Today’s library visit brings me to Wahab Public Law Library in Virginia Beach, VA.
https://www.vbgov.com/government/departments/libraries/locations/lawlibrary/Pages/default.aspx
The online website of the Wahab Public Law Library is included on the Virginia Beach public library website. Once you click on the menu on the right under “On Demand Topics”, a new page is loaded that has two short videos showing the law library and the services that are available to anyone who visits. Most of the books located in the law library are for reference. When I took a tour of the library, the library clerk said that even though it is considered a branch of the public library, most of the patrons that use it as a “public library” are the staff that might work in the building. They can access the public library card catalog to place holds on books or see what books are available at another branch. But this library is mainly for legal research and to access laws of Virginia and the United States.
The library is located inside the judicial building in the Virginia Beach municipal area. To get to the library you go through metal detectors at the main entrance of the building. From the main entrance you then go down a few hallways and take an elevator to the ground floor. The library is named after a retired circuit court judge (The Honorable Robert S. Wahab) who wanted the laws of the land to be accessible to the public. So even though being in the judicial building, the law library is a place that anyone can access for legal reference, not just the attorneys and paralegals that might be in the building. The library consists of one room with several bookshelves lined with legal books. There are six computers in the center of the room that can be used for research and for printing forms (there is a copier linked to those computers for printing purposes). There is a small area of a few tables and a big screen TV that is used for classes, lectures or seminars that might be held there (the clerk said that sometimes the local community college holds small law classes in that area). There is one small, closed room that can be used for meetings with attorneys and clients, and there is also a small break room for the staff (this is also a closed room that is only accessible with a card fob). There is one table with a community puzzle to work on. The clerk said sometimes the attorneys or paralegals would come and see them for legal work but sometimes just needed a break, so they provided a place for that. 🙂 The space isn’t overly decorated or enamored with trying to look appealing to the public. It is an “all business” type of area. Do your business, do your research and complete your tasks – use the space for that and then leave. 🙂
The library shelves are clearly marked indicating which books contain laws and which books are about law cases, and also makes use of the Dewey Decimal System. There are form books, guidelines, and codes of Virginia and the city of Virginia Beach that are located near the front of the library for easy access. These books seem to be the books that are most used, so the librarians put them closer to the front of the library for quick and easy access for the attorneys and legal counsel. There are books with cases from the state of Virginia as well as cases from the federal Supreme Court. The clerk also mentioned that they do have more materials that are accessible online. Due to space and the cost of printing legal books, it is easier and cheaper just to have those materials available online. There are books with national treatises in them and books with more legal jargon that I had no idea what the clerk was talking about! J She asked me if I was going to school for a librarian or a law librarian because she didn’t want to overwhelm me with the vernacular that she was using to describe the different law books and the different references to them (like Michie’s Jurisprudence…ok, no idea what that means, but it’s in the law library! :)). She was very kind in explaining what was available in the library, but there sure was a lot of “legalese” talk she was using! 🙂
The staff there was very nice. As stated earlier, one clerk gave me a tour. She said that there are three and a half staff members in the library (one is part-time). There is one white male librarian, one Filipina female, and the other one and a half staff members are white females. When it came to people in the library, there was only me. But when I asked the clerk, she said patrons come in waves, depending on the docket of the courts. Rubin & Rubin (2020) categorize a characteristic of a special library as “they tend to have a relatively small number of users and…highly specialized collections” (p. 160). Patrons could include attorneys, paralegals, other legal staff, and common patrons representing themselves in court. The clerk said that sometimes the attorneys who are “old school” use the library more than newer attorneys because of the hands-on books they have available. The clerk said that they have more up-to-date material available online and they help those “old school” attorneys find those materials online. They also help people who are representing themselves find the forms or things they might need. They are not allowed to give legal advice, but they can help them find materials that they ask for.
I was very impressed by this library and the materials that they made available to those who might need them. While I couldn’t bring a cellphone with me, I was able to take some brochures that had the layout of the library and the materials in it. When it came to diversity, handicap people would be able to access the building and use any chairs or tables, but they might have problems reaching some law books. There were some shelves that were only three shelves high, but then there were others that were five shelves high. I would imagine that the staff would help those who were physically handicap with any needs. There were a couple of brochures about different topics that were in Spanish (divorce, needing legal help, etc.), but when I asked the clerk if there were many non-English speaking people who come into the law library, she said that they don’t see many people who don’t speak English. Maybe that’s why there weren’t many materials in different languages. This was a very interesting library and, should I need to look up a law about something in the state of Virginia, I now know where to go. 🙂
Reference
Rubin, R. E., & Rubin, R. G. (2020). Foundations of library and information sciences (5th ed.).
ALA Neal-Schuman.
Hi Lisa! I also visited a law library so it was interesting to see what these two libraries had in common and what was different. I am glad that there was staff on hand to give you a tour and explain more about the collection and library. During my visit, there was no one staffed at the desk but had a number to call if you needed assistance. I am glad to hear there were materials available in other languages. That shows me that the library is trying to serve everyone in the community and make sure all have access to information.
Hi Lisa! We have a Law Library in our public library system so,, as Caitie said, it’s interesting to see the similarities and differences. Ours used to be housed in our municipal building with the courthouse and like this one people in the building had access to the whole catalog and there was even a DVD selection. Now our Law Library lives at our downtown location but offers all the same amenities. I spent one morning covering for our librarian when it was in its old location and one person came in to sit and read through the newspaper but overall it was one of my quietest library mornings! And I’m with you on the legal jargon.. I perused the stacks that morning too and was amazed by what was in the collection, it sounds very similar right down to making the material with the codes easily accessible.
Hello Lisa! It’s cool to read about your experience in visiting a law library. I personally haven’t gone to any other types of libraries except for public and school libraries. When I read that the “old-school” attorneys prefer to actually come to the library and get hands-on with the books and the “newer” attorneys would access the books online, I thought if more and more would access the books online rather than actually going to the library in the near future…
Lisa, I appreciated your visit of your local law library. You are fortunate that there is actual staff in the library to assist you. I would think those that use the library are, as you said, those that represent themselves. I am sure there are many “old school” attorneys who prefer to use the actual books and available documents within the library. In my area, there is one law library in downtown Lynchburg, but it located in the public library which is closed for renovations. The nearest one is Roanoke. In this case, the online option would have to suffice and patrons would need to navigate online. Having in person access with a staffed space with personnel who are knowledgeable, may be invaluable to those who need assistance in representing themselves. It sounds like the librarian you met with was very knowledgeable.
As a former attorney, I wanted to use Norfolk’s law library as my special library, but I remembered that I couldn’t bring a cell phone into building to take pictures. It’s great that Virginia Beach’s law library provided you with a brochure. Having a fully staffed law library is important for the general public to perform research and find legal forms for pro se pleadings. I had to chuckle when I read about the librarian using legal jargon and inquiring whether you were planning to be a law librarian. The collections and materials have their own special language.