In August 1993, Academic Law Libraries SIS Chair Arturo Torres charged a special committee of the SIS (Dick Danner, Jim Milles, Adeen Postar, Rita Reusch, and Barbara Szalkowski) to create a vision statement for the future of the academic law library.

The committee began its work by working through a series of exercises designed to identify trends affecting academic law libraries, the opportunities and threats each trend poses to the academic law library, the strengths the library brings to dealing with the effects of the trend, and the library's weaknesses in confronting it.

Based on a refinement of the list of trends, the committee developed a statement of the core values of academic law librarianship and a preliminary statement of vision for the academic law library in the 21st century. The brief vision statement is underpinned by the core values.

The committee emphasizes that the vision statement is preliminary in form and that its report does not include a plan of action through which academic law librarians can bring the vision into reality. The committee recommends, after review and possible further refinement by the members of the Section, that:

1. the statement be presented for review and comment by law school deans, faculty members, technologists, and others interested in the future of the academic law library; and
2. a new task force be appointed to finalize the statement and to develop action plans to assist academic law libraries in meeting the vision.

In conclusion, the chair would like to thank each of the committee members for their enthusiastic participation in the project and their valuable contributions to the end result.

Vision Statement

Our vision is for the 21st century academic law library to play the leading role in supporting the research and instructional activities of the law school by

1. creating the means of access to legal information for the law school community,
2. becoming active developers and publishers of electronic and other legal information products for the benefit of our primary communities and others,
3. developing information and communications systems linking the law school to local, national and international information sources, and
4. providing instruction for law students and others in the techniques of effective legal research and information retrieval.

The law library will also play a major role in partnership with law school computing professionals in the development of overall computing services within the law school, and an active role in fulfilling law school goals in diversification and internationalization.

The Core Values of Academic Law Librarianship

1. To provide access to legal information in all its forms to the law school community and other users of the law library.
2. To provide instruction in legal research and the development of skills for direct retrieval of legal information.
3. To support the research efforts and instructional activities of law school faculty.
4. To promote and provide support for the uses of electronic information systems throughout the law school.
5. To work both individually and through professional organizations with commercial vendors and others in the development of new and improved legal information products.
6. To ensure the preservation of authenticated sources of legal information.
7. To support the principles of public access to legal information, fair use, and the provision of legal information at lowest appropriate costs.

Environmental Trends Affecting Academic Law Libraries

I. Changes in the forms of and means of access to legal information

A. The increasing availability of legal information in digitized form.

Opportunities for Academic law libraries

1. To play new roles assisting users in navigating through an increasingly complex information environment, evaluating and selecting information for users, and adding value and improving access to information obtained electronically from remote sources.
2. To develop local networked information sources (e.g., gophers) to make available and organize local information (course materials, faculty publications, research guides) for the law school community.
3. To develop new information products in collaboration with other libraries, law school computing professionals, and vendors of legal information.
4. To use CD-ROM and other locally-held digitized information sources to expand the library's role as the source for legal information within the law school, on campus, and to outside users.

Threats to Academic law libraries

1. That others (computing professionals, information vendors, etc.) may be better positioned to compete for organizational and navigational roles with electronic information, and that librarians will be relegated to role as caretakers for remaining print resources.
2. That ease of direct use of electronic sources will create less need for library staff intermediaries.
3. That librarians may be unable to provide means to organize and create access to vast amounts of new digitized information.
4. From the possible rapid obsolescence of formats and technology (e.g., is it worthwhile to invest in the hardware needed to support effective and convenient multi-user access to CD-ROM products when the format may become obsolete?)
5. To the continued development of collections of material in other formats.
6. That unresolved copyright and licensing issues will affect libraries' abilities to provide an appropriate mix of electronic services for their constituencies.

Strengths of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In the law library's traditional responsibilities for making information in all forms accessible and useable for library users.
2. In the law library's established instructional role in legal research and information retrieval.
3. In the library's established organizational position within the law school and existing staffs whose efforts can be redirected.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In possible need to compete more seriously for limited resources within the law school.
2. In need to continue to support both print and electronic research materials from limited budgets.
3. In historically limited abilities of librarians to influence vendors on content of products, conformity to standards, common search engines.
4. In lack of established base of staff expertise in electronic products and technology.
5. In limited space for necessary new equipment and new methods for research.

