The H. Carlisle Bean Law Collection

This collection serves the legal research needs of Spartanburg City and County judiciary, members of the Spartanburg County Bar Association, the offices of state and local agencies, law and paralegal students and the general public. Located on the upper level of the Headquarters library in downtown Spartanburg, the Law Collection is accessible during regular hours of operation. Reference staff is available to provide general assistance with legal materials however there are legal and ethical limits to our research abilities. Please see our legal research disclaimer.

Our main focus is South Carolina law, although, through Westlaw we can access regional reporters, law reviews, and other resources from all 50 states. We also have various publications of the SC Bar Association. Here is a sample of our materials:

• City of Spartanburg Code of Laws
• County of Spartanburg Code of Laws
• SC Code of Laws Annotated
• SC Digest
• SC Jurisprudence
• SC Law Review
• SC Reports
• South Eastern Reporter
• American Jurisprudence

We provide free access to Westlaw Next for library card holders and visitors with proper identification. Out-of-county guests may request a day pass at the Reference Desk for access to Westlaw Next and general Internet searching. Library procedure requires a picture ID to obtain your library card number, a computer use card or a day pass.

Services

• Access to South Carolina law books, journals and state-specific publications
• Access to regional reporters, digests, and handbooks
• Free access to Westlaw Next, Internet access, and wi-fi
• Microsoft Office and library research databases
• Photocopier ($.10 a page)
• Study rooms are available for personal research and may be used for small group meetings (2-4 people). Availability is first-come, first served with a 90 minute limit when patrons are waiting. Please see the library’s meeting room policy to accommodate larger groups.
• Limited legal research may be requested of our staff. All requests that can be answered by email are free of charge, if limited to specific cases, rules, or laws. Requests that must be mailed are subject to a $5.00 research fee plus a charge of $.25 per page printed.
• Fax services are currently limited to Spartanburg County judges with a 10 page limit. Fax services may be revised in the future. Please ask staff about any changes.
• We currently do not circulate any titles, but information that we can access electronically may be emailed to you without charge.

Prisoner Services

• Prisoners in Spartanburg County facilities may request limited legal research of our staff. All requests are subject to standard policy fees, $5.00 research fee plus $.25 per printed page.
• Please do not send details of your case. We are not attorneys and cannot determine what information may pertain to your case. Instead, please send a request for specific laws. If you do not know the case or title needed, you may request that we photocopy a section of the index of the SC Code of Laws or a definition or a legal term from a legal encyclopedia or legal dictionary.
• We encourage you to ask your legal representative, friend or family member to come to the library to do research on your behalf.

Requests may be sent to:

Attn: Reference Department

Spartanburg County Public Libraries
151 S. Church Street
Spartanburg, SC 29306

Please allow 2-3 weeks to process your request.

For general information or research requests, you may also contact us by phone: (864)-596-3505 or by email lawref@infodepot.org.

Legal Research Disclaimer

While the library is committed to serving the information needs of its patrons, the ethical principles of the American Association of Law Libraries prohibits us from practicing law:

“We acknowledge the limits on service imposed by our institutions and by the duty to avoid the unauthorized practice of law.” (AALL Ethical Prinicples, 1999)

Therefore, SCPL staff assistance is limited to providing instruction on the use of materials in the library. Please note that the library staff is prohbited from:

• Interpreting law
• Offering legal advice or opinions
• Providing advice on how to fill out forms or take legal action
• Completing forms for patrons