*This plan is no longer current*

Introduction

The Contra Costa County Public Law Library is governed by a seven-member board of trustees. At the present time, the library includes a main branch in the county seat of Martinez, in accordance with Section 6340 of the California Business and Professions Code, and a satellite branch in Richmond (B&P §6341). Both libraries are open Monday through Friday, except for holidays. The Martinez facility is open from 8:00 - 5:00, and Richmond is open from 8:00 - 4:30. Martinez remains open all day, while Richmond closes between
12:00 - 12:30. Plans are underway to add a new branch of the library within the new Pittsburg courthouse
in 2010 (B&P §6341). This will extend service to the east county area.

The law library is very much a public library. There are several distinct user groups: the general public, many of whom are representing themselves in a legal action; the legal community including judges, commissioners and attorneys and their staffs; and students. Each group can be said to have unique legal information needs.

Executive Summary

The need for a new strategic plan grew out of the expiration of the previous strategic plan of the Contra Costa County Public Law Library (2005-2008). After hiring a library director in 2008, the Board of Trustees worked with staff to develop a strategic plan to be used as a framework for guiding the activities and decisions of the organization during the next three years.

The following statements of the library’s vision and mission, the goals of the plan, are summarized. After the summary, the goals are explained more in depth and the strategies needed to achieve these goals are defined. In some instances, the strategies overlap because they serve more than one goal.

Vision

The vision of the Contra Costa County Public Law Library, is to be a significant legal information resource center committed to excellent service. The Contra Costa County Public Law Library strives to provide an environment that is conducive to learning and research.

The strategic plan during the next three years, will be rooted in priorities which fall into the categories of access, service, collaboration and training.

Mission

It is the mission of the Contra Costa County Public Law Library to render the highest quality of service to judicial officers, members of the bar, members of the public, and the community by providing a current, balanced collection of materials and resources along with trained staff dedicated to assisting users in
meeting their legal information needs.

Goals

1. Provide free access to legal information throughout the county, and work with the courts, government, public libraries, educational institutions and the community, to expand services to all users groups.
2. Provide a relevant, integrated, balanced collection of material, in a variety of formats designed to meet the needs of all user groups, and provide trained staff to assist users in accessing and using the material.
3. Ensure adequate infrastructure, within the library, including providing and maintaining reliable, up-to-date technology to meet the diverse needs of library staff and library users.
4. Develop and implement specific collections, programs and services designed to meet the needs of self-represented litigants.
5. Strengthen community awareness of the role and value of the law library.
6. Work with the courts, government, public libraries, educational institutions and the community to expand services to all user groups.
7. Design and implement a program to expand library services to prospective users who have difficulty accessing the library within weekday hours.
   
8. Work with public libraries throughout the county to make certain that all libraries are equipped to provide basic legal reference and research assistance to users.
9. Ensure long-term funding for the county law library system.
   
   

Strategies

1. Provide free access to legal information throughout the county, and work with the courts, government, public libraries, educational institutions and the community to expand services to all users groups.

Strategy: Design and implement a program to expand library services to prospective users who have difficulty accessing the library within weekday hours.

Strategy: Work with the court and county agencies (Virtual Self Help Office, Family Law Facilitator, Small Claims Advisor, etc.), to design a legal information services workshop for non-law librarians.

Strategy: Work with public libraries and the court, to present a legal information services workshop to public library staff throughout the county, and distribute the material electronically to public libraries throughout the state.

Strategy: Work with the courts, government, libraries, educational institutions and the community to expand services to all user groups.


2. Provide a relevant, integrated, balanced collection of material in a variety of formats designed to meet the needs of all user groups, and provide trained staff to assist users in accessing and using the material.

Strategy: Make available publications geared towards all user groups including legal professionals as well as the general public.

Strategy: Supply legal material in a variety of formats.

Strategy: Wherever possible, furnish bilingual legal information.

Strategy: Engage in ongoing collection assessment to provide a collection of the highest possible quality and to maximize the portion of the budget allocated to library materials.

