Books &
Collaboration
Grace E. Feldman
What does collaboration look like? To some,
Behind the scenes (or the shelves rather),
The collaborative efforts of the Law Library are
Recently, the Law Library joined its biggest
the thought of collaboration invokes visions
collaboration abounds as well. Collection
not confined within its walls; they stretch beyond
collaborative effort yet. The Law Library along
of a busy and noisy group—working together,
development librarians maintain close
the state of Washington to reinforce UW Law’s
with all the University of Washington Libraries
sharing ideas and tossing documents across
relationships with UW Law faculty to inform Law
national presence. Together with the Ohio
moved to connect with the world’s largest
tables strewn with coffee cups, pens, pencils,
Library decisions to purchase resources and
State University Moritz College of Law and the
shared catalog. Joining 36 other college and
iPads, laptops and notepads. Although the
subscribe to databases. Technical services staff
University of Pittsburgh School of Law, staff
university libraries in Oregon, Washington, and
Gallagher Law Library might seem like a hushed
acquire, catalog and prepare print materials for
of the Gallagher Law Library coedit the Legal
Idaho—known as the Orbis Cascade Alliance
place to a cursory visitor, it houses a busy, lively
patron use while also preserving the existing
Scholarship Blog (http://legalscholarshipblog.
(http://www.orbiscascade.org), the Law Library’s
and wonderfully collaborative group. At the heart
collection for future researchers. Technical
com). The blog facilitates the legal academy’s
participation in moving to a shared catalog
of the Law Library’s primary mission to support
services staff also focus on building and
development and dissemination of scholarship
unlocks countless opportunities for collaboration.
the curricular and research needs of UW Law is
maintaining electronic tools that help library
by alerting law professors (and aspiring law
This collaboration will translate to improved
a dedicated group of librarians and library staff
users locate resources. Circulation and resource
professors) to upcoming conferences and
resource sharing and will allow broader access
who share resources and expertise with students,
sharing staff manage and monitor materials,
calls for papers. The blog also informs readers
to materials for students, faculty, staff and other
staff, faculty and members of the Seattle
helping to connect visitors with resources both
about colloquia and workshops for papers
library visitors! You can try out the beta version
community and beyond.
in the library and in other libraries (via interlibrary
at law schools around the country each day.
of the new catalog at the Gallagher Law Library
loan). Reference librarians consult with UW
With over 500 followers on Twitter, the Legal
website (http://www.lib.law.washington.edu).
Law faculty to provide research and reference
Scholarship Blog represents a valuable resource
services that informs their excellent scholarship.
to legal academics across the country. The
Reference librarians also meet with UW Law
Legal Scholarship Blog is just one of countless
students both in their classes and one-on-one, to
collaborations that the Law Library contributes to
provide individual research instruction for their
in support of UW Law.
around the Law Library, collaboration can be found everywhere: in the carefully selected materials waiting to be shelved at the Circulation Desk, in the visitors asking questions at the Reference Office, in the law students working together in the new Student Org Space on L2 and in the researchers using library-sponsored databases at the computer terminals.
papers and assignments. The guided instruction provides students with skills to find the best resources efficiently, allowing students more time to write and develop their projects. Working together means improving the quality of the work of UW Law students, faculty, staff and other Law Library visitors.
The Gallagher Law Library is proud that its collaboration provides useful resources available to all patrons, improves faculty and student scholarship, practical skills development for students and above all, service for the global common good! S P R I N G 2 014
collaborative environment for UW Law. Looking
uw law
The Law Library takes pride in fostering a
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Beyond
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