A colleague and I were walking out the door of the courthouse at 5:30 p.m. We had to respond to a point of law first thing in the morning, and had a long way back to the office and a lot of research to do. I suggested saving time by using the Harris County Law Library, which was just a couple of blocks away. The possibility had not even entered my colleague's mind. A few minutes later he found comfort in the library's quiet, spacious interior, and was impressed by the pleasant staff member who helped us find the books that we needed. By 7:30 p.m., we had thoroughly briefed the matter, copied the pertinent cases on one of several available copy machines, and were ready to argue the matter in court.

My colleague was surprised at how much the library had to offer, but I am used to it. In fact, I often schedule my research to coincide with court appearances so that I can take advantage of the library. I have found, however, that many Houston lawyers are unaware of the wealth of research material funded by Harris County that is available there.

The library was originally established by the Houston Bar Association to help lawyers for whom the expense of law books was a strain. The county-operated library has now grown to over 100,000 volumes. The HBA's County Law Library Committee, which dates back to 1870, reviews the facilities and materials, and makes recommendations to the HBA board on how the HBA can serve the library.

The Harris County Law Library is designed to be a working library, so it has a constantly updated collection of State Bar CLE material, as well as law reviews, law journals, treatises, and loose leaf materials. In addition to having one of the finest collections of printed research material in Harris County, the library provides access to various electronic research materials.

The library is located on the top floor of the Jury Assembly Building at 1019 Congress, which makes it perfect for research for lawyers on a tight schedule during trial or those who just want to do legal analysis in a relaxed environment.

Aside from the pleasures of using real books, the library provides something that cannot be matched by online research - the human element. The well-trained and dedicated staff is always available to help lawyers and others find the right treatise on a legal topic or set of books with needed forms.

Though originally designed for lawyers, the library is also available to the general public. It is open weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. More information about the library's collection is available at http://www.co.harris.tx.us/law/.
To really get a feel for it, stop by the library next time you are at the Harris County courthouse complex. The staff will be happy to show you around.

Stanley P. Santire practices law in Houston and is a member of the HBA County Law Library Committee and the HBA CLE Committee.