Bennett Jones Law Library

Collections

Our collections focus on the common law jurisdictions of Canada, the UK, US, Australia and New Zealand as well as international and comparative law.

The Bennett Jones Law Library subscribes to many legal databases and has access to hundreds of non-legal electronic resources. Access to the legal electronic resources is from the Legal Databases link on the Bennett Jones Law Library webpage.

Special Collections

The Ernest S. Watkins Rare Book Collection is named for a man well known for his contribution to Alberta's legal profession, its legal history and the life of the University of Calgary Law School. The Special Collections holds some of Mr. Watkins personal and business correspondence, legal documents, photographs, political speeches and other related material.

The Law Library collection consists largely of the following:

• 18th- and 19th-century English and pre-1900 Canadian materials
• A copy of each graduate thesis from the University of Calgary Faculty of Law
• An almost-complete collection of the Canadian Parliamentary Guide from 1909 to 1995
• All items in the collection are listed in the Library catalogue. Many of the titles are available in the regular Law Library collection as reprints. Later editions are available online.

Law Library privileges

Students from Other Institutions

Access and Borrowing Privileges

Students from other institutions are welcome to visit the Bennett Jones Law Library, use our collections, and seek research assistance from the reference personnel. Most Alberta and Canadian university students will also be able to borrow books from the University of Calgary libraries, in accordance with various reciprocal agreements. Please make arrangements to receive these privileges with your home institution before visiting our library.

Study Environment

The Bennett Jones Law Library is a quiet study area, please keep conversations short and at a low volume. The 1st floor and Mezzanine are quieter than the 2nd floor as the staff members assist patrons with circulation, technology and research questions on that floor. We ask that you silence your phone and take calls outside to respect the people studying around you.

All University of Calgary students are welcome to use the facilities, collections and services of the Bennett Jones Law Library.

Work Spaces

All students may use the carrels and tables located on the 1st and 2nd floors for study purposes and the computers located in the computer lab and reference area. All students may also use available group workrooms located on the mezzanine and 2nd floors; however, students may be asked to vacate the room by law students who have reserved the room. The Mezzanine level is considered as preferred seating for law Students, so non-Law students may be asked to move to another section in the library if all the tables on the Mezzanine are in use.

University of Calgary Non-Law Students

Study Environment

The Bennett Jones Law Library is a quiet study environment. Please keep conversations short and at a low volume. The 1st floor and Mezzanine are quieter than the 2nd floor as the staff members assist patrons with circulation, technology and research questions on that floor.

Do not use cell phones in the Bennett Jones Law Library. Take your cell phones outside of the library if you are having a conversation.

Legal Databases

The databases that the Bennett Jones Law Library subscribes to are available to every member of the University of Calgary community. We have campus-wide licences to two premier Canadian legal databases, Lexis Advance Quicklaw and Westlaw Canada. See our complete database listing on the Bennett Jones Law Library website by clicking on the Legal Database link.

There are two databases included on our database list which are restricted to the Law faculty members and students, and which are marked “UofC Law School Only.” These databases are provided by the vendors directly to the Faculty of Law and their usage is restricted to persons associated with that Faculty. They are included on our database list for convenience for the Law students and faculty members. The campus-wide version of Lexis Advance Quicklaw and Westlaw Canada is very similar to the password-protected versions of the databases the Faculty of Law have access to.

Tours and Training

Tours and legal database training are available through the law library, either provided by reference staff or legal database trainers. For any research assistance and/or library instruction in effective search strategies for library databases and the Internet, please contact lawlib@ucalgary.ca.

University of Calgary Law Students

Booking Workrooms

There are a variety of study and work spaces available for law students in the Bennett Jones Law Library. There are both individual carrels and tables on the 1st floor and tables on the Mezzanine and 2nd floor. The Mezzanine is considered priority seating for law students; however, non-Law students should be asked to vacate the space only if all tables are in use.

Law students may also use the group workrooms in the Bennett Jones Law Library. The rooms can be booked online up to a week in advance. All University of Calgary students, faculty and staff can also book workrooms in the Taylor Family Digital Library.

Study Environment

The Bennett Jones Law Library is a quiet study environment. Please keep conversations short and at a low volume. The 1st floor and Mezzanine are quieter than the 2nd floor as the staff members assist patrons with circulation, technology and research questions on that floor.

Do not use cell phones in the Bennett Jones Law Library. Take your cell phones out of the library if you are having a conversation.

Databases and Passwords

Most legal databases do not require passwords and can be accessed from the Legal Databases link on the Bennett Jones Law Library webpage. The two premier legal databases, Lexis Advance Quicklaw and WestlawNext Edge, are available to students, faculty and staff of the Faculty of Law only and do require passwords to access them. First year law students will receive passwords to these databases at the beginning of January, as they begin the legal research component of Fundamental Legal Skills. We also have a campus-wide version of WestlawNext Edge which contains the same content as the Faculty of Law version but does not require a password.

Tours and Training

If you are interested in participating in a guided tour of the Bennett Jones Law Library please email lawlib@ucalgary.ca. We will be happy to set up a group library orientation for students new to the Faculty, whether you are on an exchange or visiting as a letter of permission. Tours of the law library and training sessions by legal database trainers are offered for first year law students enrolled in Fundamental Legal Skills. Other database training is also available through the law library, either provided by reference staff or legal database trainers. The Workshop and Events page will host online registration for tours. For any research assistance and/or library instruction in effective search strategies for library databases and the Internet, please contact lawlib@ucalgary.ca.