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Opportunities for Law Librarians at:
Academic Law Libraries:
Consider academic law librarianship for the opportunity to be involved in the scholarly process
and the in-depth exploration of legal issues.
Combine Teaching, Research and Library Management.
Academic law librarians are an integral part of the daily life of a law school community.
They routinely instruct law students in the effective use of print and online research
tools through individualized assistance at the reference desk and occasionally in the
classroom. they also work closely with law school professors. Law school librarians
often hold faculty rank and tenure and engage in research, publication, and professional
activities.
In addition, academic law librarians perform functions essential to operating the library,
such as acquiring, processing, and cataloging new library materials; preserving existing
collections; and disseminating information about the holdings and services of the library
in a variety of formats. Larger libraries may employ specialists in foreign and international
law and in computer operations.
Law school librarians generally hold master of library science degrees from
ALA-accredited library schools.
A growing number also have law degrees, although this in not always required.
Choose From a Variety of Geographical Locations and School Sizes
Law schools, both publicly and privately supported, are situated in virtually every
state in the United States and in the Canadian provinces. They can be found in large
urban centers and rural areas. Most law libraries are attached to major universities.
Just as the schools vary considerably in size, ranging from less than 200 students to
more that 2,000, the libraries which serve them also differ in such things as
collection, staff, and budget. However, according to a 1991 survey of over 175
accredited schools by the American Bar Association, the average law school library
has a collection of about 320,000 books and microform volume equivalents, employs 8
professional staff members, and annually spends nearly $1.4 million. The primary users
of academic law libraries are law students and professors, but members of the university
community, the practicing bar, and the general public may be served as well.
The Academic Law Libraies Special Interest Section
The academic Law Libraries Special Interest Section (ALL/SIS) was established in 1979
to promote interests and address issues of common concern to those employed in academic
law libraries. The SIS serves as the umbrella organization for all interests -
administration, collection development, consortia, directors, fees for service,
interlibrary loan, public services, technical services, and middle management. This
organization model recognizes that there is a place for all academic librarians in the
SIS and provides opportunities for those with special expertise to contribute to the
overall betterment of the larger group.
At the AALL Annual Meeting, the AALL/SIS hosts a reception for its members, sponsors a
directors' workshop, a middle managers' workshop and conducts a business meeting. The
SIS continually sponsors a variety of educational programs and workshops at the Annual
meeting. The AALL/SIS Newsletter, published three times per year, informs
members of activities and resources of special interest to them. Because of the SIS's
broad coverage and sub-topic focus, those not working in academic law libraries can
benefit from membership and are encouraged to join.
Government Law Librarians:
Looking for the opportunity to use a wide range of skills while meeting the library and
information needs of a diverse clientele? Consider a career in a state, court, country or
bar association library.
Government Libraries are Found in all Shapes and Sizes
Serving the legal information needs of the judiciary, the practicing bar, and the
general public; government law libraries offer employment options worldwide. They
are found in every setting imaginable, from the large urban federal court library
to the relatively isolated county law library. Locations can be as diverse as the
County of Carleton Law Associations in Ontario
or the Johannesburg Law Library in South Africa.
Some are operated by bar associations and exist as membership subscription libraries.
Others are government entities supporting those who perform judicial or administrative
functions. Still others are state or county libraries open to the public and serving
both lawyers and non-lawyer constituencies.
State, court, county and bar association law libraries range in size from the very large
research and international collections of the Los Angeles County Law Library and Boston's
Social Law Library to the medium-sized collections at the Grand Rapids (Michigan) Bar
Association and the Clark County (Nevada) Law Library to the basic working collections
of found in the rural county courthouses of Pennsylvania and Ohio. Government libraries
may be one-person operations in which the librarian does a little bit of everything,
including collection development, budgeting, cataloging, reference, and database searching.
Or they may have large professional staffs, giving each person the chance to specialize
and master the use of the sophisticated library and information technologies that are
found in most government law libraries today.
Government law librarians generally hold master of library sciences degrees from
ALA-accredited library schools. Some
may also hold government and public administration degrees or law degrees, but these are
not usually required.
