By Katie Tribe
As librarians, Jen and I know that there is often very little awareness about what a library and its staff can do for its patrons. While we cover Library Services elsewhere on our website, I thought I’d go into a little more detail about a few of the things the CCLA Library staff has to offer you.
Collections
Not only does the library staff organize and maintain your library’s resources, but we also budget for and decide what materials are included in the collection. This includes not only traditional books, but also loose leafs, law reports, journals and magazines, and electronic products. As a result, we are always interested in feedback about what kinds of materials you’d like to see in the library. Feel free to contact us any time and share your insights!
Reference Services
As your Reference Librarian, I am the person to ask if you need information, case law, advice on your research strategy, or simply assistance in finding useful materials. Trust me, you won’t be bothering me; technically, your questions are part of my job description! Please feel free to contact me or any other library staff member in person, or via phone, email or fax. If you’d like more info about what to expect, or are not sure about what kinds of questions we can answer, have a quick look at our Reference FAQ page.
Training, Instruction, and Tours
As librarians, we not only want to provide you with resources; we also want you to know how to use them comfortably and effectively. For this reason, we are available to provide training and instruction on how to find and use both our print and electronic resources. Please feel free to make an appointment with us, or get in touch as needed. We also offer lunchtime training sessions in the library on a regular basis, which are announced on the CCLA website and listserv. If you’d like a tour of the library for yourself or a group, please just let us know!
Interlibrary Loans
Librarians are generally very resourceful, and believe strongly in sharing and providing access to information. As a result, there are few legal materials that we can’t get our hands on. If you need materials that aren’t available in the CCLA’s collection, be sure to let us know. Nine times out of ten we are able to get them through interlibrary loan. We can often get an item within a day or two of your request, and the loan is usually free of charge.
These are just a few of the services provided in your CCLA Library. If you’d like to learn more, have a quick look at our Library Services page. Is there a service you’d like to see at the CCLA Library? Feel free to contact us and share your ideas! We are always interested in your feedback.