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to types of special libraries
History
The
law has relied the most upon the collection and consultation of written
Documents. Lawyers
have prepared codes in order to set fourth all of the
regulations.
The law varies from place to place.
The law library is different from
others in the sense that it has to be a reference
library.
Basically it is a research library where one reference leads to another and
another and
another. The user will have to consult a number of books at the same
time to
solve one problem. Another peculiar nature of a law library is that it has to
keep its
collection up-to-date. There is generally more table space in a law library
due to the
users requirement of consulting numerous books simultaneously.
In the early years, the many
backyard lawyers, with their entire collection of law
would be a
worn copy.
Current
The
total number of law libraries has shown gradual expansion since the 1960’s.
There has been a halt in the
academic posts since 1971. However the private
sector is
growing. The literature of international countries is stopped at the door
due to lack of interest from lawyers. The independent law
library is an important
element in the American law school. As large law firms came into existence
across the
Collection
Development
The
responsibility of the development of the Law Library’s collection rests with
the Law Area Librarian. The policy
is developed in consultation with Law Library
bibliographers responsible for
various jurisdictions/subjects/formats, with
appropriate users and the Law Area
Library Advisory Committee. Selection
decisions made by bibliographers are
based on their knowledge of the subject, a
review of the pertinent literature
and suggestions received from Faculty, Research
Assistants, students, library staff
and other users. The final approval for all
purchases are given by the Law Area
Librarian. Collection Development in a Law
Library is generally accomplished
through the combination of two approaches –
by
jurisdiction and by subject.
Subject
Headings
Broad Subjects
Collected
Air and Space Law
Civil Law
Includes
works of civil law in general subjects as well as on specific interests
Civil
Procedure and Legal Methodology
Common Law
Includes
works of common law in general as well as specific interests.
Comparative Law
Includes
works of comparative law as a methodology as well as works comparing the laws
of various jurisdictions.
Corporate/Commercial Law
Criminal Law
Family / Social Law
Human Rights and
Cultural Diversity
International Business
Law
Excludes the
extraterritorial application of Municipal Law
Legal Traditions and
Legal Theory
Private International
Law
Includes
domestic law – all jurisdictions.
Public and
Constitutional Law
Public International Law
Regulation, Technology
and Society
Taxation Law
Subject Headings for the Literature of
Law and International Law, and Index to LCK Schedules, 3rd ed.
compiled by Tillie Krieger, 1982.
Formats
Law
Library’s are currently in a transition period where both print and electronic
formats (CD-ROM’s, diskettes, and
computer readable tapes) are emphasized.
Print formats include monographs,
treatises, and post-secondary texts,
supplemented texts, loose-leaf services, journals,
indices, law reports, digests,
abridgements, Statutes, regulations, bills,
legislative and state materials, law-
related government documents, bibliographies,
reference materials, selected legal
newspapers. Also theses, prize winning papers
casebooks and examination papers.
Hardbound
versions are preferred over paperbound for titles of permanent
significance
to the collection and titles intended for the Reserve Library.
Paperbound
versions are purchased for lesser-used materials, if this is all that is
available
or if of passing interest only. However, if use is heavy, paperback
versions
will be bound.
Electronic formats are used to
supplement the collection and in cases where
material is not heavily used by
primary users, may replace existing print sources.
Equal access to all primary users is
a major factor in the decision-making to
cancel serial subscriptions in favor
of electronic formats available to users as
possible because of obvious advantages
of wide coverage, research efficiency,
immediacy of availability,
decentralized access but, again depending upon
demand for individual titles, will
maintain print versions in addition to electronic
formats until it becomes obvious
that user needs no longer warrant such a
duplication.
Microforms are acquired as
additional copies for heavily used materials, to
complete gaps in the current
collection, to develop new research collections, as a
long term replacement for
deteriorating print materials, as a replacement for little
used print materials which consume
large quantities of shelf space.
Exclusions as a general rule the Law
Library do not collect the following
materials: newsletters, newspapers,
popular and self-help legal works, juvenile
texts, practice materials, archival
materials and manuscripts, print versions or
unreported court decisions (except
for those of the Supreme Court or the Federal
Court) or transcripts, patents and
standards, bar association materials,
interdisciplinary materials which
are directed more towards, or are already
included in the collection.
The principles of selection is not
the intention of the Law Library to build a
collection which contains all
published legal materials. No library can do this and,
even where such a thing possible, it
would not necessarily be desirable. It is,
however, the ambition of t he Law
Library to build a well-rounded collection
which reflects the legal research
and instructional requirements of its primary
users. The process of balancing the
building of a specific kind of collection with
user demand can prove challenging.
Acquisitions are made by the Law Library
with every attempt to avoid bias,
while meeting the needs of all users. The
exclusion or inclusion of a work in
no way reflects the personal bias of library
staff. In general, selection
decisions are based upon a selection of the following
questions:
Does it fall within the general
criteria of the library’s Collection Development policy with regard to level of coverage for the jurisdiction,
subject matter, language, chronology,
and format?
Is it authoritative? What are the
author’s qualifications? Who is the publisher?
What is its significance to its
field?
What is its potential for use by the
Library’s primary users?
Is it in demand?
What is its importance to the
collection? Is it of permanent or timely value?
Is it well-reviewed or cited often?
Is it the physical quality (solid
binding, acid free paper) of the publication good?
Is the topic already well-covered in
the collection? Is the title easily available \ elsewhere?
Can
the Library afford the price? Which volume will we not buy in order to be able
to afford this one?
Do
we buy every edition or only every second or third edition? How often did the
previous edition circulate?
Is
this material available in both print and electronic format? Is there any
justification for acquiring both formats? Which format provides the greatest
access to the majority of users?
Patrons
Various
categories of people use the library and the level of services.
Non-members
who apply to use the library for short periods, or who telephone asking for
reference or bibliographical information. Whereas a public library is usually
required to admit anyone, as it is any library which holds a Publishers’
Association License, a private society or law firm may limit admission strictly
to its own members. Most academic libraries admit members of other academic or
research institutions, especially staff, on proof of membership, on a broadly
reciprocal basis.
Staff
The
number of people needed to operate a library service depends on several
variables including:
The number of hours the library
should be open to readers.
The number of users to be served,
especially at peak periods.
The
rate of acquisition of new material, including issues of serial
publications and loose-leaf
publications.
The
amount of servicing of a law branch library performed.
By
the central library (where applicable).
The physical layout,
with special reference to:
The number
of service points.
Security
problems.
Putting
books away.
The
first three are probably the most important. It is usually regarded as
essential that the law library should be staffed at all times when it is open.
A
minimum of two staff is recommended and some libraries find it convenient to
cover these hours, at least in part, by the employment of part-time staff. It
is highly desirable that any such part-time staff should be entirely
responsible to the law librarian, rather than being students or other people
whose loyalties could be put under strain. If there are two or more service
points, the number of staff needed will be obviously greater. Back room staff and a Librarian.
Organizations
Associated With
AALL
– American Association of Law Librarians
City Law Librarians Group
City Business Library
The Law Society Library
Institute of Advanced Legal Studies
Library
Law Notes Lending Library
Job
Opportunities
Salary
69000-104,000
Average 83,000
Law Libraries
Private Law firms
Government
Universities of Law
Federal Law Libraries