Georgetown law school charge general public $250 a year to use its library

[Anonymous]

I don't think OP understands that a law library is very different than an undergrad library. Although a really beautiful library, it's not huge for the size of the law school so they need to restrict it to current students and allow minimal others to use. How/why is that wrong????

[Anonymous]

I'm generally a pretty civic-minded person, but I'm so confused by OP and anyone else on this thread who is OUTRAGED by GTL charging a fee for access to its library.

Georgetown is a private institution, and as such does not operate for the public good. It operates for the good of its students, and given its location between three homeless shelters, I'm guessing the good of its students includes "being able to access the tables and books without needing to displace someone not actually researching the law."

[Anonymous]

Charging $250 a year runs counter to the Georgetown Univerisity mission statement:

UNIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENT

Georgetown is a Catholic and Jesuit, student-centered research university.

Established in 1789 in the spirit of the new republic, the university was founded on the principle that serious and sustained discourse among people of different faiths, cultures, and beliefs promotes intellectual, ethical and spiritual understanding. We embody this principle in the diversity of our students, faculty and staff, our commitment to justice and the common good, our intellectual openness and our international character.

An academic community dedicated to creating and communicating knowledge, Georgetown provides excellent undergraduate, graduate and professional education in the Jesuit tradition for the glory of God and the well-being of humankind.

Georgetown educates women and men to be reflective lifelong learners, to be responsible and active participants in civic life and to live generously in service to others.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Unless you're a lawyer, why on earth would you want to access the GT law library (or any other law library)?

Because it's a nice, inspirational place to hang out. If it is.

[Anonymous]

Yeah, I get that they're often beautiful and all. My law school library is one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. We'd have undergrads in there all the time, but it would be closed to undergrads and non-law school students during study weeks before exams. And rightfully so, notwithstanding that those other students were paying tuition (to the undergraduate college or their own grad schools, not directly to the law school which doesn't benefit from non-law school student tuition).

Most law libraries are not big enough to be nice, inspirational places for people outside the law school to come and hang out because they feel like it. I don't see a single inconsistency with GT law charging access to the law library and the GT mission statement, any more than I see an inconsistency between that mission statement and GT charging tuition to any of its schools.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Charging $250 a year runs counter to the Georgetown Univerisity mission statement:

UNIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENT

Georgetown is a Catholic and Jesuit, student-centered research university.

Established in 1789 in the spirit of the new republic, the university was founded on the principle that serious and sustained discourse among people of different faiths, cultures, and beliefs promotes intellectual, ethical and spiritual understanding. We embody this principle in the diversity of our students, faculty and staff, our commitment to justice and the common good, our intellectual openness and our international character.

An academic community dedicated to creating and communicating knowledge, Georgetown provides excellent undergraduate, graduate and professional education in the Jesuit tradition for the glory of God and the well-being of humankind.

Georgetown educates women and men to be reflective lifelong learners, to be responsible and active participants in civic life and to live generously in service to others.

NP. I agree with the ^PP that I see nothing in the above mission statement that is inconsistent with charging members of the public to access the library. If it was important to me to gain access to their law library then I consider $250 to be a real bargain.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Charging $250 a year runs counter to the Georgetown Univerisity mission statement:

UNIVERSITY MISSION STATEMENT

Georgetown is a Catholic and Jesuit, student-centered research university.

Established in 1789 in the spirit of the new republic, the university was founded on the principle that serious and sustained discourse among people of different faiths, cultures, and beliefs promotes intellectual, ethical and spiritual understanding. We embody this principle in the diversity of our students, faculty and staff, our commitment to justice and the common good, our intellectual openness and our international character.

An academic community dedicated to creating and communicating knowledge, Georgetown provides excellent undergraduate, graduate and professional education in the Jesuit tradition for the glory of God and the well-being of humankind.

Georgetown educates women and men to be reflective lifelong learners, to be responsible and active participants in civic life and to live generously in service to others.

NP. I agree with the ^PP that I see nothing in the above mission statement that is inconsistent with charging members of the public to access the library. If it was important to me to gain access to their law library then I consider $250 to be a real bargain.

+1. Is it inconsistent to limit their dining halls or dorms to paying students?

[Anonymous]

Georgetown is a Federal document depository library. If you want to use the library, request Federal depository collection access. They have to let you in during their regular hours; if they don't, report them to the LOC and NARA. They will lose that status, which they had to apply for and need.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Georgetown is a Federal document depository library. If you want to use the library, request Federal depository collection access. They have to let you in during their regular hours; if they don't, report them to the LOC and NARA. They will lose that status, which they had to apply for and need.

Doesn’t it depend on where the gov docs are? Georgetown’s main campus library is open to the public (no charge; just show ID). The law school library is miles away.