SMU Underwood Law Library Week 11

Oct 28 & Oct 30 7:30-11:15 (TOTAL HOURS: 78)

After a short hiatus while the law students focused on a major project, classes started back up this week. We covered rules and regulations, which is an entire subset of law I hadn’t realized was so vast. My mind is still spinning from the sheer scale of it all. The idea that unelected agencies are publishing hundreds of pages a day just to tell people how to follow the law was both fascinating and a little alarming. It wasn’t exactly the most uplifting civic lesson, but it definitely deepened my appreciation for how complex and layered the legal system really is.

The basement is a little uneven so these signs are everywhere!

I also had the chance to sit in on the technical services meeting, where the main topic was how the library can best support the law school’s growth over the next several years. It was a “big picture” discussion, and I was glad to be able to contribute my perspective. I shared how vital I think special collections and archives will be for libraries in the future—especially as online databases become increasingly dominant. Those unique materials are what help libraries stand out. I also suggested that the rare books collection deserves more attention; even if similar copies exist elsewhere, having books from the 15th century is remarkable and worth celebrating.