The Library's mission statement says in part, “The Library serves the legal and law related information needs of the county, including the judges, county officials, members of the Bar and other county residents. The Library cooperates with the community to enhance knowledge of the law and to facilitate access to the justice system.”

I usually write a web note about Internet based research, as it relates to information needs. I have been doing this since I first joined the Library staff seven plus years ago.  At that time writing about good Internet based resources was considered cutting edge. And most of our patrons still came into the Library to use our resources. Much primary law and most secondary sources could be found only in “hard copy,” so finding good Internet based sources was a real skill.

Legal databases such as Lexis and Westlaw were accessed using propriety software and a telephone modem. It was slow and time-consuming, and I had to remember the commands for each type of search.  Today I search the legal databases using a web-based browser, a broadband connection and I can even use a natural language search if I wish. I still use Boolean search, mostly because the results are much more relevant, but I don’t have to search this way.

And while good secondary sources are still not easily found online, most primary law is available via the Internet, or a good online legal database which can be accessed via the Internet. The Library has a web site – a good one – with sets of web links to court cases, court rules, statutes, agency rules, and more that can be used by our patrons.  We offer email or fax document delivery service for everything from law reviews to obscure printed materials that can’t be easily found online. In addition, the Library has an email and chat service that patrons use, often instead of visiting us in person. You have a question, email us, or chat with us, we answer. We have been offering this service for about five years now and we were one of the first public law libraries to do this.

We also populate our web site with research guides that link the patron to Internet based resources and attempt to instruct them in how to begin to find material on their legal issue. And, for the last year we have been producing podcasts on everything from landlord/tenant law to divorce to how to find an attorney to help you with your legal problem. Recently we published our first screen cast tutorial and we will be adding more over the next year.

Yes, the Library has changed how we serve our patrons, and while I think that this change is inevitable, it isn’t always easy. The King County Law Library has a staff that is willing to learn to use new technology, adapt it to our patrons’ needs, and even train our patrons on how to find the resources they need. We offer training classes on Internet and legal research and go out into the community to offer CLE’s and other training sessions. We are and should be your first recourse when you need help finding that Internet based resource. Librarians are quick change artists. Don’t forget to use us when you need help. Visit us at www.kcll.org, or call us at 206-296-0940. We still answer the telephone- even if that is a bit retro now.