Library Reopening

With the cases in Manitoba dropping, the Library will be reopening on February 8th for members of the Law Society of Manitoba only.

We will return to our normal opening hours of 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

The doors will remain closed for now, as we will still be logging in all entrances. Please knock on the door, or call 204-945-1958 to be let in.

Visitors will be asked to sanitize their hands when they enter and wear masks.

Workstations will be sanitized after each use.

Reopening the Library

Manitoba has done a fantastic job at reducing the spread of COVID-19. At the Great Library, we’re happy to welcome you back to in person visits – with some restrictions.

In order to follow public health orders, we will restrict access to lawyers and the judiciary only, and only when staff are present. At this time staff will be available from 8:30 – 12:00 and 1:30 – 4:00 Monday through Friday. We ask that you call us when you reach the door and we will let you in. Please keep your visits to 30 minutes or less.

We continue to be available by email at library@lawsociety.mb.ca. If you require print materials, you can request them by phone or email, and we will collect them for you. You can pick them up at the security entrance on Kennedy, and return them there as well.

Reopening the Library

When the government of Manitoba declared an emergency several weeks ago, we closed the Great Library and began working from home. Surprisingly, or not, we’ve been able to do an amazing amount of work using electronic sources. What we haven’t been able to offer is temporary office space for lawyers while in the courthouse.

Planning to reopen the library is a challenge. It’s a semi-public space with a lot of high-touch surfaces. We have to keep staff safe as well as our clients. Any print materials must be quarantined before someone else can touch them. All people entering will have to ensure they are healthy, sanitize their hands at the entrance, and limit the amount of movement they do in the library.

We hope to have our plan in place to reopen on May 25th with limited access to lawyers and the judiciary only. Stay tuned!

Closure of the Great Library

Effective immediately, the library will be closed and staff will be working remotely. Lawyers who are at the Courts may enter the library by asking security staff to let them in.

Please email us at library@lawsociety.mb.ca and be sure to review the resources available behind the Member’s Portal. You now have access to British law under the vLex subscription, as well as Canadian and U.S. decisions and commentary.

Please stay healthy and we will be back to full service as soon as possible.

The Great Library and COVID-19

The Manitoba Courts have restricted access to the courts as a proactive measure to reduce and slow down the spread of COVID-19. While the Great Library will remain open, members may prefer to take advantage of our services remotely.

We can scan or download sections of texts and email them to you, subject to copyright restrictions. If you require a complete text, we can prepare it for pickup at the staff entrance on Kennedy. Please contact us by phone or email and we would be happy to help.

This is the time to take advantage of all the resources available to you behind the Member’s Portal. We subscribe to several collections of e-books, the Rangefindr sentencing digest, HeinOnline and the vLex caselaw database.

We will continue to distribute the newsletters in our Current Awareness collection. We know your work doesn’t stand still, and we will support you in whatever way we can. Please contact us by phone (204-945-1958) or email (library@lawsociety.mb.ca).