Business is Also Booming at Public Law Libraries

Link to April 19 Star-Tribune article, "The new legal aid:  Do it yourself".

Excerpt:   Edward McComb wandered into the Anoka County law library, his initial step in trying to gain child visitation rights. He was greeted by longtime library director Gene Myers, who knows how to make the burdensome legal task feel like an information-filled walk in the park.

As he printed out a stack of forms, Myers guided the patron to a useful website and tackled question after question. The next visitor was already perched at Myers' desk.

McComb is typical of the growing masses using law libraries during these tough economic times, Myers said. Hiring an attorney isn't an option right now, so he will try to navigate the legal maze himself.

Myers expects more than 12,000 people to drop in this year, compared with 2,000 in 2001.

Retiring Guy was a bit chagrined that the article made no specific mention of  any "Guidelines for Legal Reference Services", just a casual acknowledgement in the third-to-last paragraph of a lengthy article that "library staff members aren't allowed to dispense legal advice".