Dougherty County’s Law Library celebrates grand re-opening

ALBANY – After a three-year hiatus, the doors to the Dougherty County Law Library are back open, providing resources for legal professionals and learners alike.

The library, previously located on the second floor of the Justice Center, was shuttered when a Superior Court judge’s office was moved into the space.

On Friday, the resource was made available again with a ribbon-cutting held to celebrate the relocation to the first floor, and the doors were open once more.

“We keep the door open all day,” Albany Municipal Court Judge Ingrid Driskell, the interim director of the library, said. “Any time (individuals) walk by, they can just come in if they need to do some legal research.”

Like any library, the walls are lined with books. There is also a chess board set up for those looking to take a break.

“Obviously, we do have the books on the shelves, but we also have two computers (with) LexisNexis available as a research tool,” Driskell said.  

While the library is most used by attorneys and legal office employees, there are some matters that people not part of the legal world can make use of, such as seeking record restrictions and expungements, the judge said.

“(Say) a person had a misdemeanor, or in some cases a felony, years ago and turned around and doesn’t want potential employers to see what happened,” Driskell said. “In many cases, it will be granted. Surprisingly, some people want to do some things on their own.”

Individuals also use the law library for cases such as establishing guardianship of a child or adult. 

For more help, individuals needing legal assistance that falls short of seeking an attorney, the next door Self-Help Center can provide extra advice. And if personnel there can’t provide what’s needed, the office can make referrals.

“The more complicated cases, where someone wants to sue or it’s a more complex child custody case or a divorce case, we’ll generally refer them to an attorney,” Driskell said. “Most of the attorneys we work with give them a discount rate.”

For now, Driskell’s message was just to let the public know the library is once again open and ready for business.

The library is open from 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. on Friday. It is available for anyone to make use of the resources or just to take a break.

“Hopefully, people will come by and utilize this space,” Driskell said.