May/June 2004 issue
The Library in 2010
Recently the library
held a strategic
planning conference to
determine how we
might best serve our
users in the coming years. A representative group
of 99 judges, law clerks, unit heads and other
court staff participated either in person or by a
pre-conference interview. We received a great
deal of constructive feedback that will help us
focus our activities and resources most effectively
to meet your needs.
The following emerged as the library’s strategic
directions for the next several years:
The Library will bring information to users,
when, where and how they need it. Research is
increasingly being done on the user’s desktop. The
library will reach out to alert court staff of
relevant information that may enhance their work
and help them to cope with “information
overload” by customizing the presentation of
information in ways which meet each person’s
individual needs. Library staff will also develop
research subject expertise in areas of particular
interest to the Courts.
The Library is an integral part of court
operations, planning and management. Many
court staff are unaware of some of the services
the library is already providing, so existing
services will be more actively promoted to all
court staff. The library will also pursue a more
thorough understanding of court operations and
functions, so that we can better support chambers
and court offices. The library will serve as a
resource for all court staff.
The Library staff will use approaches to service
which recognize and promote the value of
human interaction. Court staff expressed
concern about the isolation they experience and
the need to communicate their research needs to
a “real person.” The library will seek to further
alleviate isolation by providing opportunities for
court staff to interact with each other through
educational programs and events.
The Library maintains carefully selected
resources necessary to meet users’ needs. The
library will continue to maintain collections of
books and electronic sources. Library staff will
also continue to assist judges and court units with
selection and purchase of resources for chambers
and offices, while also preserving court historical
information and materials.
You can expect to see some new services such as
news alerts, research tips, and research guides in
the coming months, while other changes will be
developed more gradually. Thank you again to all
those who participated in this planning process.
We greatly appreciate your input. We would also
welcome suggestions from all court staff on how
we can better meet your needs, both now and in
the years ahead.
Ann T. Fessenden
Circuit Librarian
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