Legal Research Resources: Great Legal Reference and Referral in the Public Library

Thursday, October 4, 2012

Start Time:          12 Noon Pacific -- 1PM Mountain -- 2PM Central -- 3PM Eastern

PLEASE NOTE: This webinar is California-centric and intended for public library staff.

This webinar will last approximately one hour. Webinars are free of charge.  Please note: we have changed hosting services fromWebEx to Adobe Connect, so we advise you to test your browser before the webinar: http://intesolv.adobeconnect.com/common/help/en/support/meeting_test.htm

For more webinar tips, see: http://infopeople.org/webinar/tips

For more information and to participate in the October 4^th webinar, go to http://infopeople.org/training/legal-research-resources.

• Can someone really address every aspect of a legal issue by using online resources?
• How do I get someone started on addressing legal issues?
• If a customer asks me to find a legal form, can I? should I?
• How can I help a customer with a legal question and not be held liable?
• What do I do if I can’t help a customer with a legal matter?

Helping library customers understand legal resources can be both daunting and rewarding. The idea of public access to legal information is becoming more prevalent, with library staff participating in a trend that identifies the public library, with its neutral and safe environment, trained staffers, convenient location and free computer access to the Internet as the ideal place to find the information people need.

This webinar will prepare you to act as a compass and guide to point your users in the right direction for gaining a better understanding of the legal system and how to navigate it successfully. You will also learn when to answer questions, when to teach users to find their answers, and when and where to refer them for additional help.

At the end of this one-hour webinar, attendees will:

·         Have a set of best practices for assisting the public with their legal questions and without fear of liability

·         Know how laws, regulations and opinions produced by the three branches of government impact our individual rights and obligations as citizens

·         Be able to comfortably direct users to free or low cost attorney referral services, legal service and government agencies, forms and handbooks

·         Develop a familiarity with common legal terms users come across when navigating the legal system

·         Understand the various types and key elements differentiating self-help legal resources available on the Internet and in public law libraries.

This webinar will be of interest to Public library staff who provide front line reference desk service and library students who are curious about a career in law librarianship.

If you are unable to attend the live event, you can access the archived version the day following the webinar.  Check our archive listing at:  http://infopeople.org/training/view/webinar/archived.