Government Law Librarianship (19/16) -- Introduction to Law Librarianship

Government Law Librarianship 19 Alexander B. Burnett and Jessica Lundgren Legislative librarians serve the information needs of state legislators and legislative staff and specialize in researching and collecting the documents produced by the legislative process. Many legislative librarians also provide research to government agencies, attorneys, and the general public. The practice of legislative librarianship – facilities, resources, staff, organization, and mission – varies broadly from state to state; however, legislative librarians share the obligation of being nonpartisan employees of their institutions. This chapter will discuss the different types of legislative library services in the United States, the legislative environment in which these librarians work, and the tools and materials they work with. - Legislative librarians are law librarians that specialize in legislative and government research - Legislative librarians serve in diverse work environments - The ability of legislative librarians to participate in political activities is limited Overview of the Profession Thirty-four states have libraries or library services that are operated by the legislative branch. All but three of these libraries are staffed by at least one librarian or equivalent staff. Louisiana and Pennsylvania have two legislative libraries. Other states provide library services to legislators and legislative staff through the state library or state law library, which are organized under executive branch agencies. California and Rhode Island have library services in both the legislative and executive branches that serve the legislature. State libraries in Massachusetts, Florida, Kansas, Rhode Island, California, and Iowa are located or have branches in their state capitols. There is no typical legislative library. About two-thirds of legislative libraries serve the public. Some legislative libraries have large facilities and collections, and some occupy small, office-like spaces. Staff size ranges from twenty-five at the Texas Legislative Reference Library to one library staffer at the Tennessee Legislative Library. The size of the reference staff at most dedicated legislative libraries is between two and five people. The most specialized professional organization representing legislative librarians is the Legislative Research Librarians Professional Staff Association (LRL), one of nine staff associations of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL). LRL provides a forum for this small community through a listserv, online newsletter, meetings and conferences, and webinars. The LRL listserv is an important research tool for some legislative libraries as patrons often request multistate surveys of laws and policies on a particular topic. Each issue of the association’s newsletter asks a “Library Question” inviting members to share and compare library policies and practices. Legislative Environment There are several unique aspects of working for a state