Legal information needs and information seeking behaviour of lawyers / legalpractitioners in Namibia

Abstract

This research investigates the main sources of information used by legal practitioners in Namibia in their information seeking behaviour. I visited offices and used electronic mail to reach legal practitioners in Windhoek. I used snowball-sampling method to reach the maximum possible number. Three research methods were used (i) literature review (ii) qualitative and (iii) quantitiative research. 50 responses were obtained from the various legal practitioners and ten (10) from key informants (information providers). The research showed that libraries are failing to cater for the information needs of legal practitioners. Clerks instead of librarians manage a number of special libraries which I visited. Electronic information sources are not very much in use. Legal practitioners are conservative and prefer information written by people who have a reputation and can be tracked if there is such a need as opposed to information obtained through the Internet. Legal practitioners' information searches are work driven unlike simply for the sake of information. Where information is not readily available, legal practitioners consult one another as sources of information. They complain that Internet is not user friendly and takes too long to access some information unlike asking a colleaugue or consulting one's personal collection