About the LESA Library

What is the LESA Library?

The LESA Library contains educational content designed to support Alberta articling students, lawyers, and their staff.

What does the LESA Library currently include?

This LESA Library contains digital content from LESA’s Practice Manuals, Fundamentals publications, and seminar papers.

How do I gain access to the LESA Library?

The LESA Library is available on a subscription basis. Contact LESA for details.

How do I search in the LESA Library?

The quickest way to find information is to look it up directly in the search bar near the top right of the screen. Clicking Go (or pressing Enter) will take you to the page, if it exists; clicking Search will search for relevant articles on the LESA Library.

Do you need help navigating the LESA Library? Watch this video for more information.

How does this online resource differ from my print publications?

This online resource incorporates the content from various LESA publications including Practice Manuals and the Alberta Law Fundamentals Series. While this content provides the foundation of this resource, over time the text will be updated and expanded by the online community of registered users.

Is a print publication more reliable than a collaborative online resource?

Both print publications and collaborative online resources can be tremendously useful to lawyers, articling students, and their staff. But, regardless of the format, the content of any secondary source may contain inaccuracies. Even the most thoroughly researched print text can contain errors or omissions. Print publications, which lawyers use extensively, are often written and reviewed by only a relatively small number of people. Further, print resources cannot be updated as quickly as the law can change. Although a collaborative online resource may contain erroneous information, it can be more readily updated and is subject to a greater number of potential peer reviewers than a traditional print publication. When using any secondary source—whether a print publication or an online resource—users should verify the information against primary sources (e.g. legislation or cases).

Can just anyone make changes to the resource content?

No. Only registered users have access to this online resource. To become a registered user, you must be a paid subscriber or have received special permission from LESA.

If any registered user can make changes to the resource content, how do I know the content is accurate?

You don’t, but that should not diminish the usefulness of the LESA Library. Although registered users may introduce inaccuracies, the fact that LESA Library content can be changed instantly means that any introduced errors can be very quickly corrected. In addition, the comparatively vast number of potential peer reviewers means that far more information can be added over time, that diverse viewpoints are more likely to be reflected, and that updates and corrections can occur far more quickly than a resource developed using the traditional print publishing model.

Can all content be modified by registered users?

No. While the vast majority of content can be modified by registered users, some content is protected. For example, disclaimers and sample documents can only be changed by LESA administrators. LESA also reserves the right to restrict the editing permissions of individual users or to restrict editing of any specific article. Please contact LESA directly with questions relating to these restrictions or with suggested changes to protected content.

Why can’t I make changes anonymously?

To help encourage users to exercise care in editing the LESA Library content, we want users to be willing to put their name on the changes they make. This also enables LESA administrators to easily identify and restrict any user found abusing his or her editing privileges.

I have found some outdated material on the site. How do I go about having it changed?

Just change it! Click the “edit” link on the bottom of the relevant page, then preview and save your changes. Then congratulate yourself—you have just done a great service for the other members of this online community. A quick guide to wiki formatting can be found here.

How do I format text or pages in an entry?

A quick guide to wiki formatting can be found here. For more options, please feel free to visit MediaWiki's Editing Pages and Formatting Guide.

What if I make a mistake when editing or want to see a prior version of a page?

All changes made to a page are logged. To see the history of a page, to compare two versions of a page, or to rollback to a prior version of a page, click on the “history” link at the bottom of that page.

Who reviews or approves my changes when I edit the resource?

Changes are reflected instantly and are not subject to prior approval, so please verify that the changes you make are correct. Ultimately, your changes are subject to review and editing by other LESA Library users.

LESA hopes to cultivate an active community of volunteer editors to monitor new and changing content. Please contact LESA directly if you would like more information about this volunteer opportunity.

How do I post a comment about an article without altering the text of the resource?

Every article has an associated discussion page. To access this discussion page, click on the “discussion” link at the top of that page. Here, you can leave comments or engage in discussion about the associated article (viewable by all registered users), without changing the text of the article itself. Note that this discussion is logged and your comments are not anonymous.

What is the best way to keep up to date on changes made to this resource?

When you login to the site, you can look at the “Recent changes” section (see the left navigation bar), which displays all edits, file uploads, page moves, deletions, and other actions done in the LESA Library. If you are only interested in changes to specific topics, consider using the “watchlist” feature near the top right of the screen. This feature is similar to the “Recent changes” display, but it only shows changes across your set of “watched” pages. You can add a page to your watchlist by clicking the “watch” link at the bottom of that page.

How can I best use this resource?

The LESA Library is designed as a research starting point and is not a substitute for professional judgment and independent verification. Make sure to check the cases, statutes, and other references. Consult the article’s discussion page and revision history to see if there are outstanding disputes over the contents of an article.

How do I change my password or other information?

Clicking on the “Preferences” link near the top right of the screen allows you to change your password, as well as other types of settings.

How can I help with this project?

Any registered user can decide to take an active role, reviewing and editing content in areas of that person’s expertise. In addition, we are looking for designated individuals to regularly monitor certain portions of the site. If you would like to participate, please contact us.

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