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Thurston County law library offers free Westlaw access, tutorials and librarian help for patrons
Summary
Library staff said the law library now provides free access to Westlaw at public workstations, with on-site how-to guides, video tutorials and librarian assistance when available to support self-represented litigants.
Thurston County law library staff said the library now offers free access to the Westlaw legal-research service at a public workstation, along with instructional materials and optional one-on-one help from a law librarian.
A library staff member said patrons who already have general internet access can still benefit because Westlaw focuses on Washington-specific law and consolidates organized legal sources. “Most people have access to the Internet and can do searches from home or the public library and find a lot of stuff that's not really organized. But the benefit of having access to Westlaw without any cost is that you can really focus in on the law specific to Washington state,” the staff member said.
The staff member said the workstation is intended for a variety of purposes and highlighted the library’s goal of supporting people who represent themselves in court. “Patrons can use the workstations for a lot of purposes. 1 of the ones we're most excited is that we're able to offer Westlaw legal research, which is a paid service. It can be cost prohibitive, certainly for individuals and attorneys,” the staff member said.
Library staff described accessible help materials alongside the workstation. “To do basic legal research, you can get started pretty quickly. They have some great video tutorials. There's a how to guide that's located next to the workstation. And when available, the law librarian can meet you at the workstation,” the staff member said.
The law library board expressed enthusiasm for the resource as a tool for self-represented litigants and other patrons who need focused legal information. The library did not specify hours of availability, eligibility limits for the workstation, or any funding details for the Westlaw subscription during the remarks.
Patrons interested in using the workstation should consult the on-site how-to guide or ask for a law librarian when they visit; the staff member noted librarian assistance is available when staffing permits.
