Reference Services

Library Services



Reference Services


Librarians trained in legal research are available to assist you in the use and location of the library's resources and services. However, the Law Library staff is not permitted by law to give legal advice or do legal research for you.

The following summary briefly describes our policy on the delivery of legal information to the public:
What we can't do:
  • Give legal advice
  • Interpret statutes, cases or regulations
  • Answer telephone inquiries seeking legal information
  • State opinions on legal issues
  • Choose language for forms
  • Select specific forms
 What we can do:
  • Direct public to sources of law and forms
  • Instruct in usage of legal materials
  • Locate informative reading materials
  • Make referrals

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Referral & Legal Services


If you wish to consult an attorney, you may contact one of the following:
  • Legal Aid of Southeastern Pennsylvania - Legal Aid is for individuals who cannot afford an attorney and need assistance with housing, consumer issues, bankruptcy, protection from abuse, or access to welfare,social security or unemployment benefits
        625 Swede Street, Norristown, PA 19401
        Toll free Helpline - 877-429-5994
        M-F 9:00am to 1:00pm

        Phone: 610-275-5400
        Intake hours: M,W, F 1:30pm to 3:45pm

Additional locations in Montgomery County:
Lansdale Outreach Office 
Manna on Main Street
North Penn Commons 606 E. Main Street, Suite B
Lansdale, PA 19446
Intake hours: Wednesdays 2:00pm to 3:30pm

Willow Grove Outreach Office
Montgomery County Courthouse Annex
102 N. York Road
Willow Grove, PA 19090
Intake hours: Thursdays 2:00pm to 3:30pm

  • Montgomery Bar Association
    100 W. Airy Street, Norristown, PA 19401
  • Modest Means Legal Access Program - For those who do not qualify for Legal Aid
    Registration form
  • Montgomery Bar Association - Lawyer Referral Service
    Phone: 610-279-9660, choose option #3

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The Collection


  • Case Reporters
  • Encyclopedias - Providing a more concise discussion of legal topics than treatises.
  • Form Books - Providing selected federal and state forms on such topics as change of name, divorce, custody, and appeals.
  • Internet Access - Lexis, Westlaw. Our standard photocopy rates apply to any print requests.
  • Municipal Ordinances - Containing the adopted and proposed ordinances for all townships and boroughs in Montgomery County.
  • Statutes - Purdon’s Pennsylvania Statutes; all federal and state laws can be found on WestLaw.
  • Treatises - Discussing hundreds of subjects ranging from Administrative Law to Zoning.

Library materials may be photocopied at the rate of $0.25 per page. Photocopy debit cards are available for as little as $5 for 20 copies.

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The Catalog


The library collection is accessible through a computer that serves as an index. The library's automated catalog contains an entry for every item in the collection. Patrons can search by: Keywords, Author, Title, Subject, Call Number, Series or ISBN.
As it was several years out of date, the old card catalog has been discarded.If you need help finding materials, or would like a demonstration of using the computer catalog, a Library staff member will be happy to show you.

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