LEGAL DOCUMENTATION AND LIBRARY SERVICES DIVISION

(Library, for Brevity)

Vision

The Library envisions adequate provision of updated reading resources, both in print and non-print, primarily for the use of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) constituents. With the availability of such and the effective organization of these materials, optimal delivery of service is expected to be attained.

Mission

The Library acquires materials and develops its collections on the basis of the DOJ’s institutional objectives. These materials are processed and organized and made available to the clientele. As a legal information provider, the Library renders impartial service to all users, given the right material at the right time.

II. LIBRARY COLLECTIONS

The Library adopts an open-shelf system, that is, a user can freely search and retrieve the materials he/she needs. Likewise, the Librarian is always ready to serve the research and information needs of the DOJ legal community and other researchers. (Please refer to the attached Borrowing Rights Policy).

The bulk of the main book collection pertains to law and jurisprudence and general law subjects. There are also a small number of general legal reference materials. The Library holds the following reading resources, to wit:

1. In-house Law File/Vertical File collection consisting of law subject folder files, DOJ Memoranda of   Agreement, Treaty Agreements, United Nations (UN) Conventions, various country law profiles, among others.

3. CD Asia Online research tool subscription
4. Bound, in-house compilations of the Opinions of the Secretary of Justice.

4.  DOJ issuance compilations.

5.  Thematic collections on women and children; human rights, Law of the Sea, refugees, among others.

6. Retrospective legislative deliberation files both bound and/or loose copies and on-standby compilation ready to be sent links or hard copies, upon request. More recent records/journals of deliberations, on the other hand, are being accessed through official websites of the Senate and the House of Representatives, upon request of Library patrons.
7. Bound photocopies of 1987 Constitutional Commission (ConCom) Session Proceedings
8. Other topical collections:

1. Post-Event Report copies (2010-2016) turned over to the Library by the former Office of Secretary Leila M. De Lima

2. Post-Event Report copies under Secretary of Justice Jesus Crispin C. Remulla’s term (2022-- ). Copy furnished the Library for recording and compilation purposes.

 9.  Boxed Materials on Offsite Storage (Under Restricted Access)

    a. Bound photocopies of Constitutional Convention/ Constitutional Commission committee deliberation reports/journals            (1935, 1971 and 1986)

    b. Rare Filipiniana Collection which includes imprints bearing early 20th century law books in English and/or Spanish.  A         greater portion of this collection pertains to very old issues of Official Gazette (turn of the 20thcentury, pre- and post-           war issues). This collection needs to be reserved but can also have provision for future access, in which case this would         require appropriate collection organization project.

    c. Access to various brittle books, particularly very old issues of the Official Gazette is not allowed.

   d. Other rare Filipiniana and foreign books.

     III. LIBRARY SERVICES

       1.The Library serves all the DOJ constituencies and the general public. It welcomes walk-in Information queries or via                     telephone, email, snail mail and fax message. Outsiders wanting to have a hard copy of DOJ issuances especially those                 originating from the DOJ must request and secure the same from the Records Management Section (RMS). Only the RMS              has the sole authority to certify such copy, if ever.

        2.The Librarian is always ready to give assistance to users on their information queries and requests.

        3. When borrowing a reading material, the library user has to accomplish the book card and sign the same.

        4. Job Order (JO) contract personnel as well as on-the-job (OJT) student trainees are restricted from borrowing library                    materials in behalf of officials and employees of the Department.  At any rate, JO personnel and OJT trainees may have               to bring the book card to the requesting party for his/her to accomplish and sign. This will help prevent future straying or             book loss or risk questionable case of accountability.

        5. Outside students are discouraged to use the Library. The Library has limited space and that students must use the                         resources  of their own library.

        6.The CD Asia Online research tool may be accessed by any DOJ constituent. The Librarian is however always ready to give             assistance to all database users.

        7.The Library occasionally makes photocopy certification/attestations upon request by the DOJ legal constituents and in                   exceptional cases, by private law offices.

IV.  Borrowing Rights and Privileges of Officials and Employees

A.   BORROWING RIGHTS OF OFFICIALS AND PERMANENT EMPLOYEES IN THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (DOJ)

1. Borrowed books made by officials and employees shall bear no deadline for return. These materials may stay with them until recalled, if necessary.

2.There is no limit to the number of books to be borrowed by officials and employees.

3.The staff who is tasked to obtain the books to be borrowed on behalf of any Prosecutor/State Counsel or other lawyers shall indicate the name of the subject borrower plus the name of the staff who facilitated the task.

4. Borrowed materials may be subject to recall if needed by the next user. Recall may be made after considering that sufficient time has lapsed using the material(s).

5.Material(s) borrowed shall be recorded in the Library’s Google book spreadsheets and shall then again be struck out when returning the same.

6. Material(s) to be returned shall also be recorded in the Return log book and may be countersigned by the borrower themselves.

1. 2. BORROWING PRIVILEGES OF STUDENT-EMPLOYEES (UNDER PLANTILLA) IN THE DEPARTMENT

1.Student-employees may borrow a maximum of two (2) titles at a time, depending if the book is in-demand or not, or if there more copies or not, subject to renewal after 3 weeks and subject to immediate recall when needed more by the legal community.

2.Materials borrowed are due in 3 weeks and may be renewed by the borrower (also for a period of 3 weeks, depending on the demand and number of existing copies of such materials.

3.All borrowed materials are subject to recall and the student-employee shall promptly return the same, if and when other users need the material(s).

