LibGuides: Keeping Current On The Law: Books

New Books Alerts

A range of ebook collections permit users to create alerts for new books. Below are some selected resources. Many will require users to create an account.

Google Alerts
Start with a search subject and select "show options" to change 'Sources', with the option to narrow down to 'Books'. Enter your email address and select "Create Alert."
Cambridge Core
Users can save searches for "books" and re-run those searches manually.
ProQuest Ebook Central
Go to "Save this search" and select "Notify me of new results." Enter email and select number of days and then click "save."
WorldCat
You can save a search to re-run it for future results.
This also includes a subject search using Library of Congress Subject Headings, e.g. su:Legal research California.
To identify a relevant subject heading, you can locate a sample text via keyword search and click on the topics under 'Subjects'.

Strategies to Learn of New Books

Search WorldCat. Try using the keyword field if you are searching for books a particular topic.
Search Google Books. You can filter the search results for recent titles by year, by selecting the filter above 'Any time' and then specifying a custom date range.
Consult new acquisition lists put out by some law libraries, such as those on the Biddle Law Library Website and the UC Davis Library Website. The American Association of Law Libraries maintains a list of acquisition feeds here.
The Law Library Journal published by the American Association of Law Libraries, as well as other publications may maintain lists of new publications and book reviews, e.g. Chava Spivak-Birndorf & Matt Timko, Keeping up with New Legal Titles, 115 Law Libr. J. 473 (2023).
Monitor publications or online sources reporting on new titles, such as Edelweiss, Chronicle of Higher Education, Booklist Online, Book Forum, Arts & Letters Daily, Publishers Weekly (offers newsletter) and publisher websites (many offer email alert services).
Review Amazon's “Hot Releases” by category. Unfortunately though, the categories are very broad, with "Law" being one such category
Consult Books in Print. Publishers generally input records well before a book is published.
Read book reviews.
- Look at the book reviews section and lists of new and forthcoming books in the new issues of the major journals on your topic, for example, the American Journal of International Law.
- This tab provides resources on finding book reviews. However, depending on the publication, book reviews can be published significantly after the publication of the book.
Subscribe to press catalogs offered by some publishers and publisher email lists.
Monitor blog entries in subject-area blogs. Follow a website or social media outlet that informs on new books.