Volume 18, No. 1
October 2003

Electronic Issues Interest Group
Marylin J. Raisch, Chair

The theme which emerged from this year's well-attended meeting was a call for the centralization of useful information about electronic sources and initiatives by and for the FCIL-SIS itself- electronically, of course, at its web site. In addition, several of the attendees described projects and challenges at each of their respective institutions.

The number and scope of library-initiated electronic publications was varied and interesting, ranging from a religious freedom law database at the law school of Brigham Young University to the challenge posed by accessing official legal gazettes, not only through the Library of Congress GLIN database but also historically.

With regard to the centralization of information, particularly on foreign law, some concrete proposals were made (and some elaborated upon in a separate meeting) to attempt the following:

1. Mount on the FCIL-SIS web page some summary collection descriptions for different institutions, inspired by but updating and expanding upon some of the information gathered in Ellen Schaffer's Directory of foreign law collections in selected law libraries (Littleton, CO: F.R. Rothman & Co., 1991);

2. Create a clearinghouse of database reviews to assist FCIL librarians with evaluation for purchase (supplementing information which can be gleaned indirectly from some consortia websites);

3. Share and publicize developing regional initiatives such as ones mentioned for Caribbean legal materials

Most librarians in attendance reported that they are supporting graduate programs in law, which are increasing in size and in geographical scope. The growth of these programs makes necessary the provision of database manuals in languages other than English, distance learning for multi-location programs, and more specialized research instruction, as in sub-topics of environmental law, for example.

The integration of formats and the globalization of legal information have settled into the realm of the given at this point, and the questions, desires, and suggestions of the group underscored the importance of the themes that will be stressed in the upcoming banner 2004 AALL annual meeting for FCIL librarians, literally from Boston to Mumbai.