Reference and Information Service Section Conference and Exhibition 6-8 September 1999, Sydney Hilton, Australia

Public Libraries and Legal Problem Solving: Evolving Partnerships.

At some time in all our lives we face a legal problem. Maybe it’s a dispute over a will, a marriage breakup, a problem with a government department, a landlord and tenant issue. What do we do to try and solve the problem? We visit a lawyer, (or we don’t visit a lawyer because of fear of costs), we ask friends, family or colleagues, contact the Law Society or the Legal Aid Commission..... For most o us public libraries wouldn’t make this list. Should they?

In this paper we argue that public libraries can be players, can be part of the legal services network. In NSW, public libraries across the state are developing this unique role in partnership with the State Library of NSW and the Law Foundation of NSW.

Through a series of case studies, this paper clarifies the information role of public libraries, distinguishing it from the role of legal advice and assistance services, and goes on to trace the evolution of the partnership between the Foundation and the Library, beginning with the establishment of the Legal Information Access Centre in 1991. Current and future strategies are described and the effectiveness of the current three pronged model, which aims to strengthen the public library network, is assessed.

Future plans include extending the existing partnership and developing new ones to ensure that public libraries are integral to the provision of legal services to the whole community. This provides a model that can be replicated Australia-wide and can contribute to the creation of a just society.

Elizabeth McKibbin, & Sue Walden, Legal Information Access Centre, State Library of New South Wales