United Nations Room

The U.N. Room is located off the new Atrium Reading Room, easily recognized by the staircase and balcony leading to it. Designated a quiet reading room, it is solely reserved for legal research with documents and publications issued by the United Nations (classed U.N.DOC) and secondary literature about the world body and its legally relevant activities (classed KJ61-81). Note that human rights publications (KJ602-608) and OAS materials (KJ112), formerly also housed in the U.N. Room, are now shelved in the stacks on level 4 according to their call numbers.

U.N. Room Hours and Staff

The room is open at all times that the library is open. It is staffed by a reference specialist for United Nations and human rights law, Wiltrud Harms, 11:30 am - 5:30 pm, Monday - Friday. Reference appointments are not necessary, however, since Mrs. Harms is frequently away from her desk, patrons are encouraged to leave either notes on her desk, or messages at (510) 643-6405, or send e-mail to wharms@mail.law.berkeley.edu - arranging for reference interviews or requesting particular U.N. documents. They may also inquire at the Reference Desk for basic assistance with the collection when Wiltrud Harms is not in.

Circulation Policies

Publications about the United Nations (classed KJ61-81) can be checked out at the Circulation Desk with the exception of periodicals and books of special reference value. Selected important U.N. research tools are shelved at the Loan Desk. Documents and publications issued by the United Nations are for library use only. Patrons are expected to return these materials after use each day to the U.N. Room (top of U.N. Reference Counter). Please do not reshelve U.N. materials.

U.N. Documents Holdings

Official Records of the United Nations (GAOR, SCOR, ESCOR, TCOR, TDBOR) and legally relevant U.N. sales publications have been collected since the founding of the world body. Beginning in the late sixties, thousands of working documents ("mimeos") offered for subscription are now also being received during each year, filed in boxes and subsequently bound. For documentation and publications that are lacking, consult the United Nations depository library on Campus, the Government and Social Science Service (GSSI) at Doe Library.

Arrangement of the Room

1. Following a clockwise direction upon entering, U.N. Room patrons will find

(i) Publications about the U.N. and its activities, classed KJ61-81 (sections 1-3)

(ii) Official Records (GAOR, SCOR, etc.) shelved by organ and session/year (sections 4-15)

(iii) Other U.N. documents & publications (not labelled by the U. N. as "Official Records") are shelved in alphabetical-numerical order by their U.N. symbols or artificial document numbers (sections 15-26)

(iv) Unbound masthead (working) documents filed in metal boxes in alphabetical numerical order by symbol (sections 27-32)

(v) Bound U.N. documents & publications (continuing from section 26) shelved by symbol or artificial document number (sections 33-41)

(vi) A wooden file cabinet providing holding information in:

--- Title Files (for UN sales publications only); cards give the U.N. symbols or artificial document numbers by which the publications are shelved in the room;

--- Symbol Files consisting of document series cards; each card represents up to 50 received documents and is filed in alphabetical-numerical order by series symbol or artificial document number.

2. A "U.N. Reference Counter" formed of low bookcases (R1-R6) encloses the sections with unbound masthead (working) documents and a working space to be used by the U.N. Room staff only. Patrons should place U.N. documents and publications on top of this Counter for staff to reshelve when they are finished with U.N. research for that day.

3. The Desk and Computer Area at the column is reserved for use by library staff. Please use the library's computers outside the U.N. Room for online searching and research.