Cornell Law Library Report 1993-1996
Submitted by Claire M. Germain Edward Cornell Law Librarian and Professor of Law April 1996
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction The Collection A. B. C. D. E. F. G. H.
Collection Development Plan Funding Foreign and International Law The Electronic Library Rare Books Microforms U.S. Government Documents Preservation and Security
Services A. B. C. D. E.
Faculty Services Student Services Services to Other Library Users Cornell Law Library Home Page on the WWW Library Publications
Physical Facilities, Space Organization and Space Planning A. B. C. D. E.
Third Floor Renovation and Space Planning Functional Organization of the Collection Organization and Access to the Collection Building Security Book Lockers and Carrels
Technology A. B.
Partnership with the Educational Technologies Department Partnership with the Legal Information Institute
Personnel A. B. C. D.
Staff Changes Employee Awards Staff Development Relationship with Law School
Conclusion
I. INTRODUCTION This report highlights Library activities during 1993-96, the first three years of the new Law Librarian. During these years, the Library adopted the vision to build on its excellent reputation and become the dynamic research hub of the Law School. Attention was focused on strengthening the role of the librarians in providing information to faculty and students in print and electronic formats, creating a user-friendly facility, using new technologies, and expanding the collection, particularly in foreign and international law. These efforts were developed within the framework of a three-year Strategic Plan to guide Library efforts to support the mission of the Law School.
II.
THE COLLECTION
A. Collection Development Plan The Library strives to develop and maintain a collection of print, electronic and other resources that support the Law School curriculum, programs and research, and other legal information needs (Strategic Plan). The Library is continually examining the needs for a strong in-house collection, the opportunities for resource sharing with other libraries on campus and other law libraries, and the appropriate mix of print and electronic resources. In 1994, the Library started working on a collection development policy manual, to be organized by type of material and subject, and to include both print and electronic sources of information. The information gathered will be crucial in determining when to buy print sources and when to rely on electronic sources. Key areas of the collection are currently being assessed.
B. Funding
1. Supplementary Allocation The Law School has traditionally provided generous additional support to the Library acquisitions budget. Thanks to a special allocation provided by the Law School ($278,400 in 1993-94, and $276,400 in 1994-95), the Library made great progress in moving closer to the acquisitions budget of similarly-situated research law libraries. This is evidenced in the number of new titles acquired, which is a useful measure of the quality of a collection.
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CORNELL LAW LIBRARY COLLECTION 1989-1995
1989-90
1990-91
1991-92
1992-93
1993-94
1994-95
14,943
13,899
18,591
14,269
30,619
16,798
New Titles (books)
1,140
1,513
1,204
1,416
2,023
3,021
New Titles (books and others)
1,196
1,535
1,284
2,271
2,948
3,931
475,482
487,186
503,584
515,323
543,427
557,580
New Volumes (includes microforms)
Total Volumes at yearend (net) (ABA stats.)
2. Need for Permanent Supplement The Library now depends on the Law School support to acquire needed materials and needs a permanent supplement to its materials budget. This is because of three reasons: (1) most legal publications are serials that need to be maintained up-to-date; (2) the central Cornell University Library (CUL) acquisitions allocation has not kept up with the 10% inflation rate for legal publications (the CUL allocation increased only 3% in 1994-95, and 3% in 1995-96); (3) compounding this, the U.S. dollar lost about 20% of its value vis-vis foreign currencies between 1993 and 1995. This is hurting the Law Library budget, especially because of the increased international and foreign legal purchases.
C. Foreign and International Law Between 1993 and 1996, the generous infusion of Law School money allowed the Law Library to engage in retrospective and current acquisitions in foreign and international law, to fill gaps and support the expanding international legal studies programs. Some of the large purchases were for United Nations materials, as well as French, German, and Italian law. The Library needs for the law of other countries are currently under discussion. The emphasis is on getting most materials available in English. The Library also started subscribing to a microfiche set of United Nations legal materials, accessible on the law school network through a CD-ROM index. The extent and future directions of the foreign and international law collection are currently under review, within the context of the growing law school international studies programs, but also limited financial resources.
