Need Legal Help? Go to the People’s Law Library of Iowa!

No one enjoys navigating the complex rules of the justice system. Legal jargon can be difficult to understand, and the consequences of getting things wrong can sometimes be pretty serious. Many people need a helping hand when it comes to the law, either with finding the right resources or translating legalese into plain and simple language. That’s where libraries can come in handy, and the People’s Law Library of Iowa is designed specifically to give ordinary people easy-to-understand, basic information about the law.

Helping Iowans with the Justice System

The People’s Law Library of Iowa is a website run by the State Library of Iowa, and it was launched on September 30, 2022. The website had long been a dream of the Iowa Access to Justice Commission, which endeavors to find ways to help the people of Iowa overcome the many obstacles they face when accessing the justice system. The commission hoped to create “a basic, easy-to-understand website with information about the law,” modeled after similar websites run by other states.

Running such a website requires funding, however. In 2021, the State Library of Iowa applied for grant funding through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to aid in developing initiatives for libraries to connect better with patrons and offer online resources to enhance accessibility. This funding allowed for the creation of the People’s Law Library website, developed through a partnership between the State Library of Iowa and the University of Iowa Law Library, who helped make content for the site.

While the website is not meant as a replacement for a lawyer, nor is it legal advice (only attorneys can give that), it is a valuable resource for people in Iowa who need a starting point in their legal research. It can put complex terms and topics into language most people will understand and connect people to important resources. There’s even a contact page to ask for additional assistance from a law librarian.

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A Free Resource for Basic Legal Research

The People’s Law Library of Iowa is completely free to use and has a wealth of basic information about numerous legal topics, with more information being added all the time. They even have a YouTube channel where they upload videos to explain important subjects. There’s a brief introductory video for the library that explains its purpose, as well as a longer video that shows how to navigate the website and use all of its features. Other videos go more in depth into legal topics to help walk people through complex laws and legal processes.

For those who may feel in over their heads just thinking about the law, the website has a section titled “How Do I…?” where they have a list of basic topics you can click on that link to explanations for how to get started with doing legal research, how to use the website, and how to contact a lawyer. They even explain exactly what legal research is and describe where to find statutes, regulations, and other legal sources. There is also a section describing how to get assistance from librarians and access legal research databases.

There is a long list of research topics as well. Initially, the website started with information only on consumer, family, and housing law, but the research topic section has expanded to include several other subjects, including guardianships and conservatorships, public benefits, and work law, with more topics in development. Clicking on a research topic brings you to a webpage with various subtopics, which in turn link to basic explanations of each subject, often with useful links to other resources.

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Throughout the website, users will encounter underlined words like “jurisdiction” and “ordinance.” Clicking on an underlined word opens a pop-up window with an easy-to-understand definition of the term. Those definitions can also be found under the “Legal Terms Defined” section, where users can search for the words they need or scroll through the complete list. There’s also a link to a Spanish version of the definitions.

There are plenty of other useful features on the site as well, including a search function, a translation option, and a virtual assistant chat box. But another valuable feature may go unnoticed by most users. The “Quick Escape” button can be found on every page of the site. Clicking it takes the user to the Google search homepage. This button is for those who need to perform legal research but may be in a situation where they could potentially be in danger if they are found performing that research. The “Quick Escape” button gives those people a quick and easy way to switch from their research to something seemingly innocuous.

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A Resource in Demand

The People’s Law Library of Iowa is still a relatively new website, but it has proven to be an in-demand resource for the people of Iowa. The State Library of Iowa published an article with statistics for the website showing how much its use has grown since its launch. The site has experienced steady traffic growth, averaging about 7,400 visits per month. The State Library’s law librarian, who is in charge of answering the questions users ask through the site’s Ask A Librarian option, has seen a 42 percent increase in reference questions, most of which have come from the People’s Law Library.

In addition to these statistics, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley praised the website. The senator told a librarian from the State Library, “Iowans who contact my office seek information on a number of topics. They deserve thorough, accurate responses. The People’s Law Library is a helpful resource my staff refer Iowans to, so that they get the answers they’re looking for.” Clearly, free and publicly available resources that offer help with understanding complicated legal topics, such as the People’s Law Library of Iowa, are truly valuable to the community they serve.

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