Face a Challenging Array of Library and Information Needs on a Daily Basis.
The one constant of state, court, county and bar association libraries is that each
day will be different. The ability to juggle a variety of research topics in essential
for libraries serving not only the whole of a legal community but the public as well.
On any given day, you might serve a judge, a public defender, and a prosecutor working
on the same case. Or you might help a member on the public write her own will, file
for his own divorce, or initiate a small claims court proceeding. Meeting the diverse
needs of so many different people is both challenging and satisfying.
The State, Court and County Law Libraries Special Interest Section.
Government librarians were among the first to receive special interest section status
within the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) when the group was officially
recognized as the State, Court and County Law Libraries Special Interest Section
(SCCLL/SIS) on June 25, 1977. Then, as now, the purpose was to improve the quality
and service of the member libraries and to represent the interests and concerns of
government librarians within AALL.
The highly collegial members of SCCLL/SIS exchange information and provide guidance
on such topics as long-range planning and budgeting, trustee relationships, statistics,
fund raising and library standards. The SIS maintains a number of standing committees
which reflect its many concerns, such as Interlibrary Services, Relations with the
Judiciary, Computer Assisted Library Services, and Services to the Disabled.
SCCLL/SIS regularly holds business meetings during the AALL Annual Meeting, as well
as sponsoring educational programs and workshops. In addition, SCCLL/SIS publishes a
quarterly newsletter that highlights the activities of the group and discusses issues
of interest to its members.
Private Law Librarians:
Consider private law librarianship for the opportunity to provide critical information
support to the legal profession. Be a vital part of the fast-paced, exciting, and
challenging world of the practice of law.
Choose From Diverse Employment Options Throughout the Country.
Private law librarians are employed in law firms of all sizes in towns and cities
throughout the country. They also manage the law libraries of corporate legal
departments and governmental agencies. A fast-growing group of self-employed individuals
provide independent consulting services to these institutions as well. In each setting,
private law librarians support the information needs required for the efficient practice
of law by competitive, for-profit businesses.
Utilize a Variety of Librarianship Skills.
The services provided by private law librarians are diverse and highly dependant upon
the size of the firm, the nature of its practice, the scope of the library collections,
and the size and training of the staff. Although a few professionals may specialize in
one particular aspect of law librarianship, today's private law librarian is likely to
manage most, if not all, aspects of the library: cataloging, reference and research, and
personnel supervision. Because the staffs of many private law libraries are small, the
librarian must be familiar with all areas of law librarianship and provide cross-training
for the staff so that they can provide competent support services to the firm's clientele.
The librarian's information science skills may also be applied to the management of the
records department, docket control, or in-house education programs.
The challenge of providing hard-to-locate information on a timely basis is a key feature
of private law librarianship. Typical reference services may include database searching,
bibliography preparation, client development and marketing support, and current awareness
programs.
Private law librarians generally hold master of library sciences degrees from
ALA-accredited library schools. Specialized
coursework in law librarianship, legal bibliography, and government documents is particularly
valuable. Some may also have law degrees, but these are not usually required.
The Private Law Libraries Special Interest Section.
The Private Law Libraries Special Interest Sections (PLL/SIS) evolved in 1977 from AALL's
Private Law Libraries Committee, a group established in 1959 after a roundtable discussion
entitled "The Problems of Private Law Libraries." PLL/SIS is now the Associations's largest
special interest section. As a result of its size, two subgroups have been organized:
Corporate Law Librarians and Independent Law Librarians.
In pursuing its goal of improving the quality and services of private law libraries,
the SIS addresses a complex set of issues and problems through and ambitious array of
programs and activities. PLL/SIS publishes a bimonthly newsletter, PLL Perspectives;
sponsors a variety of educational programs and workshops at each AALL Annual Meeting;
conducts salary and law firm surveys; and works to promote the interest of private law
librarians with such groups as the Association of Legal Administrators and the American
Bar Association.
Because of the wide range of interests pursued by the SIS, even those not working in
private law libraries can benefit from membership and are encouraged to join.
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