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D. The Electronic Library The Library is managing the transition from collecting legal information in multiple formats to a greater reliance on electronic formats. The major gateway for the multitude of information sources available is the Law School network. The Library is working in close cooperation with the Educational Technologies department and the following projects were accomplished, or are in progress. A CD-ROM network was installed in 1994, and now consists of a tower and hard disk space. Other ongoing projects include dial-in access to the network and laptop connections throughout the Library, as well as enhanced delivery of information to law faculty and students through new programs on the network menu. The Law Library is also involved in digitization projects at the national and international level. The Law Librarian regularly meets with the Law Librarian of Congress, to explore participation in initiatives to transmit primary sources of foreign and international law over the Internet. The Law Library may also contribute items to a digitization project regarding 19th century trials, sponsored by the Research Libraries Group (RLG).
E. Rare Books Several steps were taken to secure rare books still in the stacks, develop a preservation project, and sponsor public activities to share the considerable collection of over 2000 rare books. In 1993, several steps were taken after the discovery that a large number of 18th century books were still in open stacks, and upon the advice of several specialists that these books needed protection since they now have become quite valuable, several steps were taken. The Librarian convened a rare book task force, which issued recommendations on developing procedures to identify and transfer the rare books to secure locations, such as the Rare Book Room and the Library Cage. Rare books identified as needing a more secure place were moved to the Rare Book Room in the fall of 1994 by Brian Eden, and again, in the spring of 1996 (about 250 books still in the stacks). Location adjustments were implemented by the cataloging staff. In 1995, Barbara Grant was hired (from the student wage budget) to inventory and organize the collection of rare books. Her Doctorate in Medieval Studies from Yale University provided the Library with much needed substantive knowledge. She worked through May 1996 (when her husband graduated from Law School), and established useful contact with the University Library Rare Books and Preservation departments, and several law books curators. The public activities program undertaken in 1995 and 1996 included several classes taught (French Law, History of the Common Law), presentations to the Alumni Advisory Council, other alumni, the faculty, Library and Law School staff, as well as several exhibits. A preservation proposal was written, which may lead to an alumni gift campaign. Two articles (by Claire Germain and Barbara Grant) were written, to be published in the July 1996 Cornell Law Forum.
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In 1994, The Library received several rare items of particular interest: The first was a generous gift from an anonymous donor, Taux, Moderations, Sallaires et Emoluments des Greffiers du Parlement. Aix-en-Provence, 1540. Its value is estimated at $3,750. It provides useful documentary information on lawyers in Provence in the mid-sixteenth century. The book is considered to be quite rare. There are only two copies held in the U.S., and one incomplete copy at the Bibliotheque Nationale. It is one of the first books printed in Provence. Milton Gould, a Cornell Law School graduate, gave the Library several early New York legal documents dated 1798 and 1803, valued at $700. In February 1996, a lost manuscript of Papal decisions (cited in a 1919 Library annual report) was found in the University Library rare book room (where it had been safe-guarded) and brought back to the Law Library. It doubled our manuscript collection, since the only other manuscript is Dyer’s Report.
F. Microforms Much staff time was spent in 1993-94 to reorganize the microforms collection. This involved putting the microforms in numerical sequence, organizing individual sets, relabeling the drawers with uniform, accurate information and preparing a guide. The microforms collection is now easier to use, and the number of fiche to refile suggests that more people are using it. The floor load for microforms was reinforced in the summer of 1996, as part of a larger renovation project on the Third floor.
G. U.S. Government Documents In 1994, the Government Printing Office inspected the Law Library for compliance with the depository program. The Library passed with an excellent certificate. The staff had been working hard on making improvements in preparation for the inspection and made several changes to depository procedures.
