LiRN: Key Impacts 2024

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Message from LiRN’s Chair and Managing Director

LiRN is proud of the significant progress it made toward equalizing access to legal information and resources in 2024.

Innovative technologies and enhanced collections hit courthouse libraries across the province.

e-LiRN has grown to incorporate new and exciting products, allowing all lawyers in Ontario to access products like Lexis+, rangefindr.ca, and Emond’s Criminal Law Series.

Working with a consultant, LiRN conducted a communications audit and an analysis of key network processes. We have begun implementing the recommendations flowing from both reports in 2024 and continuing into 2025. One of those recommendations was to update the way we present our annual key impacts report. We’ve made the switch to an online presentation that we believe is more readable and accessible than our previous PDF format. More importantly, we have organized the contents around LiRN’s Strategic Priorities. We hope you enjoy reading about the impact LiRN is making on equalizing access to legal resources and information, and we welcome feedback from you!

These innovations and improvements form a strong foundation as LiRN heads into its second strategic planning process in 2025. We look forward to continuing to work with our shareholders, law associations, and the legal profession into the future.

Warm regards,

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Strategic Priority 1:

Building e-LiRN

rangefindr.ca – available REMOTELY to all lawyers in Ontario

rangefindr.ca is a tool to help lawyers and judges find criminal sentencing ranges in minutes instead of hours. Click a few tags that describe the kinds of cases you’re looking for — such as assault cases where the accused is a first offender — and rangefindr.ca tells you what sentences were imposed in those cases. One more click and you can review the judgments themselves. Remote access for all Ontario lawyers has been available since September 1, 2024.

Expanded REMOTE access to vLex, including Emond’s Criminal Law Series

Access over 500,000 full-text Canadian cases, both reported and unreported. Read over 300 books and journals electronically, including Irwin Law’s Essentials of Canadian Law collection and — added in 2024 — Emond’s Criminal Law Series. AI Assistant, Vincent, that can research, review documents, and help prepare cases faster – and allows you to see the case law and citations behind the answers. Also new in 2024: Remote access for lawyers expanded to 37 courthouse libraries across Ontario.

Negotiated an advantageous rate for Lexis+, launched in 2025

Lexis+ Canada is a comprehensive integrated legal research and workflow tool providing a range of features designed to enhance legal research and practice. You can access the vast collection of case law, editorial analysis, and data visualization with over 250 full-text textbooks and looseleaf publications in more than 30 different areas of law. Successful negotiations took place in 2024 in time for a 2025 launch.

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Strategic Priority 2:

Snaps for Library Staff

Librarian Professional Development

Pictures from the Learn with LiRN Annual Conference

The 2024 Learn with LiRN Curriculum included 10 sessions (up 42% from 7 in 2023). They were:

Private Youtube Channel for the Network

LiRN maintains a private YouTube channel where we post recordings of professional development sessions for library staff. That way, individuals who have to miss a session or who just want to refresh their memories can easily find what they need. When a law association hires new library staff, LiRN gives them the link to this channel so they can take advantage of the offerings.

36 videos of professional development sessions have been posted to this channel, with a total of 469 views.

Library Grants

The Innovation and Equity of Access to Legal Resources Project, funded by The Law Foundation of Ontario, gives law associations the opportunity to pilot their most promising ideas and bring Ontario courthouse library collections up to a common minimum standard. The project launched in 2023 and continues until 2025.

Learm more about this important project!

Stream One: Innovation Sandbox

The Innovation Sandbox is an opportunity for libraries to experiment with ways to expand the traditional courthouse library service model. Network libraries will have the opportunity to execute their ideas on how to provide library users with the tools they require — now and in the future. Courthouse libraries are invited to propose ideas that allow them to experiment with and pilot new technologies, equipment, and service models and successful pilots may be scaled up to include other libraries in the network.

Several successful projects have been implemented through this project. Some examples include:

The Peel Law Association introduced a new and higher bar for accessibility in Ontario’s law libraries by implementing an Expanded Accessibility Duo. These are cutting-edge tools for library patrons with visual and hearing impairments.

Several associations have installed or are installing privacy booths, giving library users a quiet place to take calls, attend virtual hearings, and even meet with clients. This resource is essential for sole and small-firm practitioners who may not have other convenient options for confidential office space.

The Waterloo Region Law Association added digital signage to keep library users up-to-date with important information. After a successful pilot in Waterloo, other associations including the Brant Law Association will also be implementing digital signage.

Stream Two: Equity of Access to Standard Library Collections

This project stream addresses acquisition needs in both print and electronic resources to allow lawyers across Ontario to access the critical resources required to maintain professional competence and meet the public’s need for effective legal services from anywhere in the province.

