Update: The Utah State Law Library
by Jessica Van Buren
A Bit of History
The Utah State Law Library has existed in some form since the Territory of Utah was established in 1850. In fact, Congress appropriated $5000 for the library in the same enabling act that created the territory.1 The territorial librarian earned a salary of $400 per year, with an additional $150 for contingent expenses.2 We still have a few books that bear the Territorial Library property stamp.
In 1890 the state legislature broke up the library’s collection, directing books “more useful to the University library” be given to the then University of Deseret3 and retaining only the law-related books for the collection.4
With statehood in 1896, the Territorial Library became the State Library. In 1957, the legislature changed the name of the library from the State Library to the State Law Library,5 and established a new, separate, State Library.6
The State Law Library Today
The State Law Library is housed in the Matheson Courthouse in Salt Lake City. We are open to the public and serve a diverse clientele including judges, their clerks and other court staff, state government employees, attorneys, and the public.
The library’s collection is much smaller than what you’ll find at Utah’s law school libraries, but we do have all state and federal cases, all federal laws and regulations, statutes for about 30 states other than Utah, a modest journal collection, and treatises on a variety of topics. We have two collections that may be of particular interest to attorneys:
Appellate Briefs
Our collection includes Utah Supreme Court briefs back to the 1960s (older briefs are available at the State Archives) and Court of Appeals briefs from 1986.
Historical Utah Materials
Our collection of historical Utah materials includes the record of the Constitutional Convention, Laws of Utah (1851- ), House and Senate Journals (1876- ), superseded Utah Codes (1876- ), Administrative Regulations (1987- ) and Utah Court Rules (1950- ).
Library Website
www.utcourts.gov/lawlibrary/
The law library’s website provides links to state and federal legal research resources. Of special interest are the legal research guides on the following topics:
• Utah Constitution
• Utah Statutory Codes
• Utah Judicial System
• Utah Case Law, Briefs, Digests and Citators
• Utah Court Rules
• Utah Attorney General Opinions and Related Materials
These research guides provide subject overviews and bibliographic information, including citations to articles and books, where available. We have also compiled the following bibliographies:
• Utah Judge Memorials & Profiles
• Utah Legal History Articles & Books
Library Catalog
Ever wonder what books are available in the State Law Library? The library’s collection of 3800 titles and 55,000 volumes is cataloged in a searchable database which you can search from the library’s website.
When you look up something in our catalog, the record will not only tell you whether we own it and how current it is, but will also provide a link to an online version, where available.
For example, you can page through the two-volume set Official report of the proceedings and debates of the convention: assembled at Salt Lake City on the fourth day of March, 1895, to adopt a Constitution for the State of Utah in the law library, or you can read the text of those volumes on the legislature’s website, following the link from the library catalog for that title.
Document Delivery Service
Can’t get to the law library to use our collection? We offer a document delivery service where we will copy and mail, fax or email materials from our collection to anyone statewide. There are charges associated with this service which are posted on our web page.
Free Wireless
Thanks to the sponsorship of the Utah State Bar we offer free wireless access at the law library. This is the only free public wireless available in the Matheson Courthouse.
Attorney Lounge
Our attorney lounge offers attorneys a private place to make phone calls, use their computers, confer with clients or just read the paper.
Free Westlaw
The law library subscribes to Westlaw’s public access program that all library users can access at no charge. Our subscription includes all state and federal primary law, as well as a law journal database, and KeyCite, an online citator service. The only limitation
is that you cannot download to disk or email documents to yourself.
Free HeinOnline
The law library also subscribes to HeinOnline. Databases provide access to more than 900 legal journals (most back to their first volume), U.S. Reports (v.1- ), U.S. Federal Legislative History resources, the Federal Register (1936- ) and Code of Federal Regulations (1938-83), a legal classics library, and many other resources. All documents are fully searchable PDF images, which include all charts, graphs and photos appearing in the original.
Conclusion
We invite you to visit or call the State Law Library to take advantage of our services and collections.
1. An act to establish a Territorial Government for Utah, ch. 51 §14, 9 Stat. 457 (September 9, 1850)
2. Resolution appropriating money to pay the expenses of the Utah Territorial Library, Laws of Utah (December 27, 1853).
3. Now University of Utah
4. An act providing for and regulating the Utah Territorial Library, Laws of Utah, ch. 67 (1890)
5. An act ... relating to the State Library; and providing for the name to be changed to the State Law Library, Laws of Utah, ch. 67 (1957)
6. An act ... for the establishment of a State Library ..., Laws of Utah, ch. 68 (1957)