B. The Development of new approaches to searching for and locating information.

Opportunities for Academic law libraries

1. To participate in the development of search engines and to direct product development in ways that will most closely meet users' specific needs.
2. To shift focus of librarian activities away from collecting and organizing local information to locating information efficiently and effectively no matter where it is held.

Threats to Academic law libraries

1. To be left in a passive caretaking role, if librarians abandon the development of new modes of accessing information to computer professionals.
2. To maintaining expertise and competency in face of multiplicity of approaches to locating and selecting information.
3. To librarians' role as expert intermediaries if enhanced or standardized software meets users' needs for effective direct access to information.

Strengths of Academic Law Libraries in face of the trend

1. In academic libraries' traditional place as one of the first places new technologies appear in regular use.
2. In libraries' historical role in improving access to information; librarians' understanding of what kinds of approaches work and which do not, of patron's needs as well as machine needs.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In libraries' lack of resources to experiment with new products.
2. In lack of experience in product development and traditional focus on collecting and organizing information, rather than on developing means for accessing it.
3. In librarians' perceived tendency to be reactive and passive regarding development of information products and technologies.
4. In lack of computer and information technology expertise on law library staffs.

C. Greater reliance on providing access to information and document delivery services in place of ownership.

Opportunities for Academic law libraries.

1. To transform idea of library acquisitions from purchase of materials for local library shelves to providing hardware, software, and communications which will support access to anything available electronically.
2. For access to more information, with less need for individual purchases of less-used titles and sets.
3. For new forms of cooperative activities among libraries and with vendors and other parties.
4. To define how access tools are organized to maximize ease of access.
5. To make more information directly available to library patrons without librarian intervention.

Threats to the Academic law library

1. To the importance of the library as a place if remote access reduces users needs to come into the library to obtain information.
2. In unresolved copyright issues and the implications of fee- based information services for resource sharing and free access to information within the library.
3. That "just in time" philosophy may not satisfy law school users needs.
4. That librarians might over-emphasize technology and lose perspective on the basic values of information provision.
5. To librarian's role if patrons deal directly with document suppliers and vendors.

Strengths of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In training and experience in identifying and accessing wide ranges of sources of information.
2. In strong base of cooperation with other libraries that can be expanded to accommodate new information needs of users, and to make full use of new document delivery providers.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In that cooperation among academic law libraries may not be strong or reliable enough to support shared collection responsibilities.
2. In accreditation standards that emphasize ownership and physical space over effective access.
3. In lack of experience developing and justifying use of financial resources to obtain materials that will not be owned by library, but will be kept by patron.
4. In finding means to provide services to secondary patrons in transaction-based environment.

D. Breakdown of traditional legal publishing marketplace.

Opportunities for Academic Law Libraries

1. To influence the new generation of legal information publishers and suppliers.
2. To maintain and expand communications with all publishers to enhance possibilities for cooperative development of new legal information services.

Threats to Academic Law Libraries

1. In the possibility that there will be fewer choices among published products and an adverse impact on scholarship.
2. In potential instability and confusion in the market, with too much centralization, less emphasis on products and services than on profit, playing to larger markets rather than specialized, higher costs, and reduced selection of titles.
3. In the lack of standardization among electronic sources.

Strength of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In skills in evaluating competing products.
2. In established relationships with traditional publishers and vendors.
3. In potential through professional organizations to operate as group to influence vendors.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In the difficulties of individual libraries to articulate needs.
2. In that cooperative endeavors among libraries may be perceived as emphasizing confrontation, rather than cooperation with vendors.
3. In the small size of the academic law library market and the possibility of losing influence with new vendors in a mass market environment.

II. Trends in Legal Scholarship and Research

A. Increased acceptance of and reliance on electronic forms of information by faculty and students.

Opportunities for Academic law libraries

1. To make the transition to reliance on electronic sources and away from duplication of materials in multiple formats.
2. To create an enhanced role for the library in assisting researchers in locating and evaluating sources of electronic information.
3. To enlarge teaching role to cover Internet resources, CD- ROMs and other resources, and generally to improve methods for teaching electronic research.

Threats to Academic law libraries

1. In users' loss of abilities to browse in traditional ways and make use of serendipity factor in research.
2. In devaluation of non-electronic formats, and creation of user expectation that the best information will always be in that format.
3. In reduced financial support for the library in favor of providing faculty and students with resources for accessing information from non-library sources.
4. In growth of citation and authentication problems for electronic data while rules of precedent, citation form, etc., are still largely tied to print resources.

