Frequently Asked Questions

The library provides a variety of study aids, both in print and online. West Academic is a comprehensive online resource featuring a wide range of study aids:

• The West Academic Study Aids Collection

Information on how to set up your West Academic account can be found on our  Law School Success Guide.

These study aids are available in print. Most are shelved in the Study Aids section of the library, while a few are on reserve behind the library desk. The most current editions are available for a three-hour checkout, but older editions may be checked out for six weeks:

• Mastering Series 

• Understanding Series 

• Emanuel Law Outlines

• Questions and Answers 

• Examples & Explanations

For more information on finding the right study aid visit our Law School Success Guide here or contact a librarian at law-reference@onu.edu.

As a student, faculty member, or staff member at ONU Pettit Law School you have access to the following paid databases: Lexis, Westlaw, and CALI that all require activation or an access code.

To request an access code, please email law-reference@onu.edu. If you are an entering student, all codes will be sent out about 2 weeks before the beginning of the semester, you do not need to request codes.

The law library has two black-and-white printers located in the computer lab which can be used to print, copy, and scan documents. It costs $0.04 per page to print or copy, whereas scanning is free. To check your printing allowance, log in to the ONU printing page.

Community members should visit their local public library for printing options, as printing is not available to the general public.

Off Campus Access

The law library provides access to many resources that can be viewed online from anywhere, for current law students, faculty, and staff.  On campus, your access is seamless.  Off campus, you may need to take an extra step to access IP restricted resources.  

Polar

We always recommend using permalinks from the Polar Catalog, the A-Z Database list, and our research guides when saving, sharing, or posting resources.  Links from the catalog are configured to authenticate you to resources automatically, even when you're off campus.

Proxy

If you are trying to access a saved or shared link from outside the catalog, or content behind a paywall and want to check to see if the library provides access, you'll need to add our proxy prefix to the link URL.  Paste this prefix in front of the resource URL in your browser's address bar:

https://login.onu.ohionet.org/login?url=[resource URL]

With the proxy prefix in place, you'll be redirected to the ONU login page. Enter your ONU username and password to be redirected to the resource as an authenticated user.

• Phone chargers (lightning, micro USB, and USB-C)
• PC, Mac, and iPad chargers
• Standing and clip-on ring lights (1-day loan)
• External CD/DVD drives (1-day loan)
• Book stands
• Umbrellas (1-day loan)
• A football
• A soccer ball
• A frisbee
• Decks of playing cards
• Board games (chess & checkers, Scrabble, Connect 4, Uno/Phase 10/Snappy Dressers)
• Puzzles

Items are generally available for four-hour loans and can be requested at the Circulation Desk.  Please let us know if there is something else you'd like us to consider offering!

Law Library study rooms are available to ONU Law students only. Rooms can be reserved here. Group study rooms in the Taggart Law Library are able to be reserved only by law students. Reservations open for each day at 12:00 A.M. and can be reserved for up to four hours per booking. Students may only have one active booking at a time, however, you are free to create a new reservation once your previous one has expired. We recommend that students use the rooms in groups of two to four.

Students who have reserved a study room can pick up the key from the circulation desk at the beginning of their reservation. If you or your group will be more than 15 minutes late, please call the law library (419-772-2239). After 15 minutes and no call, the entire reservation is cancelled and the room will be open for booking. 

Click here for instructions on how to use the online reservation system.

Sometimes, the library may not have a resource immediately available, but that needs to be requested from another institution. Depending on the item you're seeking will determine how to best proceed.

How do I request an item via Interlibrary Loan (ILL)?

Occasionally, articles and other materials found in SearchONU or in our individual databases may display an option to request the source via ILL if a full-text option is not available. To request these items, simply select the option and complete the required fields on the form that displays (most of the fields pertaining to the source will be auto-filled). Alternatively, you can also visit our Interlibrary Loan page and complete a form there if you're looking for a source that doesn't appear in our databases or in OhioLINK.

Once you've completed either form, you'll receive an email containing the item you requested if it's electronic, or an email letting you know the item is available to be picked up from the library if it's physical.

For more information, watch our step-by-step tutorial found here. 

How do I request an item from OhioLINK?

To request an item from OhioLINK, find the item in the OhioLINK catalog and select the title to view the record. Once you've confirmed that a copy of the item is available from another institution, click the green request button on the page. Next, select "Ohio Northern U" from the dropdown menu and click the submit button beneath the field. You'll then need to enter your name and your ONU ID number into the Name and Barcode field, respectively. This number can be found on your ONU ID card. 

• If your barcode is printed in the format "00123456701," enter the number exactly as it appears.
• If your barcode is printed in the format "A01234567," make the following changes before entering the number:
  • Change the initial "A" to a "0" (zero).
  • Add the "0x" (zero and another number) that appears in the bottom right corner of your ID card to the end of the number.
  • The revised number should be 11 digits total. For example, A01234567 + 01 becomes 00123456701.
• If you have any trouble with this, please contact the library for help.

Be sure that ONU is still selected as your pickup institution, and that "Law Library - Circulation Desk" is the pickup location, then select the submit button. Once your request has been made, you'll receive an email when it's ready to be picked up at the library.

For more information, watch our step-by-step tutorial found here.

Yes you can type your username and password on the Konica touchpad. Alternatively, you can go to http://onuprinters.onu.edu:9191/user to release print jobs and view your transaction history.

No, the law library does not have a writing center with writing tutors. However, the undergrad campus library, Heterick Memorial, does on the second floor called the Writing Center!

There are two Law Tutors at the writing center who can help read over any of your written work. They offer in-person appointment and online video chatting. 

You can access the Writing Center's online tutoring system at https://web.penjiapp.com/schools/onu/communities/the-writing-center or download the Mobile App! Log in using your ONU email to sign up for tutoring appointments, attend online tutoring appointments, or submit requests for written comments on your writing.

More information can be found here: https://my.onu.edu/academics/resources/the_writing_center

This is done by going to http://onuprinters.onu.edu:9191/user.  Once logged in, you can also release print jobs and view your transaction history from here.