Delivering Find Legal Answers

Last updated:  26 September 2024

Find Legal Answers is a free legal information service for the people of NSW. It is a partnership between the State Library of NSW and NSW public libraries.    

The Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC) was established in 1990 by an agreement between the Law & Justice Foundation of NSW and the State Library of NSW to provide access to information about the law for the NSW community. The service was expanded to include NSW public libraries in 1991. LIAC became Find Legal Answers in 2014. The service is unique to NSW.

This is such a valuable resource to our community.

It's a worthy service and well utilised.

We are proud to continue our agreement with the State Library in providing quality legal information for the community. 

 

Anyone visiting a public library may need legal information - they may be having a problem with their rental home, going through a divorce, have a traffic fine they can't pay or are trying to negotiate a new fence with their neighbours.  

Even if they never ask you a question about the law, libraries can help people with their legal information needs by providing the Find Legal Answers collections and website, and by providing community legal education programs.

The State Library provides quality legal information to NSW public libraries via standard legal collections, the Find Legal Answers website, promotional material, and legal education campaigns. The Library also provides professional development courses which build the skills, knowledge and confidence of public library staff to meet the legal information needs of their communities.

Find Legal Answers agreement

Most libraries in NSW have signed an agreement which sets out the requirements of libraries and the State Library to provide the Find Legal Answers service.  

Under the terms of the agreement, the State Library agrees to provide:

  • two free copies of new and updated Tool Kit titles to each library service
  • collection updates
  • promotional material and campaigns
  • staff training programs.

Libraries that have signed the agreement agree to:

  • purchase extra copies of the Tool Kit for their library branches
  • purchase one set of the Law Books for Libraries collection
  • nominate one or two staff members to be Find Legal Answers contacts
  • ensure their library staff have completed training
  • promote the collections and service.

Library contacts

All library services should appoint one or two staff members to be the Find Legal Answers service contact.

These staff members are added to the Find Legal Answers email list to receive information about collection updates, training, promotional campaigns and other news.  

Anyone from a NSW library service can join this list. As well as your library’s Find Legal Answers contact, we encourage staff involved in collection management and programming to subscribe. 

Library contacts will also be added to PLS enews. This monthly enewsletter includes news and information about Find Legal Answers.

Law collections

There are two Find Legal Answers collections in public libraries: the Find Legal Answers Tool Kit and the Law Books for Libraries collection. We also encourage libraries to have a collection of free legal pamphlets.

Find Legal Answers Tool Kit

The Find Legal Answers Tool Kit is a collection of plain English books about the law that summarise and explain the law in simple terms. They provide strategies, sample letters and forms, procedural information, practical tips and references to cases and legislation. Library users can find answers to everyday questions about the law using these books.  

It is a standardised collection, held by every library service in NSW. The State Library sends two free copies of new Tool Kit books. These are for the main library location. We recommend that one copy is not-for-loan and is displayed in the black metal Tool Kit stand or on face-out shelving. The second set can be made available for loan.  

The libraries that have signed an agreement agree to buy extra copies of the Tool Kit titles for all their branches.    

The Tool Kit is updated twice a year. It is the responsibility of each library service to ensure that new titles are added to the collection and to remove old editions or titles.    

Law Books for Libraries

The Law Books for Libraries collections contain more complex resources, eg law text books.  

This collection is provided to help people who need more detailed information that can be found in the plain English books in the Tool Kit.  

There are two Law Books for Libraries collections: a core collection and a recommended list. All libraries that have signed an agreement should have the core collection. The recommended list is provided for those libraries that want a more extensive collection of legal materials. It is the responsibility of each library to order and pay for the Law Books for Libraries collections.

Free legal pamphlets

We encourage all libraries to have a free pamphlet collection. Pamphlets are free, contain legal information in an easy-to-read format and are often available in community languages.  

Find Legal Answers training

It is important that library staff feel confident to provide legal information to the community.  

Online training

All staff are encouraged to do the online Find Legal Answers training. This one-hour course gives you an understanding of the Find Legal Answers service, legal information, the difference between information and advice, and how to use the books in the Tool Kit. 

Training at your library

The Legal, drug and alcohol information workshop builds the capacity of public library staff to answer enquiries about the law, drugs and alcohol. It focuses on why clients need to know about the law, drugs and alcohol, where to find information, and how to deliver law, drug and alcohol information programs to the community. 

Promotion

There are lots of different ways to let your community know that they can find legal information at your library.  

You can display promotional material, place your Tool Kit in a prominent place, use social media, and partner with legal, government and community groups.

Social media

You can also promote legal information on your library’s social media. 

Law Week

NSW Law Week is a week dedicated to learning more about the law. It is held in May every year.

Law Week events help people to understand their rights, find answers to questions, know what help is available and learn how our legal system works. Libraries put on a variety of events for Law Week - from displays and legal talks to plays, mock trials, webinars, pop-up libraries and expos.

Community legal education

Community legal education helps build knowledge about people’s legal rights and responsibilities, and where they can get help if they have a legal problem.

Legal talks and other programs can be delivered at any time of the year. However, many libraries focus their programs around specific times of year, such as Law Week and the Seniors Festival. 

State Library support

State Library staff support public libraries providing Find Legal Answers to their communities by:  

  • communicating regularly via the email list and PLS enews, advising about collection updates, training, promotional campaigns and other news
  • updating the Find Legal Answers Tool Kit and Law Books for Libraries collections, and sending instructions about which resources to obtain or discard  
  • providing two copies of the Tool Kit to every library service free of charge  
  • providing a list of recommended legal pamphlets  
  • providing advice about libraries’ general legal collections  
  • providing Find Legal Answers training to public library staff  
  • providing promotional material
  • providing information to help plan Law Week events  
  • assisting with legal enquiries when required – libraries can contact us if they have an enquiry from a client and need some assistance  
  • answering any questions about the service, no matter how large or small.  

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