Catalyst Grant Final Report
“Books for Pro Se: Building a Do-It-Yourself Legal Collection”
Please provide a brief narrative explaining your project and its outcomes.
The Catalyst Grant funded a small collection of NOLO Press books to circulate to our public patrons. The books are unique from our legal collection in that they are written for self-represented litigants rather than lawyers, which makes them easier for the average person to understand and apply. We selected a wide variety of topics to help our patrons understand legal basics and their related court procedures, for example: getting a divorce, starting a lawsuit, or handling an estate. Since the NOLO collection circulates to the public (contrary to our legal collection which only circulates to court employees and registered attorneys), patrons can engage in legal research at their convenience rather than within the limitations of the library’s open hours, which supports the library’s mission of furthering access to justice.
What is the most remarkable accomplishment or finding of your project?
Librarian Michele Coolbeth forged a connection with OCPL to allow our patrons to return books to any library in the system, as this was one of the major roadblocks to successfully circulating to the public. Our patrons were hesitant to obligate themselves to find and pay for parking downtown simply to return a book. Instead, they can return books to their local branch library which then routes the books to Central Library where we can easily retrieve them.
How did your project differ from what you originally proposed?
Renovation in the library made display and marketing a challenge. We have had to move the books around several times and were unable to display them for lengths of time due to construction, painting, recarpeting, furniture replacement, etc. We’ve done our best to recommend the books to patrons when the subject matter seemed relevant, but the lack of easy browsability likely had a negative impact on the collections’ overall usage.
Please provide a brief summary of your evaluation activities and/or results, if available.
Our circulation statistics show that of the 43 books in the collection, there have been 30 combined uses, both in-house and check outs. Four books were returned to branch libraries and routed to us. Six books are currently checked out and overdue (we are working to notify these patrons and ensure they are aware of the option to return at other libraries).
It is entirely possible there have been more in-house uses; this is only what we’ve managed to track based on patrons physically handing the books back to us. And, while the library has the books displayed out in the open, the Help Center has had to maintain the collection behind their counter due to renovation & furniture constraints. Moving forward, we are working to make both displays more accessible and browsable.
More difficult to quantify is the casual feedback we have received from library patrons who appreciated the collection. We regularly hear about the difficulty of navigating the court system and legal procedures. Because we are librarians and not attorneys, we are extremely limited in our ability to provide guidance; we are not allowed to suggest any courses of action or remedies, but rather must simply provide the materials that allow patrons to research and make decisions on their own. This is a huge challenge when most of our legal materials are not only difficult to read, but do not circulate. The collection of NOLO books has been instrumental in bridging the access gap for court users that have no experience interpreting the law.
Erin Kovalsky
Principal Law Librarian, Onondaga County Supreme Court Law Library – 5th Judicial District
Are you interested in applying for a Catalyst Grant? Check out the grant page for the rules & requirements!