Article I. General Rules · Not amended since adoption on record · Last verified July 20, 2026
In one sentenceRule 33 restricts who can remove books from the Supreme Court library and bans marking or dog-earing library books.
Full Text of Ill. S. Ct. R. 33
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The librarian of the library of the Supreme Court shall not permit any person except judges of
the court to take any book from the library without the consent of the court or the chief justice. No books shall be marked or underlined, nor shall the pages of any book be folded down. Any person who offends against the provisions of this rule is in contempt of the Supreme Court.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 33 protects the Supreme Court's own library. Only judges of the court can take a book out of the library, and even then only with the consent of the court or the Chief Justice. Nobody may mark or underline a book, or fold down its pages, and anyone who breaks these rules is in contempt of the Supreme Court.
The rule is one of the shortest in the entire body of Supreme Court Rules, but it carries a real penalty: violating it is treated as contempt of court, not a minor housekeeping infraction.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can check out books from the Illinois Supreme Court library?
Only judges of the court, and only with the consent of the court or the Chief Justice.
Can I write notes in the margins of a Supreme Court library book?
No. Rule 33 prohibits marking or underlining any book in the library.
What happens if someone violates the library rules?
Rule 33 says the person is in contempt of the Supreme Court.
Can I fold down a page to save my place in a library book?
No. Rule 33 specifically prohibits folding down the pages of any library book.
Does Rule 33 apply to any library besides the Supreme Court's own library?
No, the rule is limited to the library of the Supreme Court.
Committee Comments
This is former Rule 55 with minor language changes.
Source & verification. Rule text, official Committee Comments, and
amendment history are reproduced verbatim from the Illinois Supreme Court Rules,
promulgated by the Supreme Court of Illinois. Last verified July 20, 2026.
· Official source
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