| The purpose of this study is to identify the problems encountered by public librarians who assist library users with legal information needs and to offer possible solutions to resolve these problems. The literature suggests major areas of concern which need attention to improve general legal reference service, including legal collections, legal education, referral, and unauthorized practice of law. A survey method was employed to evaluate the current state of affairs of legal reference service in public libraries. The goal was to determine whether the problems indicated in the literature review continue to exist today and to identify new problems not covered in the literature. Survey results confirmed that public librarians continue to experience many problems when receiving legal queries. Several recommendations were presented to improve overall legal reference service in public libraries. Suggestions for future research are provided. |
