An introduction to the Law Library
Library collection
1. Periodicals
The Belgian law reviews can be found in our new Reading room (access through Reading Room Fredericq). Furthermore there is a broad choice of important foreign national and international law journals in our Reading room Fredericq. The yearbooks can be found in the new Reading room, on the gallery.
All periodicals are shelved alphabetically according to the title.
To find out if the library holds a specific journal you are looking for, check the printed journal-catalogue that you can find in each Reading room or consult our catalogue Meercat.
2. Books
All books are shelved in reading rooms Thorbecke and Laurent.
Reading room Thorbecke : General law handbooks, Social Law, Humanitarian Law, Public law, International public law, Penal law, Medical law, Transport law and private maritime law, History of law and Roman law, Basics of the law.
Near the Reading Room Thorbecke (up the stairs) : Environmental Law, Non-Western-Law, Arbitration and mediation, Law and economics.
Reading room Laurent : Insurance law, Civil law, Notarial law, Procedural law, Commercial law, Company law, Financial law, Comparative law, International private law.
Shelving : All books are arranged according to subject, secondly, according to the country and thirdly, chronological. A detailed list of all subjects can be found on the side of the different cupboards.
3. The legal documentation centre
Here you can find documents concerning Belgian legislation.
These documents are numbered files in which you can find: the text of a law, parliamentary text chamber of
deputies, parliamentary text senate, minutes chamber of deputies, minutes senate, implementing orders.
4. Newspapers
Most of the newspapers can be found in :
The Central Library
Location : Rozier 9, 9000 Gent : Journal room
Opening hours : MON-FRI : 08.00 a.m.-16.30 p.m.
Collection : among others : The Times, The Financial Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine : Zeitung für Deutschland,
Le Monde,...
The department of Political and Social Sciences (PS05)
Location : Universiteitstraat 8, 9000 Gent, first floor
Opening Hours : MON-FRI : 09.00 a.m.-12.30 a.m. and 13.30 p.m. - 17.00 p.m.
Collection : International Herald Tribune, The Economist, The independent, Le Soir,...
5. Finding materials
To find materials in the Law Library and in other libraries of the Ughent, it is necessary to use the appropriate catalogue and research databases.
Use Meercat (http://search.ugent.be/meercat) to find books and journals (e-journals and printed ones) in the Law Library and other libraries of the University of Ghent.Through the Internet, this catalogue can be accessed all over the world.
All Books and periodicals shelved in the Law library have the notation RBIB.
This notation is followed in Aleph by the first 3 character of the law department in Dutch :
General law handbooks : RBIB.ALG
Social Law : RBIB.SOC
Humanitarian Law : RBIB.HR
Public law : RBIB. PUB
International public law : RBIB.INT
Penal law : RBIB.STR
Medical law : RBIB.MED
Transport law and private maritime law : RBIB.TRA
History of law and Roman law : RBIB.RGE
Basics of the law : RBIB.GRO
Near the Reading Room Thorbecke (up the stairs) :
Environmental Law : RBIB.MIL
Non-Western-Law : RBIB.NWR
Arbitration and mediation : RBIB.A&B
Law and economics : RBIB.L&E
Reading room Laurent :
Insurance law : RBIB.VER
Civil law : RBIB.BUR
Notarial law : RBIB.NOT
Procedural law : RBIB.PRO
Commercial law : RBIB.HAN
Company law : RBIB.OND
Financial law : RBIB.FIN
Comparative law : RBIB.RVG
International private law : RBIB.IPR
The separate reading room Dekkers (European Law) has the notation R17.
The separate reading Room that holds the collection Tax Law, has the notation R04A.
The separate reading Room that holds the Criminal Law collection, has the notation R50.
Research databases :
In English :
- Westlaw : online legal research service provides instant access to statutes, cases, news, business information, public records, forms, and much more. Westlaw is available at all workstations. In order to access: go to icon "snelkoppeling naar bronnen".
- Hein Online : (to find full text articles in American journals) is available at all workstations. In order to access : go to icon "snelkoppeling naar bronnen".
- Elin (Electronic Library Information Navigator): gives you access to the electronic full-text collection of our University. To access : go to http://elin.lub.lu.se
- Index to (Foreign) Legal Periodicals
Index to Legal Periodicals & Books is a bibliographic database that cites articles from
legal periodicals and indexes law books published in 1993 and later. Periodical coverage
includes law reviews, bar association journals, university publications, yearbooks,
institutes, and government publications. Index to Legal Periodicals & Books covers all
areas of jurisprudence, including recent court decisions, new legislation, and original
scholarship.
To access : go to Meercat (http://search.ugent.be/meercat). Change language. Choose "Databases", enter "index to foreign legal periodicals" and "search". - United Nation Treaty Series (UNTS) In order to access : go to icon "snelkoppeling naar bronnen".
Our other research databases are mainly in Dutch and/or French : Jur@, Strada, Jurisquare, Tweetalige wetboeken Story-Scientia (TWS), Juridisk, Juridische Bibliotheek, Lamy : Droit des Personnes, Juris-classeurs...
