Guidelines
for Boards of Trustees
on the Care and Operation of Law Libraries
Article 21
of the Judiciary Law provides for a designated Court Law Library
in each county of the State that is open to the public. Court
Law Libraries are under the care and management of the Chief
Administrative Judge, who appoints members of Boards of Trustees
for the libraries to two-year terms of service.
The following
guidelines have been developed to provide the Administrative
Judges, who have been delegated the authority for the operation
of the libraries, and the Boards of Trustees with broad parameters
for library management.
I. Structure
The Administrative
Judge is responsible, on behalf of the Chief Administrative
Judge, for the care and management of the Court Law Libraries
within the Administrative Judge's jurisdiction.
The Court
Law Library Boards of Trustees, whose members serve for terms
of two years, provide assistance to the Administrative Judges
on issues relating to the operation of the libraries. The Boards
of Trustees will be assisted by the court law librarian (or
senior court law library staff), who shall serve as an ex officio
member and Secretary to the Board of Trustees.
The Board
of Trustees shall report annually to the Chief Administrative
Judge on the state of the library. The first report shall be
submitted by June 1, 1994 and subsequent reports shall be submitted
annually thereafter.
II. Mission
The mission
of the Unified Court System law libraries, adopted in 1982,
is as follows:
The primary mission of the law
libraries in the Unified Court System is to contribute professional
library services to the process of providing just and timely
resolution of all matters before the courts. In order to fulfill
this mission, timely, adequate, accessible and effective resources
are provided in-an efficient, cost-effective manner. Library
staff manage, acquire, evaluate, store, distribute, and clarify
information deemed appropriate to the mission of the library
(print and non- print format).
The Boards
of Trustees of the Court Law Libraries shall advise the Administrative
Judges with regard to ensuring the continued fulfillment of
this mission and to implementing the provisions of Article
81 of the Judiciary Law relating to public access to the designated
Court Law Libraries and, in locations without court libraries,
the designation of Court Law Libraries for public use.
The Boards
of Trustees also shall assist the Administrative Judges in
developing local access guidelines for each court law library
reflecting court operations and the resources and facilities
available for library service as well as the needs of the public.
Finally, the
Boards of Trustees shall assist the Administrative Judges on
Court Law Library management, as requested by the Administrative
Judge.
III. Court Law Library
Management
The following
areas are appropriate for consideration by the Boards of Trustees
in assisting the Administrative Judges in maintaining and operating
the court law libraries.
Access - Access
to court law libraries should be defined by facilities and
resources in existence in each location. Libraries are to be
open to the public when library personnel are available to
monitor the library. Hours should be posted and communicated
to the local Bar and the local library community. Arrangements
may be made for reference referrals from local public and academic
libraries.
Some libraries
may wish to arrange for access by prior appointment to assure
appropriate library assistance. Public access might be available
through telephone or fax inquiries if the library has adequate
phones or a fax line and need not necessarily be by direct
physical access. The court law libraries space is to be used
for library related research. Real Estate closings, client
meetings and other routine legal mattes should be conducted
in other locations.
Circulation
- Law libraries generally do not have large circulating collections.
However, for the existing circulating collections, policies
and procedures must be established. Materials should circulate
for a pre-determined period of time and be subject to recall
by another patron after 24 hours. Overdue collection policies
and processes should be established.
Collections
- Trustees are encouraged to become familiar with the library
collection and assist in the articulation of the Collection
Development Policy.
Communication
- Administrative Judges and the Boards should develop and implement
a mechanism to communicate library issues and services to the
local legal, court and general community.
Facilities
- Questions and issues in regard to the facilities should be
reviewed by the Administrative Judge and Board. In some counties,
the first task of the Administrative Judge and the Board will
be to help identify a location for the library.
Security -
All items in the library are to be identified as circulating
or non-circulating materials. Non-circulating materials are
not to be removed from the library. Boards should work with
local court security staff to make arrangements for appropriate
checks of briefcases and other containers to deter library
theft. Libraries should have a coin operated copier to deter
theft. There should be no after hour access to the law library.
Courthouse
security regulations control access to the library. Library
staff must be able to contact Security for emergencies.
COUNTY: QUEENS
NYS Supreme Court Law Library
88-11 Sutphin Blvd.
Room 65
Jamaica, NY 11435
and
NYS Supreme Court Law Library
Kew Gardens
125-01 Queens Blvd.
Room 722
Kew Gardens, NY 11415
Hon. David Elliot
Supreme Court Queens County
88-11 Sutphin Blvd.
Jamaica, NY 11435
Hon. Leroy G. Comrie, Jr.
The Council of the City of New York
District 27
250 Broadway, 18th Floor
New York, NY 10007
Catherine Glover, Esq.
c/o Queens County Bar Association
90-35 148th Street
Jamaica, NY 11435
Zenith Taylor, Esq.
118-35 Queens Blvd.
Forest Hills, NY 11375
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