THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, August 11, 1996 TAG: 9608090202
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 11 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: 29 lines
Computerized research is now available in the Portsmouth Law Library for use by the general public as well as members of the bar.
A new computer and printer recently were installed in the library on the second floor of the Circuit Court Building. Two packages of software have been purchased, City Attorney Tim Oksman said.
Available on CD-ROM are Virginia Law on Disc and the Law Desk.
Virginia Law includes all the state code, plus state and federal court decisions on parts of the code, the court rules of procedure in the state and the ethics code of the Virginia State Bar, Oksman said.
He described Law Desk as ``a broad collection of legal research articles'' from the American Law Report.
In addition to being able to print out information they need, citizens also can transfer materials to a disc, Oksman said.
The machinery and the software cost about $10,000. They were purchased with money that comes to the library from a user fee charged on all civil suits filed in the Portsmouth courts.
The Law Library is open 9 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. Monday through Friday. Renee Ferebee is the librarian.
Oksman is chairman of the library board by virtue of his job as city attorney. He said the board made the decision to spend the money on the computer to expand the public's options in the library. by CNB