H. Preservation and Security The Library continued addressing the preservation of brittle books, and took steps to identify and prioritize items in need of preservation. Preservation methods include in-house boxing and return to the shelf and conservation work on rare items performed by the University Lbrary Preservation Department (which is now reduced because of dwindling resources). Since there is no book security system, the Library needs to do an inventory of the collection to determine whether books are lost or missing. This will be dependent on the availability of staff. Law students and faculty have 24-hour access to the building and Library through the use of a key that opens several doors to the building. Security of books and persons was an issue in 1993
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as before, both in the Library and in the Law School, because of the presence of unauthorized users after regular business hours. The Librarian convened a law school wide task force to address the issue and a law school monitor was hired to patrol the Library and the building after regular hours. The Law School is also working on a card security system that will ensure that only authorized individuals will have access to the Law Library and the building after regular business hours.
III. SERVICES During 1993-96, the Library built on its excellent tradition of providing a broad range of traditional Library services to its users, while improving those services through integration of new technologies. The Library started playing an enlarged role in supporting faculty and student use of the Cornell Law School network.
A. Faculty Services 1. Enhancements The addition of a new reference position made it possible to implement several new faculty services and enhance some existing ones: the faculty/librarian liaison program was established in 1993 to provide a heightened level of service to faculty. Librarians visit assigned faculty regularly and customize library and information services to individual faculty research needs. Faculty research profiles are compiled to help collection development and current awareness services. In the spring of 1996, a list of all the faculty publications was published as an appendix to the Law School Self-Study (compiled in preparation for the ABA inspection). The Library took over the student runner position, previously under Law School supervision. The position has now become part of an overall book and document retrieval system for faculty for materials in the Law Library and in other libraries. The plan is to enhance further the retrieval of documents for faculty. The Selected Acquisitions List was revamped and now includes a request form for faculty who want to get books or be put on the routing list for new periodicals. It is available via e-mail or in print form.
2. Faculty Network Services The Library started "News Flash from the Law Library," a special e-mail service for the Cornell Law Faculty. It also started accepting reference and research requests through e-mail. The Library e-mail box is checked several times daily.
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A CD-ROM network was installed in the spring of 1994. It provides access to congressional and United Nations materials, as well as to full-text information sources, and CALI exercises. The Library helped in the development of a new windows menu for the Cornell Law School network. The Library considers its work on faculty network services to be a matter of highest priority.
B. Student Services In September 1993, the Library started offering reference service in the morning. The expanded reference desk hours and increased availability of reference appointments have benefitted students, as well as other Library users. In August 1993, the Library adopted a new policy on food and drink in the Library, following the report of a task force on food and drink composed of Library staff and students. Library users are allowed to bring covered drinks into the Library. Food is not allowed. Several students commented that this new policy creates a friendly atmosphere in the Library. The Library is working with the Environmental Law Society on recycling issues, and on educating users as to the dangers of food and spilled drinks for Library materials. The reference librarians continued and enhanced their successful individual and group advanced legal research sessions. Class time was provided by law faculty for class presentations by reference librarians on conducting research for the following courses: Selected problems in European Community Law: Basic Rights, Trade and the Environment, and Antitrust (Barcelo); Consumer Law (Taylor); Immigration and Refugee Law (Yale-Loehr). The brochure "Research in the Real World," advertised the sessions offered in late spring and ninety students signed up for the Bridge-the-Gap session in the spring of 1994. In the fall of 1995, the four law-trained reference librarians taught Practice Training I to the entire first-year class of 189 students, while Professor Martin was on sabbatical (he usually teaches half the first year class). The librarians will continue doing so in 1996-97. The Library adopted a new policy on laptop computer use in the Library, after consultation with the Library Committee. The Library also started an liaison program with the three Law School law journals, including research training for associates, and extensive training and equipment support, as well as interlibrary loan. In 1994-95, the Public Services staff taught 71 classes and lectures to 886 students, and conducted 26 orientation tours for 298 students. Twenty sessions were taught for the first time on the Internet, Bear Access and CD-ROMs, as well as a number of other group and individual research sessions, including cooperative projects with the Law School Placement, and orientation and tours with CLSA. The staff answered 8,083 reference questions. -6-
C. Services to Other Users In addition to its primary clients in the Law School community, the Library offers a number of its services to the rest of the university, to other libraries through cooperative programs, to local and area attorneys, and to the general public.
