Law Libraries & Their Services
Information provided by the Law Librarians of Wisconsin.
In the State of Wisconsin, there are two law libraries that are open to the public and supported as part of the State's budget: the University of Wisconsin-Madison Law Library and the Wisconsin State Law Library. In addition, the Wisconsin State Law Library manages through contractual arrangements two additional public law libraries, the Dane County Legal Resource Center and the Milwaukee Legal Resource Center. These two law libraries are the only staffed county law libraries in Wisconsin. These smaller branches receive funding directly from Dane and Milwaukee Counties, respectively, and have had funding severely cut or completely eliminated in recent years.
Now, more than ever, the public is looking for places to go to find accurate legal information and access to court procedures. If the public county law libraries are being eliminated or struggling to survive, there will be an additional strain on the resources of the other public law libraries, the UW-Madison Law Library and the Wisconsin State Law Library. For that reason, we encourage support of funding for these two public law libraries, as well as the state agency libraries that offer legal resources and assistance, and support for their services.
Public access to legal information should be a priority for our State. More and more people are going to court without the assistance of an attorney, often because they cannot afford a lawyer. Many times the same people who cannot afford an attorney do not have ready-access to the Internet. Many legal resources are not available in electronic format or are prohibitive in cost to access for most public users. The public relies on the access and assistance public law libraries provide. These services need to be made a priority in this challenging economic climate.
Law librarians recognize that as more self-represented users demand access to legal resources, they are also in the position to ask for additional assistance with legal documents, forms, and procedures. Law librarians walk a fine line between offering legal information and the prohibited legal advice or unauthorized practice of law. This is especially true in the county public law libraries that are located in courthouses. To enhance the assistance public law libraries offer users, they have aligned themselves with the local bar associations, community agencies, state agencies, and court offices to offer additional services beyond traditional library services. Through this type of extended collaboration, law libraries can offer services or resources beyond what a limited budget can provide. These and other opportunities for collaboration and creativity should be a priority and supported in the upcoming budget.
Return to WLA Legislative page.