Clallam County panel approves LexisNexis digital-library title list and readies public terminals in Port Angeles and Forks

Clallam County committee members voted to accept a curated package of LexisNexis digital-library titles and Washington State Bar ebook titles and moved the project into the implementation phase, including configuration of public terminals in Port Angeles and Forks and remote-access setup for county employees and patrons.

The approval covers a package of LexisNexis digital-library titles and Washington State Bar materials identified during earlier meetings; the committee also noted an existing authorization for the county administrator to sign a contract for the digital-library program not to exceed $12,000. The group said an administrative fee of $5,000 under a memorandum of agreement with Knowles remains pending invoicing.

The approved package is meant to supplement other county and free legal resources and to serve both attorneys and nonattorney patrons seeking self-help legal materials. Paige, a LexisNexis representative, said the company provided a breakdown of standalone (a la carte) titles and a bundled price that includes an annual platform fee and OverDrive integration: "Correct. That is the price, for all of those titles on the Lexis Digital Library in ebook format for all of your users." Aaron, Clallam County's IT director, described the technical work under way: "We did get all the hardware... we basically created an in house, portal page." The portal will present links to the digital library, Lexis database access for in-library use, and free resources vetted by the committee.

Committee members discussed access rules and authentication. Under the plan presented by LexisNexis staff, in-library access tied to the county's IP addresses will allow unlimited simultaneous use on library terminals; remote patron access will be single-copy, one-user-at-a-time. LexisNexis staff recommended a user-login-manager option for remote authentication, where the library uploads a patron list (email addresses or library card numbers) to grant remote IDs. The group asked LexisNexis to confirm whether the library's common authentication method, EZproxy, could be used; Paige said she would check and follow up.

Library operational rules were a focal point. Karen, a library staff member, reported that the specialized legal-research terminals currently have a one-hour default session limit (renewable if no one is waiting). Committee members said that limit protects against a small number of intensive self-represented litigants monopolizing terminals, while others noted alternatives such as checking out laptops or downloading materials to continue work off-terminal.

Implementation steps described in the meeting include finalizing contract paperwork, connecting LexisNexis account credentials to the configured terminals, completing printing and session-wipe settings, conducting a soft launch and one-week pilot at the Port Angeles terminal to test time limits and printing, and then opening the Forks terminal. Aaron said the hardware is on site and that configuration and testing were expected within days of receiving final database credentials. The committee agreed to a soft public launch after internal testing and to coordinate press and promotional materials provided by LexisNexis.

The motion to accept the LexisNexis and Washington State Bar titles as the list to be included under the county contract passed by voice vote; committee members recorded no opposition during the meeting. Committee members asked staff to proceed with contract execution and technical integration and to return with a status update on implementation and authentication options.

Short-term implementation details the committee captured include the following: the county has budgeted up to $12,000 for the digital-library contract (a prior December authorization gave the administrator signing authority up to that amount), the Knowles memorandum of agreement is already executed and an administrative invoice of $5,000 is expected, in-library access will be IP-based and simultaneous, remote access will be single-user per title, and specialized terminals default to a one-hour session that may be adjusted only after policy review or board approval. The committee asked LexisNexis to confirm EZproxy options and agreed to a soft launch and subsequent public announcement once tests are complete.

The project will affect public patrons seeking legal information, county employees, and self-represented litigants who rely on public legal resources. Committee members set a tentative operational timeline to complete contracts and testing within weeks and to reconvene for an implementation check in the coming months.