Law Summary
Location of Academic Law Libraries
- Academic law libraries should be maintained separately from other institutional libraries, located within or adjacent to the law school building.
- If integrated within the main library, a dedicated enclosed area for law collections with its own reading space must be provided.
Size and Seating Capacity
- The library must be large enough to house the entire law collection.
- Seating must accommodate at least 15% of the law school’s student population simultaneously.
Physical Facilities
- Libraries must be equipped with functional furniture including carrels, chairs, desks, bookshelves, and transaction counters.
Law Faculty Section
- A designated exclusive reading area in the library must be reserved for law faculty members.
Operating Hours
- Minimum daily operating hours are 6 hours on class days.
- For law schools with more than 200 students, at least 8 hours must be ensured.
- The library should open at least 2 hours before the first class unless before 8:00 AM.
Library Staff and Personnel
- At least one full-time licensed law librarian must be present during operating hours.
- If the law librarian also serves the main library, a full-time trained library support staff must be assigned.
Staff Training and Development
- Law librarians without a law degree must have training in legal bibliography, law research, and law library management.
- Continuous development through professional association memberships and regular training attendance is required.
Library Collection
- Basic collections must include:
- General law reference books (law dictionary, thesaurus, encyclopedia, forms, maxims, legal citation manual).
- Statutes and administrative regulations (Official Gazette, government agency publications).
- Secondary sources: modern codal books and compilations (Family Code, Labor Code, etc.).
- Complete Philippine Supreme Court case reporters from 1901 to present.
- Textbooks and bar review books (at least two titles per subject, within five years from copyright).
- Current subscriptions or exchanges with at least two local law journals.
Required Copies
- One copy each required for general references, case reporters, and law journals.
- At least two copies per title for other printed required materials.
- Sources of statutes and regulations may be printed or digital.
Additional Titles and Copies for Large Law Schools
- For every 100 additional students over 200, one additional copy per relevant book title is required.
- For every 200 additional students over 200, one new title within five years of copyright must be added.
Online and Digital Resources
- Schools with over 200 students must subscribe to:
- An online/digital case reporter and statutes (1 per 50 students).
- Online foreign law journals (1 title per 100 students), print copies may substitute.
Internet Access
- Libraries must have reliable internet with minimum 1Mbps speed and at least 2 workstations.
- Wireless internet unavailability requires increasing workstations proportionally (1 per 50 students).
Cataloguing and Indexing
- Classification must follow accepted systems such as Library of Congress, Dewey Decimal, or Los Angeles.
- An Online Public Access Catalog (OPAC) system is required.
- Journals and periodicals must be indexed for accessibility.
Intellectual Property Rights
- Libraries must enforce intellectual property rights of authors and publishers.
- Law librarians coordinate with the dean to formulate disciplinary measures against infringement by students and faculty.
Transitory Provisions
- Non-compliant schools have 3 months to comply.
- Extensions up to 6 months may be granted upon submission of a compliance plan.
- Additional 6-month extension may be allowed in highly meritorious cases.
Non-Compliance and Sanctions
- Failure to comply constitutes failure to meet minimum standards.
- Subject to administrative sanctions as per Legal Education Board Memorandum Orders Nos. 1 and 2.
Separability Clause
- If any provision is declared invalid or unconstitutional, the remaining provisions remain effective.
Effectivity
- The memorandum takes effect 15 days after public publication and deposit in the National Administrative Register.