D. Cornell Law Library Home Page on WWW The Law Library Home Page came into existence in the spring of 1995, thanks to the efforts of Jean Pajerek and Scott Childs. The page contains detailed hypertexted information about the Law Library, its staff, and the services provided. Faculty bibliographies are accessible, with links to the full-text of the articles available over the Internet. It also contains online research guides will integrate print and internet-based sources. In the spring of 1996, the entire professional staff started writing annotations of new law-related Web sites, in a cooperative project with LII. The weekly INSITE publication can be looked at directly through the Library Home Page, with direct links to the sites. It is also sent to faculty and students via e-mail or print. It will be made available to alumni who have e-mail.
E. Library Publications The Library publishes a quarterly newsletter. Other Library publications include a Guide to the Library, Guide to Faculty Services, and several subject research guides. In 1995, the Library started a series of hypertext-based subject guides, available in print, and also through the Cornell Law Library Home Page, with direct links to Internet-based sites. Some of the titles include Federal Law Sources on the Internet, Foreign and International Law Sources on the Internet, and Guide to Federal Regulations.
IV. PHYSICAL FACILITIES, SPACE ORGANIZATION AND SPACE PLANNING A. Third Floor Renovation and Space Planning 1. Open Reserve (Now “Special Reserve”) A Library task force was convened in 1993 to examine the operational problems of Open Reserve (not enough use to warrant student staffing, inadequate filing of looseleaf services and microforms management) and library users' difficulties in locating journals (for instance, U.S. law reviews classified as "KF10") can be found on the first floor, third floor, Open Reserve and the locked unbound journal room (inaccessible on the weekend)). Open Reserve stopped being a service point. Most unbound periodicals (including those shelved in a locked library area) were moved to the newly renamed “Special Reserve” and retrieved upon request (also accessible to -7-
faculty with their key).
2. Third Floor Space Planning The following renovation proposals are ongoing: ►
Creation of a visible and central Reference Desk (scheduled for Summer 1996).
►
Relocation of reference librarians’ offices to put them in close proximity to Reference Desk and easily accessible to users (Summer 1995). Scott Childs moved to Room 355, Jean Wenger to Room 353. Because Pat Court’s office was needed for the Law School Alumni Office, she moved to Room 359 (formerly John Hasko’s office), to be closer to the administrative area. John Hasko moved to Room 380 (formerly Photocopy Room), to be closer to the Reference/Circulation area. An office was built for Sandy Beehler in Room 340, now Room 347. Room 352 (formerly housing unbound periodicals) was converted into the Access Services Supervisor’s office (Janet Gillespie).
►
Relocation of photocopy room to Room 370B. This location provides convenient access for students (right off the main entrance in the middle of the Reading Room), and is accessible after regular library hours.
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Relocation and expansion of Circulation/Reserve area (scheduled for summer 1996). The Circulation/Reserve area is to be relocated to the middle of the Reading Room, incorporating the collections of the Open (Special) and Closed Reserves, and providing needed space for Interlibrary Loan and Document Delivery. The collection will include the materials currently in Closed Reserve, most unbound periodicals and last five years of bound periodicals, materials currently in Open (Special) Reserve, audio-visual materials, and materials needing heightened security. The esthetics of the Reading Room will be preserved.
