Exploring the Future of the Law LibraryHouston Area Law Librarians

February 14, 2007

Steve Anderson

Maryland State Law Librarysteve.anderson@mdcourts.gov

Introduction

• 2 Topics (yes, only 2!)

1. The future of AALL

2. The library of the future

The Future of AALL

• Strategic Directions• Education• Leadership• Advocacy

– Chapters and SIS’s are welcome to consider their initiatives in light of these factors

– Key points– Outreach to external entities– Advocacy Summit on authentication of digital legal

information– Continuing education initiatives

The Future of AALL

• New Orleans Annual Meeting– (Thank you, Houston, for your assistance

to your colleagues in Louisiana!)

• Q&A time!

The Library of the Future

• Tenet 1: Crystal balls are sometimes cloudy…but

– Prepare for an increase in digital materials

– Paper continues for a while to be the easiest source of information to preserve

– Copyright problems increase– Most users will prefer to use information

sources in digital format outside of libraries

The Library of the Future

• Tenet 2: Libraries only perform three tasks…

– Build collections– Preserve and maintain collections– Guide library users to these collections

and ensure that users fully take advantage of collections

– (In my view, these are the “rightful roles” of the library—both now and in the future.)

The Library of the Future

• Tenet 3: Libraries must survey their environment…

– Perform a SWOT analysis• (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities,

Threats)

– Provide superior customer service• (Would you recommend this library’s services

to a friend?)

– Become “embedded”• (In your institution’s management; in your

user’s information seeking)

The Library of the Future

• Tenet 4: Libraries must build for the future…

– Librarians’ legacies are what we provide for coming generations

– Librarians are all stewards– Librarians must envision 2012, 2017,

2057, 2107, 2507…– What happened to the Library of

Alexandria?

The Library of the Future

• Tenet 5: Librarians must act with justice…

– Justice is fidelity to a relationship– Consider relationships with library users,

colleagues, management, vendors, potential users, and future generations

– (For law librarians, there’s an added benefit—others will view the legal profession more positively, thereby enhancing access to justice.)

The Library of the Future

• Now… remember:– The crystal ball outlook– Libraries’ 3 main tasks– Environmental scanning– Building for the future– Acting with justice

• And…

The Library of the Future

• Close your eyes (Close ‘em!)…– What will your library look like?– What do you need to do now to prepare

for it?– What will you need in the long-term to get

there?– What will the librarianship profession look

like?

THANK YOU!