This stream added 504 books to the shelves of Ontario courthouse libraries and allowed LiRN to acquire rangefindr.ca for e-LiRN, as mentioned above.

Over the course of 2024, approximately $460,000 in grants was distributed to Law Associations under this project. These funds were additional to the $8.6 million in funding from the Law Society of Ontario also distributed to law associations to operate the libraries.

Small sample of books purchased through The Law Foundation Grant

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Strategic Priority 3:

Site Visits

A Sample of Innovations and Hacks from Around the Network

Site Visit Photos

Improving Communications

Key Network Processes Project and Communications Audit

LiRN initiated the Key Network Processes Project to better support the work of Ontario’s courthouse libraries through identification of potential efficiencies and ways to increase services offered.

This project involved a literature review, a brief survey, and interested party consultations, to ensure that the particular administrative, historical, and logistical context of the courthouse libraries and LiRN were taken into account in developing the recommendations.

A facilitator led discussions with LiRN’s shareholders, presidents of the law associations, the Ontario Courthouse Libraries Association, and library staff.

Areas for potential improvement include resolving issues related to the categorization of libraries, electronic subscriptions, improving communication, increasing research support, growing access to professional development for staff and lawyers, and standardizing reporting.

For 2024 and 2025 LiRN will focus on the “Improve Communication” recommendations from the Key Network Processes consultant’s report (available here).

LiRN also contracted with an external provider to conduct a communications audit. The consultant spoke with representatives of the groups mentioned above: shareholders, presidents, OCLA, and library staff (review the audit here).

In 2025 the Board of Directors will develop a communications strategy with the intention of:

• Filling communication gaps
• Better engaging interested parties
• Establishing clear goals and objectives, messaging priorities, target audiences, and preferred communication channels

LibConnect: Contact Management System

Following the recommendations from the Key Network Processes Project and Communications Audit, LiRN acquired LibConnect to better manage our contacts and distribution lists. The implementation has gone smoothly and LiRN is now able to reach out to groups and sub-groups of contacts with greater accuracy and create well-formatted and readable templates for internal and external communications.

LiRN Newsletter and Updates

Using LibConnect, we have created a template for quarterly updates to our shareholders and law associations to keep them better informed about the work that LiRN is engaged in. We also launched an external-facing newsletter to promote the courthouse libraries to the legal profession.

By the numbers …

Website Re-design

To make necessary information easier to access — for associations and end users — LiRN redesigned its website in 2024. We organized the content into 4 headings:

About LiRN | How Can Courthouse Libraries Help You? | Meet the Courthouse Libraries | For Law Association Boards and Staff

We have also added more types of content to the site, including Board Meeting Minutes, external CPD opportunities, our newsletters, digital resource training, and more.

In accordance with the recommendations resulting from the Key Network Processes Project consultations, we will be looking at ways to continue to improve the website, including adding an ‘intranet-like’ communications hub for associations.

Wiki Resources for Library Staff on lirn.ca

We have continued to expand the wiki resources — a key knowledge management database for the network. New topics are added on a monthly basis and content for all pages is continually updated. It is the go-to source or questions about LiRN’s operations, resources, professional development and much more!

The website by the numbers …

Website views increased by 34% and visitors by 26% in 2024. This is largely due to the re-design and the introduction of a newsletter, making lirn.ca more visible and easier to use.

Our most visited page is the home page, which includes blog posts containing LiRN news. e-LiRN, Courthouse Libraries Contact Information and Meet the Courthouse Libraries also have good usage, indicating that parties external to the network are getting information that they need from our site. The login page also gets solid results, telling us that the network is using the wiki and other restricted-access resources.

Most of the traffic comes to us through search engines, with a small percentage referred from the Law Society of Ontario and LinkedIn. Referrals from LibConnect, due to our new newsletter, is already the 5th highest referral source. We also have referrals from many individual law association websites.

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Strategic Priority 4:

Library Use

LiRN receives quarterly statistics reports from courthouse libraries related to library activities. These statistics include:

• Circulation of print materials (if applicable)
• Interlibrary loans (books shared between libraries)
• Research and reference provided by library staff
• Library training, CPD programs delivered by library staff (if applicable)
• Current awareness news circulated (if applicable)

This information helps show the impact of well-trained professional library staff and print collections. e-LiRN statistics, below, address the impact of electronic resources.

Collection Use

Nearly 5,700 items were signed out of courthouse libraries in 2024, and over 15,000 items were reshelved. This shows healthy and growing usage of collections network-wide.

