Legal Research – Page 2 – Know How, the blog of the Great Library

A New Chapter Behind the Scenes: Our Upgraded Library System Launches June 24

After five months of dedicated work, we are excited to announce that on June 24^th, we will officially retire Infolocate and AccessCLE, and transition to a modern, cloud-based platform. Most importantly, the new system enhances the user experience by improving resource discovery, accessibility, and unified access to both print and digital collections. It also marks a major step forward in how we manage our daily operations. The new system streamlines internal workflows and strengthens collaboration with courthouse libraries.

Discovering the Evolution of Canada’s Court System

Have you ever wondered how Canada’s court system developed over time? Whether you’re a licensee, legal researcher, or law librarian, exploring the history and development of our legal institutions is both surprising and informative. To support your research, we’ve gathered a selection of our favourite reference tools – available online and at the Great Library – that chronicle the history of courts in Ontario and Canada. These resources are especially useful when researching historical legal decisions and seeking to understand how court names and structures have changed over time.

Sessional Papers – Federal and Ontario

Sessional Papers from the Federal and Ontario governments provide an interesting glimpse into the evolution of Canadian governance. They capture the policies, debates, and decisions of the time, making them a valuable resource for exploring legislative intent, especially behind historical statutes. In today’s blog post, we’ll take a closer look at the Great Library’s collection of Federal and Ontario Sessional Papers.