Strengths of Academic libraries in face of the trend

1. In that libraries are in forefront of use of electronic information in law schools, experienced as facilitators in information access, and usually the most technologically literate and advanced segment of law school community.
2. In extensive contacts with students, who require libraries to meet their expectations, even if law school as a whole is are slow to catch on to the newest trends.
3. In librarians' skills to evaluate electronic products and suggest their uses for patrons.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of trend

1. In limited resources to obtain and maintain new technology- based information sources, while maintaining print resources.
2. In that document delivery is still tied largely to delivery of print resources and libraries have limited abilities to order and receive information directly in electronic form.
3. In that instruction in electronic resources is still largely done by individual vendors, rather than by librarians.

B. Greater emphasis on interdisciplinary studies.

Opportunities for Academic law libraries

1. To provide new levels of service to users needing assistance in non-law areas.
2. For increased cooperation and dialogue with other local libraries, other partners in multi-type networks and consortia.
3. To expand expertise of law library staffs.

Threats to Academic law libraries

1. In that increased resources for nonlaw materials may mean fewer resources for non-core legal subjects.
2. In need to develop subject expertise in non-law areas at a time when need for staff skills in technology and other areas of legal research (foreign and international law) are equally pressing.
3. From being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information and sources available in unfamiliar disciplines.
4. In the difficulties defining parameters of non-law collections: should they be basic materials or those to meet specific interests of faculty researchers.

Strengths of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In the traditional library willingness to accommodate faculty and student research needs and to involve faculty in collection development decisions.
2. In librarians' experience with non-law databases through legal database gateways and increasing emphasis on non-law materials in Lexis and Westlaw.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In staff's lack of bibliographic and reference knowledge for non-law subjects.
2. In limited budgets, with increasing pressures from all sides.

C. Greater interest in international approaches.

Opportunities for Academic law libraries

1. To enhance status of library and staff through greater international knowledge and coverage.
2. To expand contacts with other libraries in the U.S. and abroad for resource sharing and sharing of personal expertise.
3. To expand staff expertise in languages and foreign jurisdictions.

Threats to Academic law libraries

1. May detract from resources devoted to other areas.
2. Without specialized training librarians may not have requisite knowledge to meet patron needs.
3. Inability to deal with language requirements; difficulties in dealing with foreign information suppliers, vendors and jobbers.

Strengths of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In the strong foreign and international law collections in some law libraries.
2. In the existing cooperative efforts of law libraries to provide access to foreign and international legal information, and to share staff expertise.
3. In the AALL commitment to training foreign and international law librarians.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In that relatively few libraries have trained and experienced staff in the international area.
2. In that most law school foreign law collections focus on English language materials, leaving a substantial gap in collections in materials that are in foreign languages.
3. In the lack of foreign language skills to perform library operations in cataloging, selection and reference.
4. In the weak links with law libraries in other countries.

III. Changes in the Law School Environment

A. Declining law school enrollments.

Opportunities for Academic law libraries

1. To rethink programs, improve student/faculty, student book $ ratios, improve instruction.
2. To re-evaluate role on campus, improve dialog and cooperation.
3. To explore sources for non-tuition based funding (e.g., user fee programs, in-house document delivery programs, grants, friends of the library organizations).

Threats to Academic law libraries

1. In the possibility of a declining library share of the law school budget.
2. In the impact on quality of students and amount of research done.
3. In greater pressure to justify print collections, multiple copies.

Strengths of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. A good library adds to the reputation of a law school and should attract more and better students.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. Library may not be well positioned to compete for share of smaller funding pool.

B. Greater computer literacy among faculty and students.

Opportunities for Academic law libraries

1. To use faculty and student pressures for improved technology to increase funding for equipment, software and staffing.
2. To play assume leadership within the law school in planning and administration of computing and network resources.

Threats to Academic law libraries

1. If technical needs and expectations of patrons are not met by the library, they will look outside the library.
2. Demands may outstrip library's ability to provide support in areas where it does not have expertise.
3. In the difficulties in allocating costs for computing among various law school units.

