Law libraries are an essential cornerstone of legal education, providing students with the resources, spaces, and support needed to excel academically and to prepare for their future careers. Understanding how students feel about their law libraries is critical for ensuring these spaces and services effectively meet their needs. Exploring student satisfaction provides valuable insights into what is working well and where improvements can be made, helping law schools enhance the library experience and strengthen its role in fostering academic and professional success.
The Law Library topical module is an extension of the LSSSE survey that provides participating law schools with the opportunity to assess specific features of their law library including satisfaction with library training and support, quality of print and online resources, usefulness of physical spaces, and achievement of learning outcomes related to legal research. Today we will share satisfaction with some of the general features of academic law libraries using data from the 22 law schools that administered the Law Library module between 2022 and 2024.
Four in five law students (82%) used the law library in the past year, and those students using the law library are are generally very satisfied with the services they receive. An astonishing 94+% of law library users are satisfied or highly satisfied with the quality of their law library’s online resources, reference/research assistance, interlibrary loan assistance, and circulation/reserve services. When students are dissatisfied with aspects of their library, their concerns are more likely to be related to access to the physical spaces, including hours the library is open (91% satisfaction), use of the library as a study space (87% satisfaction), and collaborative space availability (82% satisfaction). These satisfaction levels are still quite high, however, and this dissatisfaction can be viewed as a sign that students’ major complaints are that they want more of the library: longer hours and more collaborative and individual workspaces to use.
Law libraries play a vital role in shaping the academic and professional success of law students. The high levels of satisfaction with key library services underscore the critical support these libraries provide. The areas where students express less satisfaction highlight opportunities for growth, particularly in enhancing access to physical spaces. By listening to students’ feedback and addressing their needs, law schools can ensure their libraries remain dynamic, indispensable resources that empower students to thrive.