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Queens County Clerk's Office

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    In General

    Access to the Supreme Court Library of Queens County is open to:

    1. Judges of the NYS Unified Court System and their law clerks.
    2. Supreme Court nonjudicial employees, administrators and staff.
    3. Nonjudicial employees of all courts within the NYS Unified Court System.
    4. Members of the Bar.
    5. Pro Se litigants.
    6. Students.
    7. Federal, state and local government employees.
    8. Members of the general public who have a need to do legal research and who conduct themselves in the library with the same decorum as is required in all parts and courtrooms of the Supreme Court.

    Information Guidelines

    1. Explain court rules and procedures
    2. Explain options available to litigants
    3. Provide information about past rulings in a case
    4. Provide cites (or copies) of statutes, court rules and ordinances
    5. Explain public court operations and roles of court personnel
    6. Explain what records are kept by the court and can be made available to the public
    7. Provide public case information
    8. Explain how and where to file a complaint concerning a judge, court employee or private attorney
    9. Provide general referrals to other offices or persons
    10. Provide forms and instructions, and, in appropriate circumstances, enter the information provided by litigants on the form
    1. Suggest which of several available procedures a litigant should follow
    2. Provide opinions as to which option to choose
    3. Predict what the court will do
    4. Provide an analysis or interpretation of statutes or ordinances based om the specific facts of a litigant's case
    5. Provide information derived from the decision-making process
    6. Provide access to court records that are sealed or made confidential by law
    7. Provide confidential case information
    8. Provide opinions about the conduct of a judge, court employee or private attorney
    9. Provide referrals to other offices or persons based upon personal preference
    10. Provide or suggest the information that should be entered on the forms

    Circulation Policy

    The Queens Supreme Court Library is a non-lending library. However, Judges and authorized non-judicial personnel of the Queens Supreme Court may borrow items. All items borrowed must be properly checked out. Check out procedures require the borrower to photocopy the title page of each item borrowed and to print the borrower's name, date of loan, and office phone extension on each photocopied title page.

    Books are to be reshelved by the user. Failure to reshelve may result in a loss of library privileges. Reading room materials should be reshelved when you are finished with them. Reserve books should be returned to the Reserve Desk. The accumulating of books on a library table with instructions not to reshelve them is not acceptable. The library collection is a shared resource.

    Code of Patron Conduct

    1. Library patrons should conduct themselves at all times in a manner which does not hinder other patrons or staff members from being able to carry on their work.
    2. Quiet should be maintained in all reading areas. Patrons who need to converse should do so out of the library in the hallway .
    3. Smoking is prohibited in the library and in any part of the Queens General Courthouse.
    4. No food or beverages including water are allowed in the library.
    5. Cellular phones are not to be used in the library.
    6. Briefcases are to be kept on the floor and not on the glass tabletops.
    7. Library patrons should conduct all reading, study and research at the tables provided and not at the reference desk, circulation desk, or on the floor.
    8. Walkways and aisles must be kept clear. They cannot be obstructed by books, large packages, or personal effects.
    9. Portable computers/typewriters equipped with quiet keyboards may be used in the library.
    10. Library patrons should reshelve their books.
    11. The library staff reshelves all library materials that have been left out and are not currently being used.
    12. Library patrons must allow library staff or other patrons access to library materials and equipment.
    13. Sleeping is prohibited in the library
    14. Generally, children may not accompany adults who wish to consult or use law library legal reference materials or computerized databases .
    15. Posting or distributing any printed materials is prohibited
    16. Soliciting, begging for money or attempting to sell any items within the library is prohibited.
    17. Suspicious, disruptive or illegal behavior will be reported to the Court Officer.
    18. Anyone failing to observe one or more of these rules may be asked to leave.

    Interlibrary Loans

    The Law Library is a member of the SUNY/OCLC network and has the capacity to acquire via an electronic ILL subsystem almost any publication in the collection of network member libraries. Interlibrary loan transactions will be performed by library staff only at the request of a Judge of the NYS Unified Court System and or a nonjudicial employee of the Unified Court System. The library's membership in SUNY/OCLC permits library staff to locate via computer virtually any legal publication ever published either current or archival in the English language and direct the library user to the library or institution that holds the publication in its collection.

    Identification of UCS employees unknown to the library staff may be requested. Court employees must have a currently valid UCS ID card in order to borrow materials from the Library. Attorneys who are not UCS employees are not permitted to borrow items from the library unless they have a written note from a Judge of the Unified Court System, also non-UCS employees may be asked to present their OCA issued ID cards or a business card and driver's license, in addition to the aforementioned note before borrowing any item from the law library.

    Reading Areas

    Reading Tables: Reading tables with four chairs per table are located throughout the library. Tables are for the use of all patrons and may not be reserved. No personal materials (including books, notes and pens) should be left unattended. Any personal materials found on or near the tables will be placed with courthouse security and in the lost and found in the security office. Books left on an unoccupied table will be reshelved by the library staff.

    Electronic Resources

    The Law Library provides internet access at four computer terminals including access to Lexis. In addition, there are two terminals dedicated to the unified court system's "CourtHelp" website. CourtHelp provides free access to frequently-used forms and answers to frequently-asked questions about New York law and legal procedure.

    The policy for using the computers is on a first come first served basis. At the discretion of the librarian patron use of computers may be limited to half-hour segments. Patrons must see the librarian before using the computer terminals. Library patrons may not insert devices , e.g., jump/flash drives into the USB ports of any library computer. Library patrons may not access the CD/DVD drives of any library PC.

    Cellular Phones

    Cellular phones may not be used in the library reading rooms. Cell phones may only be used in the public hallways and corridors. If you receive a call while in the library, please move to a corridor immediately so as not to disturb other library patrons.

    Microfilm/Microfiche Machines

    Please see the librarian before using the reader/printer.

    Fire Alarms

    Fire alarm drills are periodically performed. You must leave the library during a fire alarm. Fire exits are located on all floors of the Library. If a fire alarm goes off, you must leave the Library immediately. Do not use the elevator. Do not return to the Library until instructed to do so.