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Consolidation of microforms collection and equipment. The microform reader/printer equipment and fiche/film will be brought together in the summer of 1995. The floor-load for microforms on Level 3 will be reinforced (scheduled for Summer 1996).
B. Functional Organization o f the Collection The Library took steps to make the collection easier to access, and organize the materials in a more functional order. The U.S. Supreme Court Records and Briefs were relocated to the basement, discontinued state materials were removed from the Reading Room. Worn Reading Room volumes will be replaced this summer. Shifts are in progress to reorganize the Myron Taylor stacks by call number A-Z. The foreign collection was also shifted to accommodate -8-
growth and the new Library of Congress classification. Law reviews (classified as “KF10") were consolidated on the first floor and Special Reserve (unbound and last five bound years), to make them easier to find. In August 1994 the Open Reserve was closed, and became known as Special Reserve. It now contains most unbound periodicals (formerly in the Unbound Periodicals Room in the library administrative corridor) and the last five years of many periodicals. Brian Eden started supervising the students doing the looseleaf filing at the Circulation Desk (previously under the Educational Technologies supervision in the Open Reserve area).
C. Organization and Access to the Collection The increased acquisitions budget in the past two years created an additional workload for the Acquisitions and Cataloging departments. The staff valiantly coped with the additional work, in spite of the loss of a 0.5 FTE position. In 1994-95, the Cataloging department processed 52,786 pieces, and cataloged 3,397 titles. 4,382 volumes were bound. 5,390 titles from the old card catalog were converted to machine-readable form and put on the online catalog. In 1995, thanks to a $100,000 grant from the University Library system, the Library outsourced 30,000 titles to be converted from the old card catalog to the online catalog, to make them accessible from any terminal. A large part of these records will then have to be reclassified into the Library of Congress classification scheme. Beth Teskey spends 50% of her time on this process of retrospective conversion. Most of the foreign law collection is still in the outdated "Los Angeles" classification system. Effective October 1993, the Library started using the Library of Congress classification scheme, but this has meant splitting the collections, and they need to be brought back together as soon as possible. The reclassification project will be a high priority in the next few years.
D. Building Security The Library worked with the Dean of Students and Facilities Manager to address various building security matters. That coordination and the Building Monitor system seem to work well (the position is paid from the Law School budget, but hired and supervised by the library). The theft of computers in the Reading Room led to the closing of the Reading Room at night. The Library computers are now insured. Building security is still an issue and continues to be addressed by the Law School and the Library. After hour access through one door and a card may ensure better security.
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E. Book Lockers and Carrels The Library worked with the Facilities Manager in setting up a system to clean up book lockers and materials on top of lockers. The Facilities department is now in charge of this task (the Library did it one last time in the summer of 1995). Signs are put inside the carrels to notify students not to bring in food. Leaks on the fourth floor led to the replacement of the roof in August 1995.
V. TECHNOLOGY A. Partnership with the Educational Technologies Department The Library started working in close cooperation with the Educational Technologies department with the goal to provide access to a variety of library and information sources through the Novell-based Law School network. Joint projects have included the installation of a CD-ROM network, work on a new windows menu, and training programs for faculty, staff and students.
B. Partnership with the Legal Information Institute The Library is interested in collaborating with the LII and its sophisticated technological experiments to the benefit of Cornell law faculty and students. A joint project is the Bigear project, an weekly annotated annotation service of new law-related Web sites.
VI. PERSONNEL A. Staff Changes Two 0.5 FTE positions (Karl Staven and Jennifer Reed) were eliminated in August 1994 because of budget cuts. Two reference librarians (Naz Pantaloni and Linda O’Connor) left, going back to their previous locations. Anne Carson worked as a temporary reference librarian until two new reference librarians joined the staff, Scott Childs in January 1995, and Jean Wenger in June 1995. Diane Hillmann accepted a position in the Central Library System in June 1995, and Barbara Taylor joined the staff as a copy cataloger. Jean Pajerek and Sandy Beehler currently jointly manage the Technical Services department.
