As the only public law library in the county, the Allegheny County Law Library has an impressive collection of current, unique, historical and hard-to-find materials. Membership provides access to significant print resources enhanced by remote access to an array of online databases.
The Allegheny County Law Library (ACLL) is a full information services organization, striving to offer you materials in various formats.
| ACLL Services |
|---|
| Legal Research Assistance |
| Consult materials in-library |
| Westlaw (onsite) |
| FastCase (onsite) |
| HeinOnline (onsite) |
| Gale Legal Forms (onsite) |
| eCode 360 (onsite) |
| Making of Modern Law (onsite) |
| LegalTrac (onsite) |
Our librarians and staff CAN:
Our librarians and staff CANNOT:
Legal research can be very difficult, even for someone who knows the law. We recommend you contact a lawyer for representation or legal advice.
ACLL does not have lawyers on staff. But we can help you access the pro-bono sources of the Pennsylvania Bar.
The Allegheny County Law Library (ACLL) is an independent public library. The ACLL is not part of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh or the eiNetwork.
The Allegheny County Law Library (ACLL) is a public law library, serving the Allegheny County residents. The ACLL is not part of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh or the eiNetwork.
414 Grant Street, 9th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA
Because the ACLL has limited computers available, you need to make an appointment to use the computers in the library.
The Allegheny County Law Library (ACLL) also offers these services for a small fee. Our librarians are here to help you decide what you need.
The ACLL provides copies of commonly used forms for $0.20 per page.
Forms available include:
The ACLL has a photocopier and scanner available. Fee listing.
The ACLL will email, fax or physically mail documents to you. Fee listing.
Library cardholders can get remote access to the following databases:
| FastCase |
| HeinOnline |
| Gale Legal Forms |
| Making of Modern Law LegalTrac |
You are free to consult library materials in the library. If you wish to borrow library materials, you must purchase a library card.*
*Cardholders may borrow material from the ACLL or from Duquesne Center for Legal Information. They cannot borrow material from Gumberg Library.
Thus frequent users may consider purchasing a library card. A library card provides additional benefits
According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, more than 2 million persons are incarcerated in the United States, and libraries, such as ACLL, are here to offer access to information. Furthermore, the largest library association in the US, the American Library Association, through its members, works to provide library services to incarcerated people, as well as their families.
Whether you are incarcerated or someone close to you is, here are a few ways to gather useful information:
If you want to find additional resources, you can search the ACLL's online catalog, or this ACLL's topical legal information resource page.
Research the law: use ACLL's LibGuides; watch our videos so you know how to access our resources - in person or remotely.
If you need additional assistance in research, you can visit the ACLL at acllib.org, call us at 412-350-5353 or email us at ACLL@duq.edu.
If you are a member of the public interested in sending books, know that it is not as easy as you may think. But there are organizations which can help.
Policy & Forms from the Federal Bureau of Prisons: https://www.bop.gov/resources/policy_and_forms.jsp
Resources from Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
Other Resources
Resources for the formerly incarcerated from the Federal Bureau of Prisons: https://www.bop.gov/resources/former_inmate_resources.jsp
This directory of prison libraries is maintained by the Washington State Library Institutional Library Staff. This is the Pennsylvania entry.
Maps and lists of the institutions, regional offices, a headquarters, staff training centers, and residential reentry management offices administered by the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The Bureau also administers contracts with private corporations to operate additional correctional institutions.
Law Libraries Serving Prisoners is an online version of the print "Directory: Law Libraries Offering Services to Prisoners." The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), Social Responsibilities Special Interest Section, Standing Committee on Law Library Services to Prisoners compiles the data.
WorldCat list of books tagged by ALA Library staff as key references for prison library management.
Corrections-related resources including training plans, research reports, program evaluations and more. Not all items are online. Access to the full collection and onsite Information Experts, through online Information Help Desk. Catalog searchable and browsable.
If you have feedback, questions or suggestions about this guide, please contact the Allegheny County Law Library at ACLL@duq.edu.
This guide was last updated on February 22nd, 2022.
