Without access to information, there is no justice. That’s the motto of the King County Law Library.

For 85 years our Library has given residents of King County access to the legal information they need to make justice possible. The Library offers legal resources and expert research advice, both in person and over the Internet, to lawyers and non-lawyers alike. And it’s all free of charge. For hundreds of county residents every week, the Library is the first stop in navigating their way through the legal system and protecting their rights. For them, Access to Justice starts in the Library.

Over the years the volume and cost of legal resources offered by the Library, and the demand for those resources, have skyrocketed. Unfortunately, the Library’s funding sources have remained constant. As a consequence, the Library has been perpetually under-funded and unable to make capital improvements. Carpet and paint remain drab. Desks, chairs and tables are worn from decades of heavy use. Existing wiring will not support the demands of computers and other tools needed to access legal information. Narrow aisles limit access to books for users in wheelchairs. An outmoded service counter hinders staff efforts to maintain the privacy of user requests. Library users surveyed almost uniformly praise the Library’s staff and resources, but consistently complain about the drab, worn-out and outmoded Library space.

Last summer the Library moved from the Sixth Floor of the Courthouse to the King County Administration Building as part of the Courthouse Seismic Stabilization Project. In the summer of 2004, the Library is scheduled to return to the Courthouse. In the meantime, we have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to upgrade the Library’s space and show the value our community places on giving all citizens access to legal information.

Over the last six months the Library staff and trustees have been working with Callison Architecture, Inc., one of Seattle’s premier architecture firms, developing plans to renovate the Library’s Courthouse space. Callison has graciously donated many, many hours to this project and has developed plans that will make the Library vastly more comfortable, accessible and functional.

The cost of renovating the Library following Callison’s plan is $85,000. While this amount may seem modest to anyone who’s remodeled recently, the renovation projections will cover our priority items. The County will paint and install new carpet as a part of the seismic project’s scope. Any funds we raise above our goal will be held in reserve for future capital maintenance and refurbishment projects.

At the same time the plans were being made to renovate the Library, the Library Board of Trustees have been laying the groundwork for a fundraising effort called the 85th Anniversary Campaign to raise the funds to remodel the Library. The funds raised under the leadership of Campaign Honorary Co-Chairs King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng and Helsell Fetterman partner Llewelyn G. Pritchard will be used for furniture, fixtures, wiring, paint, lighting, and additional technology.

The Campaign will begin with a Kick-off on April 21, 2004 during National Library Week and will continue through May of 2004. Donations from the Library’s supporters will be solicited by mail, the Library’s email newsletter KCLL e-news, the Library’s website (www.kcll.org), and an invitation-only event hosted by the firm of Lane Powell Spears Lubersky LLP. All donors will be recognized for their gifts.

In a letter written to the Law Library Board of Trustees, King County Bar Association President Thomas E. Kelly, Jr. stated the following: “Members of the public at large, along with judges, lawyers, parties and government officials, will benefit from the improvements that the Library Board seeks to make through its 85th Anniversary Campaign. The KCBA therefore endorses the King County Law Library’s 85th Anniversary Campaign. We hope that all those who use the Library, but particularly those attorneys who patronize it, make the financial contributions that will enable the Library to meet its goal.”

None of the funds raised through this Campaign will go to support ongoing operations. The Library is an independent governmental entity that is not funded by County or State government. With the support of the community, the Library will be able to create an environment that is more comfortable, user friendly, and handicapped accessible, and where the opportunity exists for meaningful access to computer and Internet resources.

To learn how you can make a contribution, visit www.kcll.org or call the Library at (206) 296-0940.