A law collection was started from scratch in the Main Library at the Bukit Timah campus, in support of a four-year law degree course which commenced in September 1957.

In 1963, extensive renovations of the Main Library resulted in the provision of some 5,625 sq ft for the Law Library. The Law Library was established with its own offices and staff located in the South East wing of the Adminstration Block. It occupied the first and second floors of the building with Miss Elizabeth Srinivasagam appointed as the head of Law Library.

Law Library occupied the first and second floors

Although the collection was in a separate wing, the loan of books and reserve materials were handled at the Loan Counter of the Main Library. The Main Library also processed the new law materials to be added to the Law Library's collection. After 1966, the Law Library handled its own acquisitions, cataloguing and physical processing of books.

In May 1973, plans for the physical accommodation of the Law Library in the Faculty of Law Building were initiated. This would bring its resources and services closer to its primary members. However, due to the grave shortage of space at the Main Library, it was necessary to move the Law Library to the Kent Ridge campus before the Faculty of Law Building was ready. Between April 1978 and March 1980, the Law Library operated from the Kent Ridge Library Building, where it shared common loan and photocopying services with the Kent Ridge Library.

Reading area in SU Law Library

In March 1980, when its new premises was ready, the Library's collection, equipment, furniture and staff were moved into the two lower floors of the Faculty of Law Building. The Law Library resumed operations in April 1980 with its services expanded to include a binding unit, photocopying, circulation, registration of membership and other ancillary services.

Due to the escalated increases in student intake, far above past projections, and the rapid growth of the collection, additional space was soon needed. About 1,580 sq m was added in 1983, bringing the total floor area in the Library to 3,460 sq m.
 

The collection began as a common law collection. The Library attempts to acquire the complete primary resources of Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei and England. The resources of the United States of America, India, Canada, Australia and New Zealand are also extensively acquired. In the process of developing the collection, the Library has built strong collections on public international law, international business transactions, the laws of the ASEAN nations, the European Community, the Peoples' Republic of China, other Southeast Asian countries, and the Asia-Pacific region. As a leading law library in Southeast Asia and Oceania, the Law Library continues to upgrade its services in support of the Faculty's teaching and research programmes, as well as serving the needs of the legal community in Singapore.

Law Library was located in the basement of the Faculty of Law building from 1980 to 2001

Update

In November 1997, the Law Library received a pledge of $5 million from the late Mr Koh Choon Joo, a philanthropist and former lawyer, to embark on an extensive renovation and extension project. The late Mr Koh made a further donation of $530,000 to enhance the library's book collection. Renovations at the Law Library began in July 2000 and were completed at the end of 2001. Mr Koh's donation allowed the library to upgrade and expand its facilities, with an impressive and distinctive main entrance. On 1 January 2001, the NUS Law Library was renamed the C J Koh Law Library. The C J Koh Law Library was officially opened on 27 February 2002 by the Honourable Chief Justice Yong Pung How. This was a momentous occasion in the history of the Law Library.

Updated on 16 May 2005 by Lee Su Lin

C J Koh Law Library entrance

Updated on 30 Nov 2006 by Lee Su Lin

C J Koh Law Library entrance