B. Employee Awards In 1995, Crystal Hackett and Nancie McBride celebrated their 30 years of service to the University, Mae Leckey celebrated her 15 years.
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C. Staff Development During a Library retreat in December 1994, facilitated by Earl Potter, Director of Organizational development, the staff discussed personality types, and ways to work and communicate better, and started working on a statement of values that the staff could agree upon to govern the Library work environment. There was a follow-up meeting in March 1995. Departmental presentations throughout the year helped staff members understand better what other departments do, and how each unit contributes to the overall goals of the Library. The Public Services staff continued the high level of service to faculty and students, while the Technical Services staff received, processed, checked in and cataloged an increased amount of materials, particularly foreign and international law materials.
D. Relationship with the Law School In 1995, the Lw School and Library staffs had several joint parties, such as the fall chicken barbecue, and the Valentine’s Day party for the custodians. Two Library representatives attend Law School staff meetings and find them very useful. They report the items of general interest to the Library staff (via e-mail)
VII. CONCLUSION The Library is looking forward to bringing enhanced information services to faculty and students. The Library wants to work more closely with other Law School units, such as the Law School faculty and staff, the Educational Technologies department, and the Legal Information Institute. The Library also is fortunate to have a competent and enthusiastic staff who is eager to bring information resources and researchers together.
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1996 LIBRARY SELF-STUDY FOR ABA INSPECTION The Cornell Law Library The major strengths of the law library are its excellent collection, the services provided, the staff, and the user-friendly facility. Its major weaknesses are the lack of adequate computer support and poor computer teaching facilities, and the security of the building. Critical issues are the budgetary implications of the transition from the print to the electronic library, the relationship with the university library, and the positioning of the library for future opportunities. Since the last sabbatical inspection in 1990, a new librarian was appointed in July 1993. Building on its reputation of excellence, the library moved to become the dynamic research hub of the law school. Attention was focused on strengthening the role of the library staff in providing information to faculty and students in print and electronic formats, creating a userfriendly facility, using new technologies, expanding the collection, particularly in foreign and international law, and integrating the library more fully into the law school. The staff developed these efforts within the framework of the library strategic plan to support the mission of the law school (see Appendix 1). I. Strengths A. Collection General The law library possesses an excellent collection of U.S. law and is strong in many areas of foreign and international law. The quality of the collection is reflected in visitors’ comments, and in the ABA statistics, which rank the library number 13 in number of titles held, out of 177 law schools (the library ranks number 20 in total volume count, which include duplicate copies). Over the past two years, a generous infusion of law school money has allowed the library to update and strengthen the foreign and international law collection. The library is currently reviewing the extent and future directions of that part of the collection, in consultation with the faculty, within the context of Cornell’s growing international studies programs, but also limited financial resources, and the growing availability of commercial online and internet-based information sources. A comprehensive law library collection development plan is under review and will be completed by August 1996. The library has also contracted out the conversion of most of its records from the old card catalog to the online catalog, thanks to a grant from the university library. After this project is completed, the staff will undertake the reclassification of the collection into the Library of Congress classification scheme. Rare Books The library possesses a very fine collection of rare books of about 2000 titles. It includes what represents the working collection of a 17th century lawyer (the Samuel Thome collection), the endowed Bennett collection of colonial and early American statutory law, and the extensive 1
