Burns Law Library, Summer 2021 Operations

During the Summer 2021 semester, the University is granting GW Law students access to the Burns Law Library on an “emergency one-time access” basis.  Students needing to access materials from the library’s reserve collection, including casebooks, will be able to do so through this method.

To arrange use of the reserve collection, please send an email to Scott Pagel, Director of the Burns Law Library (spagel@law.gwu.edu).  He will arrange a block of time for you to come to the library and ensure that the books you need will be available.  Students will be permitted to have access Monday through Friday only (the days that the UPD station is open).  You will be required to follow the safety protocols established for the Law Library:  wear a facemask at all times, do not bring food or drinks into the library (to enforce the facemask policy), obey all signs posted to ensure the safety of all library users.

On the day that you have an appointment to use the reserve collection, you will first need to visit the UPD station at 2145 G Street.  You will be asked to have your temperature taken and to complete an access request form.  Your reason for access should be “appointment to use non-circulating materials at the Burns Law Library on a one-time basis.” UPD will then ask GWorld to enable your ID for the day so that you can enter the Law Library.  If you are a new student and do not have a GW ID, you will be directed to go to the library entrance at 716 20^th St.  There is a buzzer at the entrance and the Circulation staff will admit you.

When you make your appointment with Dean Pagel, you will want to schedule sufficient time to do all the work you might need for the semester.  UPD is very serious about this being “one-time access.” 

Students who want to check out books from the Law Library (except for items on reserve) do not need to make use of the one-time access policy.  You can obtain books from the collection through the library’s “Grab-n-Go” service or have them mailed if you are more than 30 miles from campus.  Please see the library’s information on this service in the  page in this guide on Special Services.

The Jacob Burns Law Library follows University policies on wearing masks.  Please see the University Coronavirus Updates web page for more information on University policies.

In order to enforce the mask policy, food is not permitted in the Law Library.  Masks may be lowered briefly to take a drink from a beverage; prolonged mask removal is not permitted.