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| Texas State Law Library | |
|---|---|
| Name | Texas State Law Library |
| Country | United States |
| State | Texas |
| Established | 1839 |
| Location | Austin, Texas |
| Branch of | Texas Judicial Branch |
| Collection size | Over 500,000 volumes (print and digital) |
| Director | State Law Librarian |
Texas State Law Library The Texas State Law Library is the official law library for the state of Texas, serving judges, attorneys, legislators, state agencies, and the public. Located in Austin near the Texas Capitol, it supports legal research, statutory interpretation, case law analysis, and legislative history work for the Texas Supreme Court, Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, Texas Legislature, and statewide trial courts. The library maintains statutory collections, archival materials, and digital resources that complement repositories such as the Library of Congress, Gale Cengage, and academic law libraries at institutions like the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, Texas A&M University School of Law, and South Texas College of Law Houston.
Founded in 1839 during the era of the Republic of Texas, the library developed alongside institutions including the Texas Supreme Court of the Republic of Texas, Sam Houston’s administration, and the transition to statehood in 1845. During Reconstruction and the post‑Civil War period involving figures such as Edmund J. Davis and events like the Reconstruction Era, the library’s collections expanded with statutory compilations and case reporters such as the Texas Reports and Texas Criminal Reports. In the 20th century, under influences from legal scholars associated with the University of Texas School of Law and bar leaders from the State Bar of Texas, it adapted to changes brought by the New Deal, the Civil Rights Movement, and legislative reforms including the Texas Constitution of 1876 amendments. The library’s custodianship intersected with landmark legal controversies before the United States Supreme Court and state decisions involving entities like the Texas Rangers (law enforcement) and regulatory bodies such as the Texas Railroad Commission.
The library occupies a facility proximate to the Texas State Capitol and complements special collections held by the Baylor Law Library and the SMU Dedman School of Law Library. Its holdings include historical volumes such as early Mexican law materials, territorial statutes, colonial-era compilations connected to Spanish Texas, and archival legislative journals from sessions of the Texas Legislature. The print collection includes reporters like South Western Reporter, federal reporters including the Federal Reporter and Federal Supplement, annotated codes like the Vernon's Texas Statutes, and administrative code compilations referencing the Texas Administrative Code. Special collections document judicial biographies of figures like Tom C. Clark, Barefoot Sanders, and state jurists associated with the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals and local bar histories from groups such as the Houston Bar Association and Dallas Bar Association.
The library provides reference assistance for litigants in propriety matters such as statutory research, case Shepardizing connected to Shepard's Citations, and historical legislative intent inquiries tied to committee records of the Texas Senate and Texas House of Representatives. Outreach programs include continuing legal education collaborations with organizations like the State Bar of Texas, pro se assistance initiatives like clinics modeled after projects at the Texas Access to Justice Commission, and partnerships with public libraries including the Austin Public Library. Training covers legal research platforms such as Westlaw, LexisNexis, and open resources like the Legal Information Institute at Cornell Law School. Programming often references landmark cases from courts including the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit and the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas.
Governance aligns with administrative structures of the Texas Office of Court Administration and coordination with the Texas Judicial Council. The State Law Librarian oversees operations, working with advisory groups from the State Bar of Texas and legislative budget committees of the Texas Legislature. Funding sources include appropriations from the Texas General Appropriations Act, grants from entities like the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and revenue streams tied to interlibrary loan agreements with the National Archives and Records Administration and other state libraries such as the Texas State Library and Archives Commission. Fiscal oversight interacts with comptroller processes conducted by the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts.
Public services emphasize open access for citizens, pro se litigants, and researchers, with policies shaped by standards from the American Association of Law Libraries and collaborations with legal aid organizations like Lone Star Legal Aid and the Legal Aid of Northwest Texas. Outreach includes exhibits on topics such as the Mexican–American War era statutes, educational partnerships with the Texas Historical Commission, and participation in statewide events coordinated with institutions like the Texas State Historical Association and the Austin Bar Association. The library supports civic education for students from institutions such as Texas A&M University and the University of Houston Law Center.
Digital offerings include computerized databases, digitized archival collections parallel to projects at the HathiTrust Digital Library and the Digital Public Library of America, and access to online reporters maintained by vendors like Thomson Reuters and RELX (LexisNexis). Technology infrastructure supports remote access through authentication systems similar to those used by the National Federation of State High School Associations for other public services, integrated discovery interfaces, and preservation standards following practices recommended by the National Digital Stewardship Alliance. Initiatives have leveraged partnerships with academic repositories at Rice University and Texas Tech University for digitization and metadata projects.
Category:Libraries in Texas