4.Material(s) borrowed shall be recorded in the Library’s Google book spreadsheet records and shall again be struck out when returning the same.

5.Material(s) to be returned shall also be recorded in the Return log book and may be countersigned by the borrower themselves.

C. BORROWING PRIVILEGES OF JOB ORDER (JO) PERSONNEL IN THE DEPARTMENT

   1.“Job Order personnel” refers to all contractual employees whether students or not.

            2. In general, Job Order student-employees are not allowed to borrow materials from the Library. However, they may borrow using 

             the name of their head of office to be listed as the borrower, after securing permission, to be confirmed by the Librarian. The                     head of office shall be the one to sign the book card, if ever. 

           3.Using the name of the head of office, Job Order student-employees may borrow two (2) titles at a time and may use the                         material(s) until a period of 2 weeks and renewed thereafter, unless said materials are needed by other borrowers, or depending if                the book is in-demand or not or if there more copies or not.

           4. All borrowed materials are subject to recall and the user shall promptly return the same if there are other users who need the                     material(s).

           5.If disallowed to borrow, Job Order student-employees may however do the book reading in the Library and may also photocopy                  the material up to 20% of the book.

           6.Material (s) borrowed shall be recorded in the Library’s Google book spreadsheet records and shall again be struck out when                        returning the same.

           7. Material(s) to be returned shall also be recorded in the Return log book and may be countersigned by the borrower themselves.

Request of External Researchers* to Use the Library and Its Resources

1. Due to the Library’s very limited space and facilities, the Library is constrained to refuse external researchers’ request to physically use the Library and its resources.  (However, this excludes guests and others having official business in the Department).

2. DOJ-attached agency researchers may just do inquiries but are not allowed to use the physical resources of the Library or even use the Library for any reading opportunity.

3. Request of outsider-students thru email shall be referred to the FOI or the RMS as the case maybe, depending on the nature of the query. Telephone inquiries are also being entertained from outsiders.

4. Legal opinion requests made by government agencies thru email may be answered and provided directly if the query is not confidential in nature.

5. Other queries from private individuals pertaining to Department issuances, legal opinions, etc. shall be coursed thru the FOI or the RMS as the case maybe, depending on the nature of the query.

(Adopted by the Library on June 26, 2023)

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*In general, external researchers refer to non-Department of Justice (DOJ) personnel. This includes those coming from DOJ-attached agencies, other

  government agencies and private offices and individuals.         

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V. NPS (National Prosecution Service) Field Office Book Accountability Clearance Accomplishment     

      When applying for book accountability clearance, the applicant should submit a  certificate of no book accountability, issued          by the book custodian or book accountable officer  of the regional prosecution office(s).  Final clearance shall be granted to          compliant applications.

VI.  GENERAL BOOK ACCOUNTABILITY CLEARANCE SYSTEM

1. Officials and employees of the DOJ Proper applying for book clearance need to have initial checking from the Library’s Circulation/Reading Area on their possible unreturned books/other materials before they can be finally relieved of book accountability.

2. Those with outstanding book accountability, or in case of book loss, the same shall be replaced with exact or similar book, with same edition or whenever possible, a more recent one. If there are no more available titles in the market, lost books may be replaced with any book with similar subject orientation but as much as possible, bearing the latest edition.

3. Clearance applicants from city, provincial and regional Prosecution field offices are required to present their initial book clearance issued by their office, by way of a Certificate of No Book Accountability duly signed by their accountable officer or book custodian. Other specific legal reference materials (like the Revised Manual for Prosecutors and the Codes of Conduct of the Prosecution Service, etc.) issued to Prosecutors/employees and thereafter returned to their respective offices must also be indicated in the Certificate. In case of loss of these legal reference materials, the submission of an Affidavit of Loss will not exempt a clearance applicant from not paying the same. n Order of Payment for any of the books shall have to be secured from the Library to be presented to the Cashier’s Office for payment. After issuing the Official receipt, it shall be photocopied by the Library for record purposes. 

4. Clearance certification from city, province and regional Prosecution offices may also be sent to the Library through email at [email protected], among others. The original hard copy however should follow preferably thru franked snail mail.

5. Retiring, resigning or separating Administrative Officers and /or those designated book custodians must transfer book custodianship accountability
6. to the next designated accountable officer. Statement of such transition shall also be reflected in their book inventory list.

Library-Oriented Issuances

• Memorandum Circular No. 24, s. 1999 dated September 14, 1999 (Accountability With Respect to Law Books/Periodicals and Other Legal Materials Assigned to Prosecutors' Offices​
• Memorandum Circular No. 32, s. 2006 dated November 8, 2006 (Accountability With Respect to Law Books/Periodicals and Other Legal Materials Assigned to Prosecutors' Offices)
• Memorandum Circular No. 59, s. 2015 dated October 29, 2015 (Guidelines for Clearing Library Book Accountability)
• Memorandum Circular No. 42, s. 2016 dated September 28, 2016  (General Advisory Guidelines on Book Accountability)

Opinions of the Secretary of Justice (Please visit the DOJ website)

 

LIBRARY STAFF Marilou M. Santos Librarian V Ma. Rita M. Valle Librarian IV Jayson M. Leynes Administrative Staff Under the Supervision of: DENNIS ARVIN L. CHAN Chief State Counsel MARLYN L. ANGELES Assistant Chief State Counsel MILDRED BERNADETTE B. ALVOR Assistant Chief State Counsel   6 May 2024