Nathaniel Moak collection of trials. The library started actively promoting use of the collection, with classes taught in the rare book room (French Law and History of the Common Law courses), exhibits, and presentations to the Advisory Council of the Law School, faculty, and students. This collection represents the historical continuity of the study of law and provides an invaluable resource for scholarly research. As artifacts of the legal history of Europe and America, these books are irreplaceable, and the law school may want to decide whether it has the responsibility to protect them for future generations. The collection is in dire need of preservation. More than half the volumes are too fragile to be handled by scholars without risk of further damage. The library conservation department’s estimate to preserve the collection comes up to $110,000, a one-time expenditure, which could be a project for an alumni gift campaign. Electronic Library The law library is resolutely building the digital library of the future, and actively promoting extensive access to worldwide computer-based information sources, through the law school network and the new library WWW page. These efforts are made in close collaboration with the Legal Information Institute. The law library is also collaborating on a major library wide effort to create a single point of entry to all information sources, to be introduced in the fall of 1996. B. Services and Staff Faculty and Student services The library puts a strong emphasis on services and outreach to faculty and students. The addition of a new reference position in 1993 made it possible to implement several new faculty services and enhance some existing ones: establishment of the faculty/librarian liaison program; book and document retrieval service (previously under law school), a selected acquisitions list; an e-mail Flash service from the law library; and e-mail reference service. The library publications are extensive and include a quarterly law library newsletter, the Guide to the Library. Guide to Faculty Services, and several subject research guides, including guides to the internet for federal and foreign law information. The CD-ROM network, installed in the spring of 1994, allows for easy access to congressional, United Nations and other information sources, such as CALI exercises, from any desktop in the law school. The library also started providing reference service in the morning. The library’s instructional programs are strong and varied. The skill-based training provided to students in PT 1 and in research classes throughout the year, gives students a competitive edge in the job market and prepares them for their law practice. In the spring of 1996, the training programs included forty sessions on fifteen different topics, including the Internet, Bear Access, CALI, and substantive law research areas, such as employment discrimination and European Union law. 2
The Cornell Law Library Home Page on the web came into being in the spring of 1995, and is growing steadily. It contains detailed hypertexted information about the law library, its staff, and services provided, and a list of faculty writings, which will be linked to the full text of articles when available. Soon, the library will add online research guides integrating print and electronic publications, with direct links to Internet-based sources. The library is also collaborating with LII on the Bigear project which consists of annotations of selected new and newly discovered legal and law-related web sites. Staff The library staff is the true asset of the law library. The library staff is well-educated, loyal, and possesses a strong work-ethic. The staff is thinly stretched, and smaller than in most peer schools. The staff also suffers much stress from the rapid changes in organization and delivery of legal information, and keeps on having to do more work with fewer resources. For instance, the staff has started providing electronic reference service, and at the same time continues to process a large number of print publications. The staff indexes web sites, but is also processing and cataloging an increased number of foreign law titles. Because of a renewed interest in rare books, much staff time was spent removing valuable materials from the stacks to the rare book room, preserving them, and making changes in location. The staff, however, is always willing to cooperate, in spite of the many changes to the regular routine. The technical services staff in particular should be commended, because they work behind the scenes, and are not often in the public’s eye to receive positive feedback about their work. The overall library staffing situation needs to be evaluated carefully, particularly in light of some of the library’s most important activities—rare books and library web site—which are relying almost entirely on student help. C. User-Friendly Facility A major effort to put public services staff closer to where they are needed, and improve information access points in the library, led to some third floor renovation and space planning. In the summer of 1995, the reference librarians’ offices were relocated to put them in close proximity to the reference desk, and more accessible to library users. An office was built for the acquisitions librarian. The microforms collection and equipment were brought together, and the photocopy room relocated nearby. The law school regained an office for the international studies program. The summer of 1996 will see the creation of a visible and central state-of- the art reference desk and area, and the reinforcement of the microforms floor-load. A new reserve and circulation desk in the middle of the reading room will incorporate the former “closed” and “open” reserves and provide space for the document delivery unit. An Ariel machine (to scan and transmit documents over the internet) and fax machine for the library will be also installed.
