Where is the Line? Legal Reference Service and the Unauthorized Practice of Law (UPL)—Some Guides That Might Help

Abstract

Scene one: In a large metro politan library, a librarian at the reference desk is ap proached by a patron. May help you? asks the li brarian. Oh, hope you can, replies the patron. I need to know what can do legally about these speeding tickets have to ap pear in court within the next few days. The librarian studies the patron for a moment. Well... Scene two: A patron in an aca demic library is reading through several reference books on how to do a patent search. He seems to become more agitated the more he reads. A librarian, noting his behavior, walks over to where he is sitting. Did you have any questions regarding the materials? she asks. Yes, replies the man sternly. I really don't have time to go through these books. Couldn't you just do the search for me? I'd gladly pay you to do this. I'm sorry, she replies just as firmly, am afraid can't we're not allowed to. Oh, see, replies the man, somewhat disappointed. Well, can you at least tell me what this definition means? know it ap plies to my invention, but can't make heads or tails of what this book is saying. She studies the book for a mo ment. Umm... Both of these incidents point out something that librarians and library staff members already know: the boundary between legal reference and legal advice always has been indistinct. Today, however, with the plethora of electronic resources now available, that line has never been more blurred. Where it was

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