Not Another Law Question?! A Public Library Approach M. Uri Toch Corporate and Small Business Liaison Librarian Schaumburg Township District Library Schaumburg, IL

Schaumburg Township District Community -- Who We Serve 125,000 population –Schaumburg, Elk Grove Village, Roselle, Hanover Park, and Hoffman Estates, Streamwood –additional requests from general Chicago Metropolitan area Home to major corporations –Motorola, Woodfield Mall, Zurich American –70,000 workers (daily)

18 Adult Reference Librarians Open 81 hours per week 430,000 volume collection, including: –local, state, and federal laws and other primary documents –loose-leaf services and other explanatory materials –handbooks, encyclopedias, and legal dictionaries Schaumburg Township District Library (STDL)

Extensive electronic reference products –CD-ROM products –Web-based subscriptions 40 adult public access Internet terminals Annual circulation of 2.0 million volumes Schaumburg Township District Library (continued)

Typical Scenarios Business Law –“Do I need a license to start this business?” –“I need a copy of IRS Tax Code 275.” –“What is the difference between a corporation and a limited liability company?” –“How many times has ____ split since 1968?”

Typical Scenarios Personal Law (with a business slant) –“I was just fired. Can they do that?” –“My landlord won’t fix this. What options do I have?” –“I want to see the laws on speeding tickets.”

Typical Scenarios Directory questions (with a business slant) –“I need an attorney for ” –“I want to know the qualifications for this attorney.”

Typical Scenarios Business Forms –What forms do I need if…. I want to start my own business. I want to sell my business. I want to hire consultants.

Barriers to Service Internal –insufficient resources –resources that are difficult to use –laws difficult to use / interpret / understand –low occurrence of questions

Frequency of Business Law Questions

Barriers to Service External –demanding patrons want it now! actual answers vs. information –first and last point of contact –patron provides partial or incorrect citation / information

Overcoming Barriers The Legal Reference Interview –Don’t be intimidated by the question –Don’t be afraid to ask questions –Use of call back

Overcoming Barriers (continued) Creative use of resources Multiple resources Try “Non-Legal” sources Other staff members can be good resources It’s okay not to have the answer, but provide them with an answer or options

Overcoming Barriers (continued) Staff Training –Train staff on new or existing resources –Attend open houses at local law libraries –Library consortia (outside classes) –Librarian exchange –Additional coursework –Bookmark legal web sites at Reference terminals

Overcoming Barriers (continued) Outreach –Public programs –Bibliographies / Pathfinders –Establish “Law Liaison Librarian”

Conclusions Overcoming barriers is key to –marketing your library’s service capabilities –improving staff confidence Building relationships will allow librarians to meet tomorrow’s questions