anywhere," he said. "I've been there different times of the day and it's not crowded at all." Even Law School students said they feel that the policy is a bit restrictive. "To the extent that Biddle is part of the University library system, I think that it should be open to the University community," third-year Law student Allen Oh said.