Librarians are often at the intersection of many professions, putting on different hats to help their communities. Although books are understood as the traditional trade of the profession, librarians do much more than organize shelves and collect nickels and dimes for overdue materials. 

Libraries form the connective tissue between patrons, knowledge, and information resources. Out of any kind of library, public libraries receive the widest array of questions from all disciplines and domains of discourse. On one end of the spectrum, patrons make simple requests for things like the location of a book, directions for printing documents, and information on how to use a computer. On the other end of the spectrum, patrons make more specialized requests, which in turn require additional research expertise to be properly addressed. Put another way, sometimes we librarians get questions that cannot be answered by a simple google search. This is often the case when patrons come to us with questions that pertain to the law or legal cases.  

To support librarians throughout Riverside County and the greater Inland Empire, the Riverside County Law Library partnered with the PALI Committee on August 22nd to host a legal research training event for non-law librarians. Elizabeth Caulfield, Sarah Martin, and David McFadden delivered an engaging and insightful 3-hour workshop explaining the basics of the legal research process. The presentation eased anxieties surrounding the complexity that accompanies legal reference requests. Out of the lofty and arcane jargon of the courts, legal research was brought to earth by relating the skill back to what librarians already do best: locating sources of information.  

Important topics such as the difference between legal advice and legal research were given. Without any training, one may be tempted to point patrons to blog posts and other legal resources that should be regarded with suspicion. Some of the research capabilities specific to law libraries were discussed, such as the expanded access to legal treatises and other print materials. Law libraries also tend to have access to legal databases like Westlaw and LexisNexis, which streamline much of the legal research process. A few of the attendees had no idea that law libraries existed in Riverside County and were glad to learn that patrons can be referred to us for difficult legal research questions. Finally, the presentation ended with good legal resources that are free and available to all with internet access, such as the California state courts website and the various local courts and their self-help sections.  

Typically, public libraries will have the familiar NOLO legal guides in their catalogue. Sarah Martin, one of the speakers, received a question about the utility of holding on to old copies of that collection. Here are some of her recommendations for legal resources suited well for public libraries: 

The PALI Committee have produced the Locating the Law handbook, which is a good primer on legal research for public librarians. Please feel free to contact the committee to talk about adding it to your collection.  

An option for legal research materials that do not have to be updated every year would be the “In a Nutshell” series, also known as Nutshells. Updated editions are published every few years or so, are considered highly reliable, and have books covering a wide variety of legal topics. They are relatively short and focused on starting research journeys rather than getting into the nitty gritty of forms and procedure. They give a good overview of those areas of law, are written in plain language, and are created as approachable primers. 

Our core belief at the Riverside County Law Library is that anyone can be equipped to conduct legal research and develop a deeper understanding of our country’s legal system. Here are some words from our attendees: 

Thanks to you and the RCLL Team for hosting today’s Legal Research for Non-Law Librarians session! It was great to have the opportunity to visit your library and learn from Law Librarians! 

I will share a bit of what I learned with our Public Services Team and recommend that more APL Librarians attend such sessions in the future.  

I was tasked with maintaining part of our Legal collection and will be making some collection development recommendations including referring more of our patron to the Orange County Public Law Library. 

-Thanks again! Judy Kraemer, MLIS, MBA 

“It was so informative and I look forward to doing more research on my own to learn more about the available resources and to see how I can bring the info to our patrons.” 

-Jade Valenzuela 

Thank you!  I found it very helpful, and I am sure my staff will as well. 

-James Wyatt | Branch Manager