A brief video tour of the New Hampshire Law Library is located on the court's website . If you've ever wondered what the library looks like or what it is we do here, take a look!

The New Hampshire Law Library is pleased to announce the return of Chat Reference. The library uses web-based software called Meebo to provide instant reference service. To Chat with a librarian, go to the Law Library web page at http://www.courts.state.nh.us/lawlibrary/, click on Ask a Librarian and you'll be directed to Chat Reference.

You don't need to sign up or register or even have an email address to chat with a librarian, just an Internet connection.

If a librarian is not online, you can still send us a message at lawlibrary@courts.state.nh.us or call us at (603) 271-3777.

Docket books are small books containing a chronological listing of cases on a court's docket with space after each entry for notes. Recently, a volunteer from the State Archives completed an inventory of the Law Library's docket books and discovered that we have nearly 3000 books in our closed stacks. The oldest of the books is from 1794, the newest from 1977. Some are completely handwritten and roughly put together, others are printed and bound with leather. Many contain annotations by court clerks and judges. This inventory is just a small part of a larger project to inventory collections of docket books throughout the state. Archives and Law Library staff are exploring ways to make the inventory and the books accessible to scholars and researchers. If you have a collection stashed away in your court, be sure to let us know so they can be added to the inventory.