What if everyone in BC had easy access to legal information and resources? That’s the vision of Courthouse Libraries BC, a public law library with impressive legal research expertise that uses creative ways to make their resources more accessible to everyone in the province.

CLBC is a non-profit organization serving the public and the legal community through a blend of in-person and online services. It maintains an up-to-date collection of print and digital materials, shares plain language legal information on its Clicklaw website, and its law librarians offer accredited training and outreach programs for legal professionals and the public.

Now winding up its 50th anniversary year, CLBC has been celebrating all the ways it helps British Columbians to do their own legal research.

Help for everyone 

Anyone can get help from skilled library staff in CLBC’s 30 physical locations in courthouses around the province. All branches have public computers with access to the internet and legal databases. Everyone is welcome during hours when the locations are staffed (check locations for hours).  

Can’t make it to your local courthouse library? Visit the CLBC website from anywhere in the province to request documents. Its librarians can also help you find the documents you need or kick-start your legal research. While most CLBC services are free, there’s a charge for photocopying, printing, and scanning. 

Or check out Clicklaw, CLBC’s practical legal information website. It can help you find answers to common legal questions, connect you to relevant legal service providers, and guide you to reliable resources from non-profit organizations, government, and lawyers in British Columbia.

You might also want to try your local public library. CLBC’s LawMatters program works with every public library in BC to help them develop and maintain a collection of legal resources for the public.

Support for legal professionals

In addition to help from librarians in BC courthouse libraries, CLBC offers online services for lawyers and other legal professionals that include:

• Training sessions for continuing professional development
• Guides to legislation
• Remote access to subscription databases, where lawyers, articling students, and notaries can access e-books, journals, case reporters, and more from their home or office

Law Society of BC members with a CLBC library card also have after-hours access to many courthouse libraries and can even order books by mail at no extra cost through the “Book in a Box” service.

Other training

CLBC offers training to public librarians, students, and organizations that help people with legal problems. Its website includes an online legal research course anyone can take. And it presents webinars on a variety of interesting topics, many of which qualify for CPD (Continuing Professional Development) credits for lawyers that anyone interested can also attend. 

See for yourself

British Columbians are fortunate to have the all the services CLBC offers. They range from a librarian at a local courthouse to webinars, and from legal databases to Clicklaw’s understandable legal information. Pay a visit to your courthouse library, your local public library, or go online to learn more about what Courthouse Libraries BC can do for you.

Courthouse Libraries BC