Law Librarianship is Not About Books or Coffee Machines

Espresso Machines are Lousy Substitutes for Law Library Leadership (3 Geeks and a Law Blog 4/22/16 blog post):

“…. Law Librarianship is not about the number of books on the shelf. It is not about turning shelves into collaboration spaces or coffee bars. It is about positioning the firm in a manner that aligns resources, internal and external; human and information, in a way that puts the firm on a better competitive footing. It’s about risk-management. It’s about negotiating the best deals with very expensive vendors. It’s about evaluating what is, and what is not needed to support the practices of the firm. It takes a strong leader, one with vision of where the law library fits in the strategic goals of the firm, in order to guide the firm on the correct path. Leaving these leadership positions empty, or eliminating them altogether may have short-term financial gains, but long-term repercussions that will plague firms for many years to come….” [Link to full article.]

Read more law librarian / law firm / client management posts from 3 Geeks and a Law Blog and other ABA Law Blawgs.

Bret Christensen says:

May 12, 2016 at 8:32 am

While this article focuses on firm law libraries, they aren’t the only ones in the game. There was talk (a while ago) about turning my office into a coffee shop. Thankfully, our Board of Trustees shot the idea down as it degrades what law libraries are about. You want coffee? Go to a book store. You want legal resources that will help you win your case or get a noisy neighbor off your back, then head over to your local county law library. Law Librarians are here to help you look your best in court and in life (and not keep you awake).