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Pierce County Law Library gives free access to legal resources

The Pierce County Law Library teamed up with the Pierce County Public Library system to try and give people more access to legal resources.

People who visit the Lakewood Pierce County Library now have a new way to access free legal resources thanks to a partnership between the Pierce County Law Library and the Pierce County Library system.

A new law library kiosk recently opened on the second floor of the Lakewood Pierce County Library, located at 6300 Wildaire Rd SW. The kiosk offers free access to print and electronic resources like reference materials and self-help law guides designed for Washington state.

Ame Watterson is a Law Library Branch Services liaison who is on staff to offer assistance. She said most libraries don’t carry law books like the ones found at the kiosk.

"These are usually reserved for law libraries," she said.

The resources can help people who don’t have an attorney or are trying to represent themselves in court. Tonya Irons was at the law library kiosk on Monday using the resources. 

"Sometimes we don't know everything going on with legal matters. The law is very complex," said Irons.

The goal of the kiosk is the give residents more access to justice.

"I can't tell [Irons] what to do because that's against the law," said Watterson. "But I can guide her to help and to reading materials so that she can help herself."

Residents can use the law library whenever the Lakewood Library is open. You can also book an appointment with a law librarian for research assistance by calling 253-798-2691.

"I actually went to Walgreens of all places, and there was somebody behind the counter, and she said: ‘You helped me. You helped me. I went to the law library, and you helped me,’” Watterson said. “I said, ‘thank you very much. I appreciate that.’”

The kiosk inside the Lakewood Library is the second to open at a Pierce County Library. The first kiosk opened last year at the Gig Harbor Pierce County Library, located at 4424 Point Fosdick Dr. NW.  

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