Working with public libraries in the province, LawMatters will provide all British Columbian residents with local access to basic legal information. Supported by the Law Foundation of British Columbia, the LawMatters project objectives are to provide public libraries with:
- Financial assistance for purchase of appropriate legal resources
- Bibliographies of recommended current resources
- Research guides on specific legal topics
- Training for public library staff
- Reference and referral support
- Consultation and advice for local libraries
Project Launch April 22, 2009
A virtual public launch for LawMatters took place April 22, 2009. See accompanying press release (Word, 1 page).
Project Background
The LawMatters project was formally announced in a news release on September 21, 2007 (PDF, 1 page). For more background, see the Pilot Project Backgrounder (PDF, 3 pages).
Project Updates
Project Updates are posted on the BC LawMatters Blog. The blog lists new titles and events concerning legal information for the public.
Law Books for Libraries List of Recommended Titles
One of the key components of the LawMatters project is the development of a list of recommended materials for small and medium size public libraries:
- Law Books for Libraries: Recommended Titles for Public Libraries (March 2010). Excel
Includes titles by library size, master title list and titles organized by subject headings list. - Free Titles Order Form (March 2010) Excel
- Law Books for Libraries Update (August 2010) Excel
Legal Information Toolkits for Public Libraries
- BC Toll-Free Referral Phone Numbers (June 2010) PDF
Contains phone numbers and web sites for many BC legal information and advice services. - A Brief Guide to Finding Court Documents (April 2008) Word
Gives sample questions, possible responses and tips for searching court documents. - Separation and Divorce in BC Research Guide Template (June 2010) Word
Provides a listing of resources that libraries may adapt to reflect their collections and local resources.
LawMatters Resources for Community Groups and Libraries
- Legal Information Reading Guides (March 2010) PDF
206 titles from Law Books for Libraries arranged by subject headings. - Multilingual Legal Information Titles (March 2010) PDF
Titles listed in 8 languages. - LawMatters Poster 2009 PDF
Evaluation Reports
The firm Focus Consultants have produced the following reports :
- Summary of LawMatters Focus Group Held November 21, 2008 (7 pp) Word
- Summary of Activities and Evaluation Findings (9 pp, August 2009) Word
Includes training activities and 2009 legal reference survey. - Training Follow-Up Survey Final Report (32 pp, December 2009) PDF
Summarizes the findings of a survey of public library staff who attended the LawMatters Legal Reference Introductory Training in 2008 - 2009.
Contact
Janet Freeman, Project Coordinator jfreeman@courthouselibrary.ca 604.660.9204 or 1.800.665.2570