Category: Law Libraries

Research and Markets: Law Library Benchmarks, 2010-11 Edition – More Than 31% of Libraries Sampled Said That Their Budgets Would Increase in 2011

Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “Law Library Benchmarks, 2010-11 Edition” report to their offering.

This study presents data from a survey of more than 50 law libraries in the United States and Canada. The study presents overall and per lawyer employed spending on content/materials, books, print reporters, online services and other legal information vehicles. It covers the trends in use of floor space, overall budgets and staffing, including hiring plans and the breakdown in total staff between librarians and other employees.

For the complete story, Click Here.

Visit NJLLA’s web site at http://www.njlla.org.

Law Libraries Transformed

Not long ago, the law library was “a place”. It housed printed materials and staff and provided work space for research. Lawyers went there to use books and consult librarians to locate and complete assignments. Today, the notion of a modern law library is very different, shaped by the skills of specialized researchers and information managers rather than by bookshelves and bound volumes.

For the full article in LLRX, Click Here.

Visit NJLLA’s web site at http://www.njlla.org.

Court Law Libraries Feel the Budget Crunch

In Law.com, Henry Gottlieb writes –

There was a time when lawyers and laymen could go to most county courthouses and find the texts they needed for legal research and, in some large counties, a professional librarian to guide them.

Now, although most courthouses still have libraries, only six have professional law librarians, according to the Administrative Office of the Courts, which keeps tabs on library services in the counties but leaves the budgeting to assignment judges.

For the rest of the article, Click Here.

Visit NJLLA’s web site at http://www.njlla.org.

Law Librarians Cut Costs With "Hot Stuff" Tracking Softward

The ABA Journal reports –

An increasing number of law firms are cutting their law library budgets, spurring some librarians to buy new usage tracking software to make decisions about resources.

Forty-six percent of law librarians surveyed reported that their budgets had been cut, a substantial increase from 9 percent who reported lower budgets last year, the American Lawyer reports. Fifty-seven percent said their firms had cut their library payroll, up from 18 percent last year. The average library budget is now $5.8 million, down from $5.9 million last year.

Law librarians trying to hold the line on costs are using new “hot stuff” software to track usage, according to the American Lawyer story. Armed with the results, law librarians can tell vendors they deserve a price break because they aren’t getting enough bang for the buck. Said one law librarian, “There are a lot of bizarre and complex pricing models out there, and we need to know if they are justified.

For the full story, click here.

Visit NJLLA’s web site at http://www.njlla.org.

The Changing Nature of Law Libraries

Alan Cohen of Law.com writes about the changing nature of law libraries due to expanding online resources –

…[T]he shrinking space — and at some large firms, …the shrinking library staff — isn’t the death knell for the law firm library, but the start of its next, better, technologically advanced phase. Through online hubs like the Milbank Research Portal, lawyers will have fast, fine-tuned access to the resources they need. Librarians will have more control over what sources are used — and what expenses are incurred. Publishers will no longer have all the leverage when negotiating contracts for licensed materials; and, in the end, clients will get better service that’s more cost-efficient, too.

To read the complete article, click here.

Visit NJLLA’s web site at http://www.njlla.org.

Pilot Program in Maryland Offers Help to Pro Se Litigants

In response to a growing number of people who forgo hiring a lawyer when heading into court, the law library at Howard County Circuit Court is providing five hours of free legal assistance each week to litigants who plan to represent themselves.

The Maryland State Law Library awarded a $9,100 grant to Howard to cover the expenses of the three-month pilot project, which began last week.

For more on this story, click here.

Visit NJLLA’s web site at http://www.njlla.org.