Articles Posted in Libraries

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Imagine this: A patron comes into the law library at 4:40 and says “I’m being sued, and I need to file a response before 5:00 today. Do you have the form for that? Oh, and I need help filling it out.” We would really like to help this person, but realistically this may not be possible. Unfortunately, patrons usually do not know what services we provide. Read on for information on what law libraries can and can’t do and how to get the most from your visit.

Don’t leave your research until the last minute. Leave enough time to handle any problems that might arise. In our example, the patron assumes that there is a fill-in-the-blank form that they can use, and that law library personnel can help them fill it out. Oregon does not have many fill-in-the-blank forms and law library employees cannot help patrons fill out forms. We would direct the patron to possible sources of templates that they can use to create their own document, and to resources that might help them to fill out the form. They probably wouldn’t have time to do all that in less than 20 minutes and get it to the court before they close.

Along those same lines, make sure you can devote time to research your questions. Law library personnel can’t do research for you. We can point you to resources that might be useful and show you how to do the research yourself.

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The Washington County Law Library now offers eBook access to a variety of legal titles, including some key Oregon legal research materials. The pilot project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the State Library of Oregon.

County residents can sign up for access to the eBooks via the Law Library’s website and can contact the Law Library’s “Virtual Information Desk” with any questions. After the initial sign up, the Law Library’s eBooks may be accessed online or by using the LexisNexis Digital Library app from the app store.

Located in downtown Hillsboro, the Washington County Law Library strives to enhance equal access to justice by making sure legal information, resources and tools are available and accessible to everyone. As stated by Law Librarian Lee Van Duzer, “We’re really pleased to be able to make these materials more available to the public. Now people have another way to find the resources they need to be successful in whatever legal challenges they’re facing.”

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Visit the Portland Archives news and events page for info on and links to Archives Month 2021 events around the state.

Visit their Local Heritage Organizations page for a long list of regional archival collections and professional archivists no self-respecting researcher, speaker, teacher, historian, or other well-informed person would ignore before claiming a modicum of knowledge on a subject.

Have a productive research adventure in 2021!

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September is Library Card Sign-Up Month. The proclamation was signed by President George H.W. Bush in August 1989. Here’s one link to the law:

Proclamation 6008—National Library Card Sign-Up Month, 1989

For other sources of the law, you can search these keywords: library card sign up month Proclamation 6008, 103 STAT. 3075 (August 1989)

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Ken Svengalis, former Rhode Island State Law Librarian, is celebrating the publication of the 25th edition of his unique and invaluable buying guide:

“Legal Information Buyer’s Guide and Reference Manual” (2021 edition)

Purchasing and other information is at the New England Law Press website.

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Excerpts from the full Rare Book Librarian job posting, which you can find at the Yale University careers website:

Required Education and Experience

Master’s degree from an ALA-accredited program for library and information science.

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Open Access and Government Information Librarian

An interesting job for a professional librarian who wants to learn a lot and live in Oregon. It is a tenure-track position with a 9-month academic year. Apply by January 31, 2021:

“The Open Access and Government Information Librarian provides expert guidance to campus faculty in finding and using Open Educational Resources (OERs) and other open access information resources and data repositories. In addition, the librarian in this position is responsible for the selection, organization and promotion of U.S. federal government materials, the Oregon state depository collection, and the map collection. The Open Access and Government Information Librarian supervises all activities within the Government Information department of Hannon Library and collaborates with department members to ensure the effective delivery of user services, including reference, instruction, collection management, and the further development of the library’s Bioregion Collection….” [Link to full job description and application.]

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Most organizations and corporations have mission statements in one form or another. (A good business plan will always include one.)

Mission statements are often aspirational but also restrictive, by which I mean they can save the organization from the dreaded “mission creep.” (For a funny “Portlandia” (the TV show) based example of averted mission creep, see below.*)

First, here is a list of 50 county (or public) law library mission statements, courtesy of the 3 Geeks and a Law Blog.

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Stay tuned for changes to our Oregon Legal Research (OLR) website and blog management team. Nothing but good times ahead!

Succession:

I am moving on from owning and managing the Oregon Legal Research (OLR) domains, website, and blog. The current plan is to transfer OLR ownership, over the next few months, to the Washington County Law Library (WCLL).

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WebJunction has been teaching online for more than a decade – and they do a darn good job of it, too.

This class: “Libraries Prepare to Answer Civil Legal Questions in Times of Crisis” will be taught by 2 law librarian stars: Jenny Silbiger, State Law Librarian, Access to Justice Coordinator, Hawaii Supreme Court Law Library, and Joseph Lawson, Deputy Director, Harris County Law Library, Texas.

The live webinar is scheduled for: Thursday, June 11, 2020 / 12:00 pm Pacific, 60 minutes. (Webinar recording and course materials will be available offline to registrants shortly thereafter.)

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