Personal service at its best

Have you ever heard about the Michelin Restaurant Guide.  If you're looking for high-end cuisine, this is the guide for you.  These guys list THE best places to eat in the world handing out 3 stars to only the top of the top of the creme de la creme.  Personally, I've eaten at a one star restaurant and I have to say, it was pretty impressive - each course was par excellence, the service exquisite, and my water glass was never less than 3/4 full.  I mean, these guys were really on their toes!

It got me to thinking about the service law Librarians provide.  Thing is, if there was a rating service on the service librarians provide, three stars would not be difficult to achieve what with the personal service we give every patron who walks through our door!

A typical "well-rounded" legal research project might include some primary authorities (i.e. cases/codes), and a few secondary authorities (i.e. anything not primary) to help put things in context.

So, for instance, say John Doe comes into my library needing help drafting a complaint for a personal injury action.  Knowing my collection as I do, I would suggest he examine many different resources such as:

California Specific Resources

• West's Annotated California Civil Code  (West)
• California Forms of Pleading and Practice (Lexis)
• California Civil Procedure Before Trial (CEB)
• California Jurisprudence, 3rd (West)
• Judicial Council of California Civil Jury Instructions (Lexis)

General Resources

• Causes of Action (West)
• American Jurisprudence Pleading and Practice Forms Annotated (West)
• Attorney Textbook of Medicine (Lexis)
• Lawyers Medical Cyclopedia (Lexis)
• Stedman's Illustrated Medical Dictionary (Williams & Wilkins)

How about another one?  Say Jane Doe walks into the law library and she wants information about how to litigate a chapter 7 bankruptcy from a creditor's point of view.  Knowing my collection as I do, I would suggest she take a look at:

California Specific Resources

• Deerings California Civil Code Annotated (Lexis)
• California Practice Guide: Bankruptcy (West)
• California Real Estate Bankruptcies: Law and Litigation (CEB)
• California Forms of Pleading and Practice (Lexis)
• California Points and Authorities (Lexis)

General Resources

• Collier on Bankruptcy (Lexis)
• Financial Handbook for Bankruptcy Professionals (West)
• Norton Bankruptcy Law and Practice (West)
• Strategies for Creditors in Bankruptcy Proceedings (Aspen)
• Creditors' Rights in Bankruptcy (West)

I could go on and on about the awesome personal services law Librarians provide but why not take a spin yourself.  Yeah, that's the ticket.  Head on over to your local county law library and see if the service isn't 3-star worthy!