A Year of Upheaval, Challenge & Accomplishment By Laurie B. Miller, Library Director When the Covid pandemic closed the Pierce County Law Library, we needed to regroup, adapt and rethink how we deliver our services. As a legal resource on the first floor of the county courthouse, the Pierce County Law Library’s patrons were often pro-se litigants who were already in the courthouse looking for help. They came to our library for books, Westlaw and forms. After the library’s doors closed, those resources were no longer available but the need for legal resources continued. The pandemic exacerbated problems like domestic violence and homelessness. The need for restraining orders was never so great as in the early days of the pandemic. Nor was the need for eviction relief. This isn’t a story of crisis, but a story of rising to the moment. From the first day of our stay-at-home order, our librarians continued to provide for the legal information needs of our public. We answered telephone and email inquiries. We also redesigned our webpage to address the issues of the day.
58,790 + The number of patrons who enter our doors most years
The big change came when we cancelled the materials that could only be used inside the library - Westlaw and most print materials. Those funds were then reallocated to purchase digital materials for remote access. In 2020 the Library embraced the opportunity to provide new services:
• CLE webinars via Zoom • Self-help videos on YouTube • eBook digital library of popular legal treatises and primary materials • Other remote access materials. When our users couldn’t come to the library, our staff brought the library to them. I hope you will enjoy reading about our year of change in the following pages of this 2020 Annual Report.
Funding Crisis Funding is at a critical low as the courts and our user community struggle to resume normal activity. 2020 revenue was $276,218 below budget.
Mission Statement: As the only public law library in Pierce County, the mission of the Pierce County Law Library is to provide county-wide convenient access to current legal information including explanatory materials. The Library will provide information in print and electronic formats as are suitable for the diverse Pierce County community to use in criminal and civil litigation and for the resolution of personal and business legal matters. Our mission is also to provide trained and knowledgeable Library staff to assist patrons in meeting their legal information needs.