Some UA undergraduate students opt for studying at the Daniel F. Cracchiolo Law Library, only to be asked to leave because they aren’t law students.
The law library’s policy is to primarily serve students, faculty and staff of the James E. Rogers College of Law, but it also extends to UA faculty, staff, students and members of the general public who have a legitimate legal research need.
Michael Chiorazzi, the director of the law library, said that enforcing the rule to not allow undergraduates to study at the law library isn’t something they’ve done by choice.
“”We’re not a study hall,”” he said. “”And it’s not something that we wanted to do, but it got to the point where there wasn’t a place for law students to study … If undergrads came to the circulation desk we would be glad to offer them assistance with any legal papers, but our mission is to first serve law students and law faculty.””
Lisa Jones, a journalism junior, was one of the undergraduates who has been asked to leave the law library.
“”I went in, like, at 11 o’clock that night … It was dead silent in there, you can’t talk at all, and we weren’t talking but I had gone to Starbucks before and bought nuts, like, just nuts, not a cheeseburger or anything,”” Jones said. “”I open the nuts in the library and the librarian comes over and asked if we were law students. She said we weren’t allowed to eat in there, and was saying we couldn’t be there.””
The librarian also warned Jones and her friends that the library would be closing soon. “”They’re just very unfriendly,”” Jones said.
Chiorazzi said there have maybe been two or three undergraduate students who have complained about being asked to leave the law library, adding that he knows “”some undergraduates have been disappointed they cannot come in.””
Yet, he explains, undergraduate students are allowed to be at the College of Law. There are areas around the law school “”like the lounge outside the library”” where Chiorazzi said students are allowed to study. “”They can also go in the classrooms, if they aren’t in use. It’s not that they’re not allowed here.””
According to Chiorazzi, the popularity of the law library and its appeal to students came after they renovated it. But oftentimes UA undergraduates go there for more peace and quiet.
“”Its really nice,”” Jones said. “”It’s a lot nicer than the Main Library … If you want to get stuff done, that’s where you go.””
“”The law library is managed by a different group,”” said Travis Teetor, library operations supervisor at the Main Library. “”We don’t have any say on that policy and didn’t have any bearing on that particular decision.””
The law library and Chiorazzi report to the dean of the law school, rather than other UA Libraries.
“”The College of Medicine does the same thing. Especially around finals time,”” Chiorazzi said. “”There was no room for law students to study because there were so many undergrads. We primarily serve students and faculty in the College of Law.””
