Legal Reference Resources for Public Librarians

Welcome to the Minnesota State Law Library's Guide to Legal Reference Services for Public Librarians! This guide is intended to provide resources for public librarians who assist patrons with legal reference questions. You will find information on how to handle legal reference questions, helpful resources, and information on how our library can assist you. 

The State Law Library offers a number of resources to support public librarians handling legal reference questions. 

• Reference Support. You are welcome to contact the State Law Library reference desk on behalf of patrons with legal questions. You can also refer your patrons to us directly. 
• Training. We offer training for public librarians on legal reference, referrals, subject specific resources, and handling legal questions. We can travel to you and tailor the training to the needs of your specific branch or library system. 
• Collection Development. If you would like to make legal materials available to your patrons, but aren't sure where to start, we can advise you on suggested legal resources for your patrons. 
• Weeding. If your collection already contains legal materials, we can help you review your collection for materials that need to be weeded. 

If you would like more information about any of these resources, please contact the library at askalibrarian@courts.state.mn.us or (651) 297-7651. 

In our positions as librarians, not lawyers, we can suggest resources but cannot give legal advice (such as which form to file) or legal opinions (such as how a statute might apply to particular facts). To do so could be considered the unauthorized practice of law. Even though we try to suggest materials that will be of help, more research is often required to find a complete and correct answer. For many questions, the best answer may be to consult an attorney.