The collection use statistics remain strong and show some increases from 2023. While items signed out is slightly down, the items re-shelved is up by close to 8%. This shows that people are using the print resources in the library at a greater rate than the year before. Interlibrary loans within the network and the Great Library have significantly increased. At the same time, ILLs to external organizations have gone down significantly while lending to external organizations has increased.

Taken as a whole, these numbers show an increasing reliance on the network’s own resources and strong use of the on-stie collections. It also illustrates growth in viewing and using each library’s collection as part of a larger network-wide collection rather than 48 separate collections.

Research and Reference

Library staff answered over 50,000 questions from library users in 2024. It is a 30% increase from 2023. To put this number in perspective, there are approximately 57,000 lawyers in Ontario — that is close to one question answered for each lawyer in the province.

Factors that go into determinig each type of question are outlined below:

Quick Reference

• under 10 minutes
• includes directional questions such as where to find things
• helping with printer / copiers
• printing off documents for lawyers, etc.

Reference

• 10 – 20 minutes / 1 source including books / electronic resources
• These questions are a bit more in-depth

Research

• Over 20 minutes / multiple sources including books or more than one electronic resource
• Might include several searches on different databases, consulting more texts, etc. 

Additional Association and Library Services

Some associations are able to offer additional library services to their members. Please note that, while LiRN does collect stats on some of the additional services, this is not a requirement, and not all associations will have the capacity to offer such services. For information on what types of services are offered by the association nearest you, we encourage you to contact them.

By the Numbers

The biggest increase in the type of questions asked is quick reference questions, with a significant fall in reference and rise in research types. Overall, it paints a picture of increasing reliance on library staff for the most complex questions. The increasing number of quick reference questions may be attributed to more new users needing assistance, combined with the acquisition of new print and electronic resources that librarians can assist patrons in finding and usings.

The numbers show impressive uptake on these valuable services.

e-LiRN USE

We also obtain and evaluate usage of the resources available in e-LiRN, which allows us to evaluate the performance of the resources we include.

LexisNexis: Practical Guidance and QuickLaw

LiRN has made the move to Lexis+, a comprehensive integrated legal research and workflow tool with case law, editorial analysis, and data visualization with over 250 full-text textbooks and looseleaf publications in more than 30 different areas of law in 2025.

During 2024, we saw an increase in the views of Practice Guidance content. This content is practice specific and includes practice notes, precedents, checklists, and other drafting tools.

Module usage is strong overall. The best-used modules are Wills, Trusts & Estates coming in on top with 1,268 views. Family Law was next, with 1,193, followed by Corporate and Private M&A at 861.

We saw a decrease in Lexis Advance Quicklaw usage during 2024, although less of a decrease than between 2022 and 2023. This tool includes an extensive database of legal, news and jurisdictional sources, including exclusive sources like Halsbury’s Laws of Canada and Canadian Tort Law. We attribute the slight decrease to improvements and increased usage of tools such as CanLII to pull case law. We anticipate stronger use of Lexis+ in 2025, due to its expanded content of resources and integrated searching with results from Practical Guidance, as well as tools such as Brief Analysis and Legislative Pulse.

Lexis Advance Quicklaw – 2022 to 2024
Year	Searches	Value	% Change (Searches)
2022	28,001	$1,728,414	—
2023	26,822	$1,565,583	-5%
2024	26,411	Not provided	-2%

vLex

We have seen a significant increase in the number of downloads made (32%) and solid growth in documents viewed (9%). The 24% decrease in searches made is expected as it indicates more and better use of Vincent, the AI assistant used by vLex.

rangefindr.ca

267 Licensees have requested remote access to rangefindr.ca since our launch. Plans for future marketing include an appearance at the LSO’s Solo and Small Firm Conference in 2025 as well as outreach to the Criminal Lawyers’ Association and the Ontario Crown Attorneys’ Association. We will continue to feature this important tool in our growing newsletter.

As of April of 2025, rangefindr.ca has had a combined 2,491 logins and 10,213 searches. We are pleased with the increasing usage for this newly-introduced tool and look forward to seeing comparitive numbers as 2025 progresses.

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Thank you!

LiRN extends its appreciation to:

• Library staff, for working tirelessly to provide excellent service to users across the province
• Our shareholders, the Law Society of Ontario, the Federation of Ontario Law Associations, and the Toronto Lawyer’s Association, for working with us and supporting us in creating a modern library network
• Law Associations, for operating courthouse libraries and giving their time and thoughtful participation in consultations to help LiRN grow and improve
• The Law Foundation of Ontario for funding the Innovation and Equity of Access to Legal Resources Project
• Our vendors, for working with us to promote the resources available in across Ontario
• And the lawyers of Ontario, who fund the network, for using the resources and services to benefit themselves and their clients