High value service to patrons, convenient economy for libraries

Quality legal research at an affordable, predictable cost.

Westlaw Patron Access lets you offer your library patrons unlimited use of the Westlaw databases they need most. Designed expressly for government law libraries and public libraries, Westlaw Patron Access provides high quality legal research at a predictable, affordable monthly rate.

With Westlaw Patron Access, you can:

• Select from a broad array of Westlaw resources
• Add content as your library's needs expand
• Decide the number of designated terminals you want to offer
• Administer legal resources easily while ensuring online security and privacy
• Enjoy full customer service and technical support from Thomson Reuters Westlaw experts
• Eliminate worries about fluctuating online costs

Choose the resources your patrons use and want most.

Westlaw coverage extends to every area of the law and every U.S. jurisdiction. Your Westlaw Patron Access content choices include:

• Caselaw from the federal courts and courts of all 50 states, including unpublished cases
• United States Code Annotated and 50-state statutes
• Federal Register, Code of Federal Regulations and administrative codes for selected states
• Topical coverage that fits your patrons' research, such as family law, estate planning, bankruptcy, insurance, employment, immigration law, and tribal law
• Forms, including thousands of easy-to-find legal and business forms, both official and practice-tested, plus checklists and contract clauses
• Contemporary legal issues defined in American Law Reports
• Explanatory articles from American Jurisprudence 2d legal encyclopedia
• Expert legal analysis in your patrons' areas of interest

Unique features improve your service and build patron loyalty.

Patrons will come back to Westlaw Patron Access again and again, making your library an integral part of their research. Westlaw Patron Access plans offer you and your patrons:

• Availability in a familiar location, where patrons can conduct both online and print research
• Access without a password, which eliminates concerns about forgotten or stolen passwords
• Privacy protection for a patron's research trail; no one can view the trail after signoff or automatic timeout
• Reliable pricing, because the monthly rate does not change during the contract period, no matter how much patrons use the service

Exclusive online legal research advantages are part of every plan.

Westlaw Patron Access comes with all the advantages that make Westlaw the preferred online service, such as:

• Case headnotes and synopses – to retrieve on-point decisions researchers otherwise could miss
• The exclusive West Key Number System – for speed, precision and thoroughness in caselaw research
• KeyCite – for current citation research with status flags and other easy-to-understand graphics
• KeySearch – offering assistance to create the most relevant search query
• Dual-column, book-style printing – to view documents in their familiar style

Ease of use reduces workload for patrons and librarians.

Westlaw Patron Access is designed for secure, trouble-free patron self-service, so it makes life easier for you, your staff and your patrons.

Here's how it works:

• The patron goes to the designated terminal and clicks on the desktop's Westlaw Patron Access icon
• The Westlaw license agreement appears, and the patron consents to its terms by clicking the I Agree link
• The Westlaw opening screen is displayed
• The patron searches as usual, using the standard westlaw.com interface
• If a patron attempts to use a database not included in the library's plan, access is blocked
• Downloading and emailing of Westlaw information are blocked, to prevent possible misuse of data in the library
• At your request, we will provide a reference guide for your designated terminals to answer any questions patrons may have

Friendly, expert set-up help is available.

Setting up your Westlaw Patron Access program is fast and trouble-free.

• A Westlaw Customer Technical Support (CTS) representative will contact you to arrange for installation via your high-speed Internet service
• The representative will ask for the static Internet Protocol (IP) address for each computer terminal you designate for the program
• That information allows us to create a Westlaw Patron Access icon for the terminals' desktops, to provide a shortcut to Westlaw
• After installation, you may call us at any time for help:
  • A core group of Customer Technical Support representatives are trained on IP-authenticated set-ups and Westlaw technical use issues (1-800-440-9378)
  • The Librarian Hotline for Reference Attorney assistance (1-800-401-9378) is available 24/7/365 to provide research assistance to you and your patrons

Product Support

Get a desktop training guide »
This flipbook-style instructional guide is a perfect fit for your library's terminal desktops. The training guide provides patrons with a comprehensive introduction to legal research on Westlaw and includes instruction on all the Westlaw basics, including details on how to conduct simple searches and where to go for additional help.

   

Take an online lesson »
Created specifically for Westlaw Patron Access users, these online tutorials give patrons unfamiliar with Westlaw all the tools they'll need to conduct basic legal research. With one-click access, patrons can easily access free, Web-based courses that provide uncomplicated guidance for getting started on Westlaw Patron Access.