Skip to Main Content

The Zief Law Library Welcome Guide

The University of San Francisco School of Law Library Welcome Guide: Use this guide to learn more about resources offered at the Dorraine Zief Law Library.

Does The Library Have My Course Textbooks?

Yes! You can find many of your course textbooks at the Zief Law Library. Each semester the library works with law school instructors to compile a list of required texts for each course. The library acquires two copies of each text and makes them accessible to the law school community. These materials are located behind the Circulation Desk.

Please note: If you want to purchase your course textbooks, you must do so through The University of San Francisco Bookstore (or other retailer), located on the first floor of University Center. Phone: (415) 422-6493. You cannot purchase books through the library. 

 

How Can I Access My Textbooks?

To access these materials, you must visit the Circulation Desk, located on the first floor of the Zief Law Library. Provide your course name, instructor, and the title of your textbook to the library staff member. A library worker will retrieve the book for you. These materials are available for two-hour checkouts within the library. To check the book out, you will need to use your USF student ID card. 

Some textbooks are available on the Aspen Learning Library or the LexisNexis Digital Library

Additional Resource: What Are Open Reserve Books?

"Open Reserve" also refers to academic materials that have been set aside for use. Some books were previous Course Reserve, while others have been selected by library staff to help aid students with their studies. These texts can be found in the Open Reserve section on the main floor of the Zief Law Library near the Research Desk. Open Reserve is available for students, faculty, and staff to explore. These materials must be used within the library but you do not need to check them out at the Circulation desk. You can contact the Zief research librarians for more information on these materials. You can reach the research librarians at (415)433-6773 or by using the Ask the Zief Librarians Form.

Additional Resource: Library Catalog

Are you wondering if the library has a specific book? Try searching in Ignacio, the USF Libraries Catalog, for materials held at Zief Law Library and Gleeson Library.  

School of Law | 2130 Fulton Street | San Francisco, CA 94117-1080 | (415) 422-6307