Strategy: Review the library’s standing orders twice during the year to identify changes which need to be made.

Strategy: Work with vendors and publishers to maximize the library’s materials budget so as to ensure balance, quality and relevance within the collection.

Strategy: Assess staff training needs on a regular basis and arrange for appropriate training.

Strategy: Make relevant Internet legal research resources available to library users in all public libraries throughout the county, including all branches of the county law library and the general public libraries throughout the county.

3. Ensure adequate infrastructure within the library, including providing and maintaining reliable, up-to-date technology to meet the diverse needs of library staff the library users.

Strategy: Replace all staff and public library computer equipment with new units in 2009.

Strategy: Select and implement computer equipment designed to meet the specialized needs of the Pittsburg branch.

Strategy: Evaluate existing security systems and determine an overall security plan to address the needs of the main library and the Richmond and Pittsburg branches in 2009-2010.

Strategy: Evaluate shelving needs at the two existing locations and plan for shelving to meet the specialized needs at the new Pittsburg branch.

Strategy: Arrange for staff to receive appropriate training to ensure familiarity with the ever changing technology.

4. Develop and implement specific collections, programs and services designed to meet the needs of self-represented litigants

Strategy: Work with the court to design a legal information services workshop for non-law librarians to be presented live to public library staff throughout the county and distributed electronically to public libraries throughout the state.

Strategy: Work with public libraries within the county to increase training, resources, and services in the area of legal information.

Strategy: Review the library’s standing orders twice during the year to make certain library collections have adequate material for the general public.

Strategy: Work with the local bar association to establish a Lawyer in the Library program in the Martinez branch.

5. Strengthen community awareness of the role and value of the law library

Strategy: Develop and implement a specific marketing and outreach plan designed to create increased awareness of the county law library and its services and resources.

Strategy: Make contact with community organizations to increase visibility of the law library and assess community needs.

Strategy: Identify specific target groups to be the focus of library outreach.

6. Work with the courts, government, public libraries, educational institutions and the community to expand services to all user groups.

Strategy: Work with public libraries within the county to increase training, resources, and services in the area of legal information.

Strategy: Work with the court to design a legal information services workshop for non-law librarians to be presented live to public library staff throughout the county and distributed electronically to public libraries throughout the state.

Strategy: Work with the court to assess the information needs of bench officers and to determine if the needs are being met by the law library.

Strategy: Host a function for Contra Costa County bench officers to increase awareness of the library's services and resources and to encourage feedback about the library needs of bench members and their staffs.

7. Design and implement a program to expand library services to prospective users who have difficulty accessing the library within weekday hours.

Strategy: Work with public libraries in the county to train library staff in assisting users with basic legal research.

Strategy: Create a brochure of Internet-based legal information sources which will enable library users to access legal information outside the law library via computer on a 24 hour/7days a week basis. Distribute the brochure to all public libraries throughout the county.

Strategy: Create pathfinders to assist users in locating information in the library quickly.

Strategy: Conduct appropriate outreach so as to familiarize prospective library users with the library and the various methods of accessing legal information.

8. Work with public libraries throughout the county to make certain that all libraries are equipped to provide basic legal reference and research assistance to users.

Strategy: Assist public libraries with training of staff.

Strategy: Offer assistance to public libraries with collection development.

Strategy: Offer assistance to public libraries with programming in the area of legal information.

9. Ensure long-term funding for the county law library system.

Strategy: Work with our CPA and actuary to fund state-mandated GASB 45.

Strategy: Develop a financial plan to fund staffing, a library collection, furnishings, supplies, materials, computer equipment and security for the Pittsburg branch.

Strategy: Review our standing orders twice during the year to identify material which is no longer relevant and can be discontinued.

Strategy: Work with vendors and publishers to maximize the library's book and online services budget and to align library collections with the needs of our users.

Strategy: Maintain an awareness of legislation and other issues affecting law library funding.

Approved by the Contra Costa County Public Law Library
Board of Trustees on February 26, 2009.
2009 - 2012