Page 16 - 2026 January February Magazine

material nuts, but lost much of the spirit of the law, including
why we practice, and how to practice law. The younger practice
guides were tossed out. “Gideon’s Trumpet”, the story “Birth of
the Right to Counsel” by Anthony Lewis was also jettisoned.
Many books you can get on Amazon; I prefer a library and
bookstore where you can browse and find books you need that
you didn’t know existed.
Also, I learned that in a cost-saving measure the former law
librarian had canceled the Library’s subscription to the State
Law Library and also had decided, to not update the branches
with current supplements. Rather, he would send last year’s
supplements to Gig Harbor, the year-old supplements to
Sumner, and the two-years-old supplements on to Parkland.
This ‘cost-saving’ measure undercut the basic purpose of the
branch libraries to provide current information to patrons
not wanting to, or able to, travel to the main library. As of
this writing the Parkland Library may be closed due to theft,
but the Lakewood Library (which is being remodeled) has
expressed interest in having the Law Library provide it with
books in the future.
“A library outranks any other one thing a
community can do to benefit its people.”
(Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, 1920).
“A total of 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built
between 1883 and 1929, including some
belonging to public and university library
systems. 1,689 were built in the United States,
660 in the United Kingdom and Ireland, 125
in Canada, and 25 others in Australia, South
Africa, New Zealand, Serbia, Belgium, France,
the Caribbean, Mauritius, Malaysia, and Fiji.”
(Wikipedia).
An amazing gift that keeps on giving to the world. The
historical building built in my hometown is now used for
commercial purposes, the library still exists in another
building. To get a Carnegie grant a municipality had to agree
that the library would have open shelves. Before Carnegie
Libraries, a patron would tell the Librarian what book was
desired and the Librarian would fetch it; what a cramp that
must have been on learning. Browsing and surfing the web
now are great ways to learn about things you didn’t even know
you wanted to learn about.
My fixation on books may seem quaint, like a man opening an
emporium of kerosine lamps illuminated by electric lights. A
Google search is not the same as browsing book shelves. If you
ask AI a wrong or an imprecise question you may never get
the answer you are seeking. Web searches are very useful but
1 6 P I E R C E C O U N T Y L A W Y E R | J a n u a r y / F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 6
have limitations and can lead to mis-directions, and, as some
lawyers have found out, can lead to very incorrect legal briefs.
Some search engines are marketing tools. If you ask who is the
best lawyer in a certain field, you may find the correct answer
but you will certainly find at the top of your search the lawyers
who paid the most for a marketing placement.
I know a successful library is far more than books; the library
rents electric books, instruction videos can be viewed on its
website. Throughout the year The Friends sponsor free CLEs.
The library does need more computers but it is a part of Pierce
County; perhaps they will be purchased by the county. I am
sure the library has far more needs than I am aware of, this is
where The Friends could use your help.
Please take a walk through our library and consider what
books, videos, periodicals and anything else the library does
not currently have, and what you think it should have. Send me
your suggestions and The Friends will work with the Librarian
as to what material may be accepted. Consider making a
donation to The Friends; it is tax deductible. You can donate
books directly to the library but those are not tax deductible.
Consider becoming a member of Friends and attend our
meetings. In the past we met once a year, we will meet more
often now so we can discuss the needs of our library.
In the seventies I lived in Cologne, Germany for a year. During
WWII, but for the cathedral, the RAF flattened the city, yet
by the time I arrived most of the downtown was rebuilt and
Cologne was thriving and modern. The allied bombing had
devastated it, but had also made it possible for urban renewal
to revitalize the city.
As I walked around the empty library shelves I wondered
how the library could ever be the same again. I realize that
this massive and ill-advised weeding out of books is now an
opportunity to make our library better than it was before.
This can only happen with your generous support of your
donations, time, and knowledge. Please support The Friends of
the Law Library. Information about the next Friends meeting
and how to make donations will be posted on the Law Library
website.
John Cain has been in practice
since 1986. He serves on the
Pierce County Lawyer Magazine
Committee and is past editor.
His latest John Abel mystery is
“Stumbling Down the Road of
Revenge.”