Strengths of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. Most law libraries are actively attempting to increase resources for equipment, staffing, and software.
2. Library is seen as the leader in developing computing expertise in most law schools.
3. Strong traditional service orientation and ability to support end-users.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. Training in hardware and software design are not part of library training and focus.
2. Limited resources impede the library's ability to provide new hardware and software in a timely manner.

C. Increased competition for limited law school resources.

Opportunities for Academic law libraries

1. To establish strong administrative position within the law school through willingness to evaluate needs objectively, to substitute electronic resources for hard copy, and to make hard choices.
2. To develop new sources of revenue.
3. To solidify role as source of expertise on information and technology.

Threats to Academic law libraries

1. Failure to compete successfully will diminish importance of library's role in the organization.
2. Library's service orientation may be exploited by law school administration by assigning additional responsibilities without necessary resources.

Strengths of Academic law libraries in face of trend

1. Library has a natural constituency of support in students and faculty, all of whom are affected adversely by reduced funding.
2. Librarians traditionally have strengths in budget management and management of limited resources.
3. Importance of investment in libraries to accreditation of the law school.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. Book budget may be viewed as a ripe target for covering institutional budgetary shortfalls.

D. Greater demographic and cultural diversity.

Opportunities for Academic law libraries

1. To benefit from the overall enrichment of law school life.
2. To be a focal point for law school diversification efforts as a place for interaction.

Threats to Academic law libraries

1. That a failure to meet the needs of diverse patrons will send them elsewhere in search of information and support.

Strengths of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In the library's traditional role of providing all students a place to study and share information.
2. In the library's service orientation and tradition of individualized instruction.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. In lack of experience with and training to serve heterogeneous populations and need for additional training in languages, customs, and cultural expectations.

E. Growing reliance on new technology-based methods of instruction and individualized approaches to learning.

Opportunities for Academic law libraries

1. To take initiative in supporting and using new techniques, to enhance the library's role in the instructional mission of the law school.
2. To improve bibliographic and legal research instruction.
3. To create enhanced electronic and print materials to assist patrons in library use.

Threats to Academic law libraries

1. Rejection of new approaches for library instruction may diminish the importance of bibliographic instruction.
2. Development of other technology centers in law school.

Strengths of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. Librarians are more involved than teaching faculty in using instructional technology.
2. Librarians are experienced in one to one instruction.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. Most librarians are not trained in educational methods, and lack a basic knowledge on effective teaching techniques.
2. Lack of resources to invest in hardware and software necessary to start and maintain innovative programs.

IV. Changes in the External Environment

A. More pressures for greater cooperation with general university library systems.

Opportunities for the Academic law library

1. To improve cooperative services and communication among campus libraries for the benefit of law faculty and students.
2. To demonstrate areas of staff expertise for benefit of entire campus community.

Threats to the Academic law library

1. That fewer resources may be devoted to the law library if it is seen as part of a larger library system.
2. That priorities may be set elsewhere with inadequate opportunities for participation by law school and law library staff.

Strengths of Academic law library in face of the trend

1. Law libraries' traditions of multi-type cooperation through interlibrary lending, shared cataloging, union lists, etc.
2. Law librarians' specialized subject knowledge.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. Lack of staff and financial resources to devote to long term cooperative projects without immediate benefits to law school.
2. Law libraries' and law schools' traditional emphasis on autonomy and independence.

B. The increasing need for higher levels of staff technical competencies at a time of library schools closing.

Opportunities for Academic law libraries

1. To develop and offer alternative means to educate future law librarians through apprenticeships and other local programs.
2. To develop specialized programs to train law librarians in remaining library schools, schools of information and computer science, and law schools.
3. To ensure that new training programs meet needs of professional and paraprofessional staff members.

Threats to Academic law libraries

1. In potential loss of professional status for remaining librarians.
2. In there being fewer librarians generally and with specialized training in law.
3. In potential for loss of influence in law school if library staffs are not considered technologically competent.

Strengths of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. Law librarians' experience and involvement in library science education.
2. Emphases of AALL and chapters on timely and relevant professional education.

Weaknesses of Academic law libraries in face of the trend

1. Until recently, ineffective programs of recruitment to law librarianship.
2. Law librarianship's acceptance of lower status and salaries for law librarians without law training.
3. Library schools' failures to provide adequate training in information technologies.
4. The profession's reactive posture toward the state of education in librarianship and the library school closings.