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II. Weaknesses
A. Lack of Adequate Computing Support and Poor Computer Teaching Facilities The library receives computing support from the university library technology department and from the law school educational technologies department. Both units provide inadequate support, but it could be a question of growing pains. The central university library system provides little support, and is actively putting the burden back on existing staff in each unit, including the law library, causing undue strain on an overworked staff. For instance, staff in technical services have had to become network administrators and do the inventory of computers for the library system. The law library and the educational technologies department enjoy a good working relationship, and collaborate on training programs. The library teaches research applications, and the ed. tech, department the use of the network. The weakness lies in the lack of timely service. For instance, the installation of a PC in the library technical services took over four weeks, and is not working properly, and the reference department has been waiting for the installation of a printer connection for over two months. Student laptop connections were requested in May 1995, but are not operational as of February 1996. Library progress is also impeded by technological deficiencies in the law school. A large part of library work now consists of educating and training students and faculty in using the available technology, including but not limited to electronic information sources. There is a disincentive for using technology in the classroom to teach various aspects of legal research, because the online teaching facilities are inadequate. The library urgently needs additional computer support. That support may be looked at in the context of computing support in the law school in general, including web activities. B. Security There is no book security system in the library, and twenty seven access doors. This system is predicated upon the collegiality of the school. However, with increasing crime and thefts, security has become a general law school issue. The library has been working with the law school and taken several precautions. A building monitor was hired, paid from the law school budget, and supervised by the library. After the theft of computers in the reading room, the Reading room was closed after regular library hours. A Smartcard system is being considered for access to the building.
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III. Critical Issues
A. Budget The distinctiveness of our collection is that we have both an extensive print collection, and the electronic access to legal information. A major issue for the library is how to manage the transition from collecting legal information in multiple formats to a greater reliance on electronic formats. Faculty and students still prefer paper. However, electronic publications will increase in the coming years, with choices to be made. At some point, we will have to stop collecting the same materials in a multiplicity of formats. The investment in technology is expensive. A greater reliance on electronic formats necessitates the proper infrastructure, in terms of computer equipment. Resolving this issue will require an operational collection development policy encompassing information published both in electronic and print formats, expanded library staff efforts to educate faculty, law students, and other users of legal information about the availability and advantages of electronic information sources, and specifically overcoming resistance to using formats other than paper. The materials budget allocated through the Provost’s office is insufficient to meet the law school needs. The law school has traditionally provided a supplement. Currently, there is a base supplement which has not been raised in several years, and a discretionary yearly supplementary allocation. The law library needs to receive a permanent supplement to be able to maintain the progress accomplished in the last two years and not fall too far behind the acquisitions budget of similarly situated schools. B. Relationship between the Law Library and the University Library The law library has traditionally been part of the university library, which is the exception, rather than the rule. Most law school libraries are autonomous, because they feel that they can serve the needs of their clientele more effectively. The centralization presents some advantage, but has also caused severe strains. The main issue is that the law school pays most of the law library expenses, but has little control over the allocation of the money. The centralization worked to the law school’s advantage when the central library administration paid for certain expenses, such as automation (online catalog), conservation (repair and preservation of rare books), and especially a subsidy of 12% of the law library expenses (based on a formula to reflect the general university use of the law school). This is no longer the case. The law school now has to pay for automation expenses, and soon will be expected to pay 100% of its expenses. The financial autonomy of the law school deserves to be discussed at this time, because it is hard to see how the current financial scheme works to the advantage of the law school. It is also important to understand that no law library today can be totally autonomous, and that there is a need to participate with the university library in building the digital library, and several other 5
collaborative projects. The staff also feels fully integrated in the university library system, and is justifiably attached to the great sense of community with the other campus libraries. C. Positioning the Library for Future Opportunities The library needs to position itself for future opportunities so that it can support the growing international status of the school and the changing legal profession. The library intends to reach out and collaborate with other law libraries and providers of legal information, in the U.S. and abroad. A critical issue is using new technologies to provide better services. Another critical issue is to look actively for additional funding sources, from alumni, foundations, and corporate sponsors, to finance new library initiatives in support of the law school mission.
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