LawMatters Celebrates 10 Years!

Happy 10th Anniversary Everyone!

LawMatters started as a 3 year project in 2007 – a decade later, we continue to offer the LawMatters program thanks to the engagement and enthusiasm of the library community!

It’s been a wonderful journey working together toward the shared goal of enhancing public access to legal information in all communities across British Columbia.

Did you know?

• Before Courthouse Libraries started the LawMatters program, Legal Services Society ran a public libraries program from 1975 – 2002
• From 1975 to 2002, and 2007 to the present day, BC was the first jurisdiction in Canada…to develop an ongoing program to help public libraries provide legal information to the public (from ‘LawMatters at your local public library’ A history of BC’s program for public legal information and education in public libraries, 2015, p. 3)
• LawMatters works with other Courthouse Libraries programs Clicklaw and Clicklaw Wikibooks
• In the past 5 years alone, LawMatters has helped BC libraries add over 5000 legal titles to their legal collections

For a full history of the program check out:  ‘LawMatters at your local public library’ A history of BC’s program for public legal information and education in public libraries.

What's next?

Check out what we were up to in 2016: LawMatters Year in Review.

LawMatters will continue to seek out opportunities to connect libraries and their communities to legal information. We will also continue to provide collection support and guidance.

In 2017, we are planning more ways to offer legal information and professional development to public library staff – stay tuned!

If you have any questions about the program, please contact the LawMatters Program Coordinator, Shannon McLeod smcleod@courthouselibrary.ca.