7TH EDITION
Recommended Collections for Prison and Other Institution Law Libraries
AALL Publications Series No. 91
Kristen R. Moore
Associate Director of the Stetson University College of Law, Dolly & Homer Hand Law Library
R. Martin Witt
Assistant Director for Special Projects & Lecturer in Law, Li Lu Law Library, Columbia Law School
$130.00
A Definitive Blueprint for Institutional Law Library Collections
Developed by 33 contributors representing jurisdictions across the United States, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom, the Seventh Edition reestablishes the long-standing professional standard for institutional law collections in a significantly changed legal publishing environment.
What Institutional Law Libraries Require Today
Institutional law libraries operate within distinct administrative and legal environments that require clearly defined collections grounded in federal authority and jurisdiction-specific law, and Recommended Collections for Prison and Other Institution Law Libraries, Seventh Edition provides a structured, jurisdiction-by-jurisdiction framework for correctional librarians, Department of Corrections administrators, and institutional planners to establish and evaluate those collections.
The volume delivers organized, title-level recommendations addressing federal statutory, regulatory, and case law reporters; state and regional primary authorities; essential secondary and supplementary materials; and official web-based legal resources across all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the United Kingdom. Where available, jurisdictional sections incorporate cost considerations and shelf space guidance to support practical acquisition and infrastructure planning.
First published in 1972 and comprehensively revised for 2026, this edition reflects significant changes in legal publishing formats, reporting structures, and digital research infrastructure.
What’s New in the Seventh Edition?
Fully Revised for the First Time in 30 Years
The Seventh Edition marks the first full revision of this reference since 1996, and in the decades that followed, legal publishing formats, subscription research platforms, and official web-based legal resources evolved substantially. This edition responds to those changes by modernizing its recommendations and integrating practical planning considerations for today’s institutional environments.
For the first time in nearly three decades, this edition represents a comprehensive update to Recommended Collections for Prison and Other Institution Law Libraries. Recommended titles have been carefully reviewed and revised to align with current statutory compilations, reporting formats, and available editions across all covered jurisdictions.
As legal research technologies have advanced, this Seventh Edition reflects the expanded role of official web-based legal resources, the growth of subscription research platforms, and the development of hybrid print and digital collection models. The “How to Use This Book” section offers practical guidance for integrating traditional authorities with contemporary research infrastructure.
Coverage now extends beyond all 50 U.S. states and the District of Columbia to include Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom, broadening the scope of jurisdiction-specific recommendations.
One of the most practical enhancements in this edition is the inclusion of shelf space requirements and approximate cost ranges where available. These additions provide institutional librarians and administrators with actionable guidance that reflects the realities of acquisition, budgeting, and physical infrastructure planning.
A Structured Two-Part Collection Framework
Universal Materials
The Universal Materials establish the federal baseline for institutional law libraries by identifying the primary authorities and essential secondary sources appropriate across jurisdictions before state- or region-specific materials are incorporated.
Recommendations are organized into primary federal resources, essential reference works, and additional core subject areas.
Jurisdictional Materials
Building on that federal foundation, the Jurisdictional Materials provide state- and region-specific recommendations tailored to each covered jurisdiction.
Each chapter identifies primary authorities, relevant secondary and supplementary sources, and organized official web-based legal resources. Where available, estimated shelf space requirements and approximate cost ranges are included to support realistic acquisition and infrastructure planning.
Developed by 33 contributors with jurisdictional expertise, these recommendations reflect coordinated professional judgment applied across diverse institutional environments.
• Code of Federal Regulations
• Federal Register
• U.S. Reports
• Supreme Court Reporter
• Federal Reporter and Federal Supplement — annotated and unannotated where applicable
• Prisoner self-help litigation manuals
• Federal habeas corpus practice materials
• Criminal law & procedure treatises
• Evidence and sentencing references
• Legal research & writing guides
• Citation manuals (including Bluebook)
• Juvenile law
• Probate & estate planning
• Immigration
• Civil rights litigation
• Legal encyclopedias/directories
• Administrative regulations
• Court rules
• Official and regional case reporters — annotated and unannotated options noted where applicable
• Family law and probate materials
• Jury instructions
• Practice guides
• State digests
• Judicial branch portals
• Publicly accessible regulatory databases
• Approximate cost ranges provided where available
About the Authors
Kristen R. Moore
Kristen R. Moore is the Associate Director of the Stetson University College of Law, Dolly & Homer Hand Law Library, where she also teaches Advanced Legal Research. She earned her B.A. from University of South Florida; her J.D. from Stetson University College of Law; and her M.L.I.S. from University of South Florida. She is a member of the Florida Bar and American Association of Law Libraries. She has co-authored several books, including Free Internet Legal Research, Veterans’ Issues: A Legal Research Guide, and Tribal Codes: A Legal Research Guide.
R. Martin Witt
R. Martin Witt has been at Columbia Law School in a variety of roles since March 2013, and is the co-author of Where the Law Is: An Introduction to Advanced Legal Research (5th edition). Prior to joining Columbia Law School, he was the reference librarian and international/comparative specialist, as well as an adjunct professor, at Florida Coastal School of Law in Jacksonville, Fla. He earned his JD from Albany Law School and practiced in Albany, NY until 2009, when he left to pursue a career in law librarianship. He accepted a law librarian fellow position at the University of Denver’s Westminster Law Library while he earned his master’s of library and information science (M.L.I.S.) with a law librarianship specialization. For his M.L.I.S. practicum project, Witt traveled to Shenzhen, China, where he spent six weeks as an intern for the Peking University School of Transnational Law, Legal Research Center. He also was an intern for the National Indian Law Library during his time in Colorado.
Order your copy today!
Recommended Collections for Prison and Other Institution Law Libraries
7TH EDITION
Author: Kristen R. Moore & R. Martin Witt
Item #: 1007105
ISBN: 9780837743202
Pages: 184
1 Volume (AALL Publications Series No. 91)…$130.00
Published: Getzville; William S. Hein & Co., Inc.; 2026
*AALL standing order customers automatically receive this title
