The Invisible Law Library: Making Legal Information Visible Through Outreach

This submission is part of a column swap with the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) bimonthly member magazine, AALL Spectrum. Published six times a year, AALL Spectrum is designed to further professional development and education within the legal information industry. Slaw and the AALL Spectrum board have agreed to hand-select several columns each year as part of this exchange. 

Maria spent three weeks searching Google for divorce forms. She reworked an old petition a relative had filed 15 years ago and later paid for updated forms online that were actually available for free elsewhere. By the time she walked into our law library—after learning from the judge that her forms would not work—she had already spent money, lost valuable time, and felt overwhelmed by the process. She had

never heard of the law library until the bailiff referred her to us. This isn’t unusual, but why does it keep happening?

The Invisible Law Library

When people hear “library outreach,” they may think of pop-up storytimes and bookmobiles operated by public libraries. Because outreach has long been considered a cornerstone of public librarianship, it can sometimes feel as though it

is reserved for traditional public libraries. Public law libraries, in turn, may seem left out of that conversation entirely. Given their specialized nature, many public law libraries may not consider outreach to be part of their mission at all. Yet, thinking about patrons like Maria, I would argue that outreach should not be viewed as an initiative reserved for public libraries. In fact, public law libraries may need these efforts even more. In my experience as a county law librarian, one of the most pressing issues facing public law libraries is a lack of public awareness. There is a general understanding that most communities have public libraries and that most universities have their own libraries, so patrons and students alike naturally know they can turn to them for support. Public law libraries, however, are often viewed as specialized institutions that serve only attorneys, judges, and court personnel. As a result, they are assumed not to be open to the general public—or, more commonly, people simply don’t know they exist at all. I have found that one of the greatest barriers to legal information is not the intimidation and uncertainty surrounding legal processes and the law itself, but rather a lack of awareness that we exist and are open to the public we strive to serve.

A Resource Hidden in Plain Sight At our county law library, we are open to the public

and primarily serve pro se litigants. Here, we are less likely to see judges, paralegals, attorneys, or other legal professionals. Every day, people face divorce, eviction, probate, debt collection, child custody disputes, protective order needs, and much more. Many turn to the internet or generative AI and rely on untrustworthy information that is incorrect, outdated, or irrelevant to their geographic location. If only it were common knowledge that law libraries exist specifically to connect

self-represented litigants with trustworthy legal information, forms, and resources! The problem isn’t a lack of need—it’s a lack of awareness. This disconnect creates what I describe as the Invisible Law Library: an institution whose resources, expertise, and public mission remain largely unknown to the very communities it is designed to serve.

The Barriers to Being Seen

While public awareness is a central challenge, I do want to acknowledge that a law library’s decision to participate in outreach initiatives may be significantly constrained by practical and structural limitations. Staffing shortages often mean that a library must prioritize core services over expansive community programming, while limited funding can restrict everything from marketing efforts to technology and transportation for off-site events. Local politics and county policies may shape what types of outreach initiatives are permitted or supported, and legal boundaries, such as confidentiality rules, can further narrow what librarians are able to offer. Because every law library operates within its own unique mix of administrative structures, budgets, community expectations, and legal requirements, the scope and style of outreach can vary widely from one library to another—or may not exist at all. However, if a library has the means, declining to engage in outreach simply because it is perceived to be outside its scope is a mindset that should be challenged.

Outreach as Access to Justice

Public law libraries should reframe outreach as an essential component of their mission and, therefore, well within their scope. Our mission is to facilitate access to justice. Howard University School of Law defines access to justice as “the human right to understand and utilize the legal system to advocate for oneself and one’s interests,” and I agree wholeheartedly with this definition. The law should not be accessible only to those already equipped to understand it. As citizens operating under the same laws, it’s not only our right but also our responsibility to understand, participate in, and see ourselves reflected in the systems designed to support order and safety. Discussions on access to justice often focus on legal representation, court procedures, financial barriers, and language barriers. While these issues are undeniably important, there is another barrier that perhaps receives less attention: people cannot use services they don’t know exist. Texas already struggles to provide equitable access to its justice system. According to Hankinson and Reasoner, the state ranks “44th in the nation in access to legal aid lawyers, with only 0.6 legal aid lawyers for every 10,000 Texans who qualify.” For law libraries, outreach isn’t about increasing attendance or promoting the institution in a way traditional marketing does. It’s about making legal information visible before a legal crisis arises.

