Berks County Law LibraryThe Law Library is a department of the 23rd Judicial District Court of Common Pleas and is under the supervision of the Board of Judges and the District Court Administrator. The Library serves the Judges, County personnel, and members of the bar. It also functions as an informational resource for the public.  The Law Library is staffed by librarians who are able to provide reference assistance, but not legal advice, to patrons.

History

The Law Library has been in operation since 1859 when it was incorporated by a group of local attorneys as the Berks County Law Library. For many years it was managed by a committee of the Berks County Bar Association with an attorney serving as a part-time librarian. The 1859 charter indicated its purpose was to "establish and perpetuate a Law and Miscellaneous Library for the use of the Judges of the Court, the Members of the Bar, and the Commissioners of Berks County."

In 1978, the Pennsylvania Judicial Code mandated that each county support a law library and that it be open to the public (42 Pa.C.S.A. Section 3724). The Law Library now maintains a book collection of over 20,000 volumes providing current federal and Pennsylvania statutes, case law and regulatory law as well as various treatises in specific subject areas. Access to online databases greatly enhances the Law Library's resources.