Basics of Law Librarianship

Here is an essential introductory guide on all aspects of law librarianship written especially for non-law librarians, library school students, and beginning law librarians. Although there are several excellent practical handbooks and numerous articles on specific topics of law librarianship for practicing law librarians, Basics of Law Librarianship is the only resource that addresses the information needs of the student or new law librarian. Author Deborah Panella, managing librarian of a large, prominent New York law firm, explores the major areas of law librarianship. She covers vital topics such as the legal clientele, collection development, research tools, technical services, impact of technology, and management issues, and describes what makes law libraries different from other special libraries. She has written a clear, readable volume without excessive detail or the use of special terminology. The bibliography of law library literature and the index add enormously to the book's value as a major reference.

Auteur

Deborah Panella

Contenu

Contents Chapter One: The History and Nature of Law Libraries

• History of Law Libraries
• Types of Law Libraries
• Chapter Two: The Nature of the Legal Field and the Legal Clientele
• The Nature of the Legal Clientele
• The Nature of Legal Research Tools
• Chapter Three: Collection Development
• Growing Importance of Collection Development
• The Acquisitions Policy
• Alternatives to Purchasing Legal Materials
• Selection Tools
• Current Awareness Sources
• Weeding
• Chapter Four: Technical Services
• Library Acquisitions
• Check-In Systems for Serial Records
• Routing
• Missing Books
• Superseded Material
• Preservation
• Cataloging and Classification
• Managing Special Collections
• Chapter Five: User Services
• Information Needs of the Clientele
• Legal Databases
• Legislative Databases
• Non-Legal Databases
• Chapter Six: The Impact of Technology on Law Libraries
• Microfilm and Microfiche
• Computer Databases
• CD-ROMS
• The Librarian as Consumer
• The Librarian as Educator
• Chapter Seven: Management Issues
• The Law Library Director and the Organization's Administration
• Space Planning and Design
• Disaster Planning
• Marketing the Law Library
• Budgeting
• Chapter Eight: Personnel and Staffing Issues
• The MLS
• The JD
• Continuing Education
• Burnout
• Career Options for Law Librarians
• Comparable Worth
• Ethics and Professional Responsibility
• Staffing
• Chapter Nine: Special Issues for Law Firm Libraries
• Client Billing
• Confidentiality and Security Issues
• Representing the Unpopular Client
• Managing Branches
• Mergers
• Dissolving the Library
• Summer Associates
• Teaching Legal Research
• Chapter Ten: Special Issues for Academic Law Libraries
• Accreditation of Law School Libraries
• Sharing Resources
• Faculty Status and Tenure
• Teaching Legal Research
• The Student Employee
• Conservation and Preservation
• Chapter 11: Special Issues for Government-Sponsored Law Libraries
• Clientele With Various Needs
• Dealing With the Public
• Budgetary Constraints
• Space Limitations
• Meeting the Need for Non-Legal Research
• General Bibliography
• Index