In an ideal scenario, the public would already know the law library is a place to turn for help before they find themselves standing in a courthouse, overwhelmed and unsure where to find reliable legal information. Law libraries should embrace a preventative librarianship service model, one that is only possible through effective outreach efforts that make awareness of public law libraries commonplace. Preventive librarianship can be understood as the practice of equipping communities with trustworthy information before crises, misinformation, or other barriers prevent informed decision-making. Outreach, then, is not simply a marketing strategy but a critical mechanism for expanding access to justice—and for doing so proactively.

This is not to say that our library has tumbleweeds rolling across the carpet. On the contrary, our county law library serves an average of 150 patrons each day, and those numbers continue to grow. In 2022, we served approximately 20,000 patrons. The following year, that number increased to about 26,000 and rose again to approximately 29,000 in 2024. Police departments, county courts, and other government agencies regularly refer individuals to us when they are unable to answer legal questions. Even so, it would be ideal if awareness that legal information is available at the public law library were as automatic as knowing the latest bestselling novel can be found at the local public library.

Meeting Communities Where They Are

Rather than waiting for referrals—which can create unnecessary barriers to information and, by extension, access to justice—public law libraries should strive to become part of the public consciousness. Law library outreach does not need to resemble the events and programming offered by public libraries. Instead, it can focus on legal literacy: workshops held at public libraries explaining the difference between protective orders and restraining orders; presentations at senior centers covering wills, trusts, and the probate process; or community center programs introducing attendees to legal research and reliable legal resources. These programs would not provide legal advice, but they would empower community members to better understand and confidently navigate legal processes. Outreach isn’t about telling people what they should do in a given situation. Rather, it’s about teaching them how to find trustworthy legal information, forms, and resources while remaining within our professional role as librarians—not attorneys. By meeting people where they already are—public libraries, community centers, senior centers, and other familiar spaces—law libraries can introduce not only resources that may later become invaluable, but also themselves as trusted centers of legal information, positioning the library as a natural first stop when people need reliable legal information.

Redefining the Role of the Law Library

At our county law library, we have welcomed collaborations that have allowed us to present “proactive retirement planning” workshops to senior citizens. Aside from being incredibly attentive and engaged, our audience was also surprisingly grateful that we came to teach them about wills, trusts, powers of attorney, how to avoid probate, and more. None of our attendees knew we existed prior to the presentation, but all were eager to obtain our information and resources afterward.

In addition, we are working to establish a partnership with our local city public libraries. People with questions about legal processes often know that libraries are an option for finding information and will typically turn to their city public library first. Public librarians may be able to direct patrons to select databases and free online resources, but they will likely not have the specialized legal collections, expensive legal databases, or familiarity with legal research and forms that law librarians do. We can complement their services by providing workshops and referrals that benefit both institutions: public libraries gain specialized expertise, and law libraries become more visible in their communities. Most importantly, patrons gain confidence in navigating legal situations that might otherwise leave them overwhelmed, frustrated, and stressed.

Law libraries interested in following suit should reach out to community hubs in their area. This can include public libraries, community colleges, community centers, senior centers, civic groups, nonprofit organizations, and pro bono or low-cost legal assistance organizations.

As libraries continue to redefine their place within their communities, law libraries have an opportunity to move beyond the walls of the courthouse and into the broader community, including places where legal questions often first arise. When patrons like Maria walk into our libraries, they shouldn’t be arriving as a last resort, but as a familiar resource they have known all along. By stepping into our communities with purpose and clarity, law libraries can ensure that legal information is not just available but also visible, trusted, and genuinely accessible.

Outreach isn’t just marketing; it is education, collaboration, and another pathway toward access to justice. It represents a proactive service model that reduces informational barriers and increases access to justice long before patrons reach the courthouse. For law libraries, that may make outreach one of the most important services we provide.

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Amarainie Marquez, Law Librarian
Dell DeHay Law Library, Tarrant County
Fort Worth, Texas