2026 Summer RA Program is Up!
Starting Tuesday, May 12, our library will host 1-hour legal research sessions for Jackman Law's Summer Research Assistants, plus vendor‑led database workshops. See the schedule of our in-person and online sessions.
Thank you to those who have already referred their RAs to us. We will continue to welcome new hires throughout the summer, so please send your RAs' names and email addresses to law.infoexpress@utoronto.ca .
Meet Sooin Kim, Our New Chief Law Librarian!
We are very pleased to announce that Sooin Kim is the Bora Laskin Law Library’s new Chief Librarian. Working at the Faculty of Law for 23 years, Sooin cares deeply about the library and its role within the academic community.
Supporting teaching and research at Law: Responding to open-access and AI
Building on the comprehensive library services offered to faculty, Sooin’s vision includes supporting researchers as they navigate open‑access options in their scholarship and publishing decisions, especially with upcoming changes to SSHRC’s open‑access requirements. Sooin believes the library can play a role in critically examining AI‑enabled legal research, emphasizing the need to carefully evaluate emerging tools before trusting them.
Creating a welcoming and creative space for faculty and students
Sooin is deeply committed to supporting students through teaching and a focus on student mental health and wellness initiatives. Recently, she co-led the Sensory‑Friendly Law Library Project, creating more inclusive study environments through offering alternative lighting, furniture, and designated quiet spaces. The pilot project supports students with diverse sensory needs, while raising staff awareness of universal design principles and the importance integrating sensory considerations into library spaces.
Sooin is also proud of the Jackman Law Animal Law Program’s Necessary Cruelty project, the first‑ever exhibit installed at the Law Library. Dramatic and impactful, the exhibit offered a new way of thinking of the library space. Its success has strengthened Sooin’s interest in collaborating with faculty on similar projects that use the library environment in non-traditional ways to enhance teaching and learning.
Looking ahead
Sooin is committed to maintaining the library as a welcoming, collegial space for both faculty and students, while continuing to support teaching and research. She welcomes inquiries and collaboration on new projects.
Library Updates
Summer Reduced Hours & Upcoming Closures
Please take note of our library's reduced summer hours and closures.
Summer Hours: April 27- September 4, 2026
Monday - Friday: 9 am – 5 pm
Upcoming Closures
May 5, 2026: Faculty event (Torys Hall & Main Floor only)
May 15, 2026: Presidential Day
May 18, 2026: Victoria Day
Planning Ahead for Fall 2026 Course Readings
We can review course readings for compliance with U of T’s Fair Dealing Guidelines and the Copyright Act, and assist with licensing, permissions, and access issues.
Fall 2026 syllabi may be sent to us beginning Monday, July 13, 2026, and will be reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.
To submit a syllabus or learn more, email Sooin Kim or Alexia Loumankis.
New Books at the library
Get ahead on your spring reading and check out the new books available at our library!
Faculty Spotlight
2025 Animal Law Compendium
Our library now has three Animal Law 2025 compendiums from the Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law & Policy:
• Recent Developments in Animal Law Scholarship: 2025 Highlights and Trends
• Recent Developments in United States Animal Law & Policy: 2025 Year‑In‑Review
• Recent Developments in Canadian Animal Law & Policy: 2025 Year‑In‑Review
The Canadian edition of the annual compendium is produced through a partnership between the Brooks Institute for Animal Rights Law & Policy and the Jackman Law University of Toronto Animal Law Program. Each compendium is derived from the bi‑monthly Brooks Animal Law Digest: Canada Edition, authored by U of T’s Animal Law Research Associate, and brings together the year’s most significant developments in Canadian animal law.
The 2025 Year-in-Review recognizes the contributions and analysis of Jackman Law’s Professor Angela Fernandez, Research Associates Krystal‑Anne Roussel, and Kira Berkeley. The compendium explores major cases, policy updates, and legislation that shaped 2025 Canadian animal law.
Find the Recent Developments in Canadian Animal Law & Policy 2025 Year-In-Review in print or online.
Recently Released by Oxford University Press
Co-authored by Professor Benjamin Alarie, Superjustice: Law in the Age of Artificial Intelligence offers a new framework for implementing AI technologies to transform legal education, institutions, and profession. Access the eBook version of Superjustice through Oxford Academic.
Part of The History and Theory of International Law series, Professor David Schneiderman's A Sociology of International Investment Law: Themes from Max Weber applies Weber's sociological methods and themes to international investment law. Access this open-access title on the Oxford Academic platform.
If you recently published a new book or chapter, please email InfoEXPRESS so we can feature your work in a future library newsletter!
Digital Services Dispatch
Accessing online articles is about to get much easier with OpenAthens, and watch out for upcoming changes to Westlaw.
Changes to Accessing Articles Online with May 2026 OpenAthens Migration
Starting the week of May 19th, U of T Libraries will migrate to a new authentication and sign-in system for eResources called OpenAthens. This service will make it easier to access online resources (including articles and databases).
Major changes affecting Law researchers and instructors
- UTORid login required on campus: Even while using your office computer, you will be prompted to login with your UTORid to access online resources. You only need to do this once every 8 hours if you do not close your internet browser.
- Directly log into a database: You will be able to access most online library resources directly with your UTORid. “University of Toronto Library” will appear as an option, when you are prompted to select your institution.
- Broken links: Links containing “myaccess.library” will no longer work. You must update these URLs in your bookmarks, in your citations manager (e.g., Zotero), in course syllabi or Quercus. For instructions, see “What links will I need to update the week of May 19th?” on U of T Libraries’ Q&As page.
What does NOT change for Law researchers and instructors
- Access via Library Catalogue: Accessing online resources should work as usual via the U of T Library Catalogue website (LibrarySearch).
- Off-campus access: Users working off-site continue to login with their UTORids to access online resources.
For more details, visit the Q&As page on the U of T Libraries website , or email InfoEXPRESS if you need help changing your myaccess links.
Changes to downloading eBooks for offline reading
As of May 18th, EBSCOhost and Ebook Central will stop using Adobe Digital Editions for full eBook offline downloads.
This change only affects users who download full eBooks for offline reading and have created optional personal user accounts on these platforms. There is no change to reading eBooks in your internet browser or downloading individual chapters or sections.
For more details about downloading ebooks for offline use, please contact the Digital Services Librarian, or visit the links below:
- For EBSCO titles, see EBSCOhost eBooks Thorium FAQ.
- For Proquest Ebook Central titles, see Ebook Central App FAQ.
New Look for Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations
As of March 2026, the Cardiff Index to Legal Abbreviations has a new interface! First launched in June 2003, legal researchers continue to use the Cardiff Index to decode citation abbreviations to legal journal titles and law reporters publications from 298 jurisdictions.
Please note that the Index is still under development to fix a few bugs. However, major changes include:
- New Jurisdictions filter on the homepage
- “Search by title” and “Search by abbreviation” are now integrated as a single search box. Users must toggle between these options before searching.
Coming Soon: Migration to Westlaw Advantage
Thomson Reuters will be migrating Canadian law school academic accounts to their next generation Westlaw Advantage platform in May 2026. Westlaw Advantage will have the same primary and secondary source content that is currently included in Westlaw Edge Canada. The new platform will include agentic AI-tool, Deep Research, which supersedes AI-Assisted Research.
Migration dates are TBD, but we will share more details as we receive them from Thomson Reuters.
