SURVEY OF WEB SUBSCRIPTIONS IN
TWIN CITIES LAW FIRM LIBRARIES
by Janice Leichter, Maslon, Edelman, Borman & Brand, Minneapolis, MN
"Downtowners" is an ad hoc group of law library professionals which meets monthly to discuss issues and concerns facing library and research personnel in Twin Cities (Minnesota) law firms. Our January 1999 presentation dealt with Web products and the reasons law firms subscribe to particular ones. The survey resulted, in part, from a panel discussion given by legal vendors in the fall of 1998. The Program Committee of LibraryFest MidWest (1) submitted questions to representatives of the legal publishing business asking about the advantages of legal publications being placed on the Web. Not surprisingly, the answers and comments were summarized by remarks with customer-based and market-driven examples.
I decided to investigate which Web publications or services law firms are subscribing to in the Twin Cities. After speaking with several librarians and researchers, I e-mailed a simple questionnaire (2) to some law firms along with a promise of anonymity. The e-mail asked the following questions about each title:
- Who recommended its purchase?
- Who handled any necessary training?
- Who were the intended and actual users?
- Did the subscription replace another source of similar information; was it duplicative or complementary?
- What was the effect on library costs?
A question regarding the currentness of the information and its ease of use on the Web became confusing because it implied a comparison. People were not certain if the product was being compared to the hard copy, a CD-ROM version, or another Web product of a similar nature. Consequently, this particular question was not followed up during the meeting.
Generally, of the Web, or Internet (3) , subscriptions discussed, the greatest satisfaction seems to be with those that provide current awareness. BNA Daily Labor Report, Dun & Bradstreet Internet Access, LivEdgar, etc. deliver information that is perceived as being current and timely. Products, such as the latter two, charge only for the information requested. LivEdgar is very generous with passwords and charges moderately for its information. The BNA Daily Labor Report, available as a site license, allows multiple users access to the same information at once, and gives attorneys the opportunity to alert their clients almost immediately about items of interest. Of the titles based on legal loose-leaf treatises, the most positive comments made were about RIA CheckPoint: Tax and RIA CheckPoint: Pension & Benefits. Internet access, as opposed to subscribing to the CD-ROM counterpart, forestalls network and upgrade issues that could add pressure to network administrators’ responsibilities. One library administrator did note that verifying the currentness of the information on the Internet was just as necessary as when the materials were available in print format. Updates of the content may be easier for the vendor to do, but it does not necessarily follow that they will be done any faster. Products that offer a different point of access to the information are also appreciated. IndexMaster is a good example of a product that has found a niche and complements the Legal Information Buyer’s Guide by Kendall Svengalis.
PURCHASE AND INTENDED USERS
From the responses gathered, indications are that both librarians and attorneys initiate the request for Web access. Setting up a Web account to access often requested information can be very practical. In smaller institutions, librarians look for ways to reduce their online bills. ne staff of larger libraries also looks at ways to reduce time and costs associated with maintaining multiple sets of loose-leaf treatises sometimes in multiple locations. It is not unusual for libraries to start a subscription speculating that as their clientele changes (new associates comfortable with computers) and/or becomes aware of the product, the subscription will justify its addition to the budget. Attorneys desiring to stay current with their clients’ interests, frustrated at not being able to locate the required volume, or listed at the bottom of the route slip will lobby for other formats that give them better access. The sense of the participants at this meeting was that presently users are very few, but potentially usage will increase although no one knows how soon this shift will actually occur.
TRAINING
While the library or research staff is expected to know how to access Web subscriptions, the participants at the meeting believe that the power users are already very computer-literate and comfortable with Internet protocols. This means that some attorneys and paralegals actually do use a subscription consistently. People who have used the CD-ROM version are more likely to be successful switching to the Web version. Others ignore it, if possible; or give a research project to the library staff, to paralegals or to young associates. Training can be an issue. The publishers do support their products with in-house presentations, telephone support, and/or tutorials in one format or another. To the library staff, however, the difference between assertions of user-friendly or intuitive programs and the actual problems encountered are very genuine and often time consuming. Attorneys, and to a lesser extent, librarians, do not want to wait very long for an Internet connection to be established or to spend a lot of time learning yet another new search terminology and strategy. The sophistication and proprietary structure of a product may work against it on the Internet.
DUPLICATION VS. REPLACEMENT
Representatives of the larger law firms were more likely to comment that an Internet subscription replaced another format, often the CD-ROM version or the 2nd or 3rd set of a loose-leaf treatise. Often a paper edition has to be retained for occasional users. Quantifying any savings in online costs is difficult; no one could say conclusively that there is one. Assumptions were that savings were in staff time because information did not have to be updated or routed manually. There were savings in attorney time through immediate access to information via Internet. Needless to say everyone is aware of bandwidth problems and the vagaries of connecting to the ‘Net. Until recently, floor space costs have not been as strong an issue in the Twin Cities as elsewhere (4).
EFFECT OF COSTS
Midwestern librarians and researchers seem reticent when discussing the details of budgets and licenses. Publishers generally include confidentiality clauses in the subscription agreements. Individuals at the meeting claimed they received a good discount for switching to the Internet product but were realistic and concerned about increases for renewals. The debate on UCC Article 213 continues about the shrinkwrapped license and other electronic licensing issues. The group noted that the cost of a single-user license, a network license, a multi-user license, and other permutations can make it difficult for the person with budget responsibilities to determine and compare the true cost of various subscription formats.
CONCLUSION
Twin Cities librarians and legal researchers are a pragmatic group and understand the benefits of Internet access to some very powerful legal resources for their clientele. The increasingly high cost of serial subscriptions makes electronic searching, access, and delivery of full text more popular than ever. The Downtowners registered satisfaction with some Internet titles, and they realize that the move of some publications to the Web has been successful. What does this mean for librarians and those who provide electronic information in law firms? It means here in the Twin Cities that librarians need to become even more outspoken about which electronic publications should appear on our law office desktop PCs. Some Web products are just not ready for prime time. Abrupt upgrades, uncertainty about location of archives, proprietary search engines, lack of standardization that does not use WWW capabilities, all work against the publisher’s best intentions. Publishers need to make the switch to electronic products a lot easier and smoother and do it sooner rather than later. In addition, it would not hurt to hold down the subscription costs.
FOOTNOTES
1. "Fee-based Web Products", Panel Presentation. LibraryFest Midwest (3rd Annual Midwest Regional Law Library Conference). Milwaukee, WI, October 8, 1996.
2. See attached questionnaire on page 8
3. I am using Web and Internet interchangeably in this article because most casual users see the Internet as the World Wide Web.
4. "Space Planning in Light of Changing Technologies and Patron Services", Panel Discussion. Minnesota Association of Law Libraries. Minneapolis, MN. January 27, 1999.