Law Librarianship Practice
Challenges and Opportunities in Law Firm, Government, and Academic Law Libraries
Will be published approx. on 2. October 2025
Book
Paperback/Softback
384 pages
978-1-5381-9974-9 (ISBN)
Description
This ground-breaking new legal librarianship book serves as an invaluable resource for practicing law librarians who want to be at the forefront of information technology and law libraries.
Law librarianship is a constantly evolving field that has seen major shifts in practice over the past several years including the post-pandemic trend towards remote and hybrid work, the increased prominence of virtual services, the outsourcing of library staff, burgeoning cybersecurity risks, and the advent of generative AI. Law librarians have adroitly adapted to all of these changes and have once again proven their resilience.
Law Librarianship Practice is a cutting-edge book that provides insights into the latest emerging trends and technologies in academic, government, and law firm librarianship. This book offers guidance from forward-thinking library leaders on how they are tackling the challenges of law librarianship today, including managing remote workforces, negotiating with vendors, navigating outsourcing services, planning for emergencies, riding out law firm mergers, succession planning, and more. Experts working in the field provide practical applications of new technologies and opportunities, such as how librarians are conducting AI-informed competitive intelligence, using big data for decision-making, and what's happening in artificial intelligence. The book also covers innovative initiatives in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Access to Justice, and more.
Law Librarianship Practice serves as a comprehensive manual of modern-day law library practices, providing invaluable resources for law librarians. Readers will gain inspiration from nearly thirty chapters contributed by distinguished academic, government, and law firm librarians as well as library consultants who share their experience along with a combination of researched data, contract excerpts, surveys, and other real-world intelligence.
Divided into three segments, readers will be led through twenty-eight chapters in the areas of Law Library Management, Law Library Technologies, and Law Library Challenges and Opportunities.
Law librarianship is a constantly evolving field that has seen major shifts in practice over the past several years including the post-pandemic trend towards remote and hybrid work, the increased prominence of virtual services, the outsourcing of library staff, burgeoning cybersecurity risks, and the advent of generative AI. Law librarians have adroitly adapted to all of these changes and have once again proven their resilience.
Law Librarianship Practice is a cutting-edge book that provides insights into the latest emerging trends and technologies in academic, government, and law firm librarianship. This book offers guidance from forward-thinking library leaders on how they are tackling the challenges of law librarianship today, including managing remote workforces, negotiating with vendors, navigating outsourcing services, planning for emergencies, riding out law firm mergers, succession planning, and more. Experts working in the field provide practical applications of new technologies and opportunities, such as how librarians are conducting AI-informed competitive intelligence, using big data for decision-making, and what's happening in artificial intelligence. The book also covers innovative initiatives in the areas of diversity, equity, and inclusion, Access to Justice, and more.
Law Librarianship Practice serves as a comprehensive manual of modern-day law library practices, providing invaluable resources for law librarians. Readers will gain inspiration from nearly thirty chapters contributed by distinguished academic, government, and law firm librarians as well as library consultants who share their experience along with a combination of researched data, contract excerpts, surveys, and other real-world intelligence.
Divided into three segments, readers will be led through twenty-eight chapters in the areas of Law Library Management, Law Library Technologies, and Law Library Challenges and Opportunities.
Reviews / Votes
Law Librarianship Practice, edited by Ellyssa Kroski, brings together an impressive group of contributors from across the law library profession. These authors are recognized leaders and innovators who are helping to shape the future of legal information management. The collection is notable not only for the range of topics it covers, but also for its strong focus on business skills, strategic thinking, and future-oriented leadership. Each chapter highlights how law librarians contribute meaningfully to their organizations by driving value and adapting to change.This is essential reading for law librarians who understand that their responsibilities extend well beyond traditional legal information work. It is a resource for professionals committed to managing legal information and technology in a comprehensive way, and who are ready to take on the challenges facing the legal industry. Whether working in a law firm, government agency, or academic institution, readers will find practical guidance and strategic insight throughout this volume. -- Greg Lambert, Chief Knowledge Services Officer, Jackson Walker LLP
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United States
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Illustrations
9 B/W Illustrations, 17 Tables, 17 Textboxes
Dimensions
Height: 253 mm
Width: 179 mm
Thickness: 27 mm
Weight
802 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-5381-9974-9 (9781538199749)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Ellyssa Kroski
Law Librarianship Practice
Challenges and Opportunities in Law Firm, Government, and Academic Law Libraries
E-Book
07/2025
1st Edition
Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited
€62.49
Available for download
Person
Ellyssa Valenti Kroski is the Director of Innovation & Engagement at the New York Law Institute and an award-winning editor and author of 77 books, showcasing her vast expertise in the library and information science field. As an adjunct faculty member at San Jose State University and a celebrated international conference speaker, Kroski is known for her insights into innovation and technology within librarianship. Her contributions extend beyond her leadership roles, influencing both the academic and professional spheres. Discover more about her work at http://www.amazon.com/author/ellyssa, where her publications reflect her dedication to advancing the library profession.
Content
Preface - Ellyssa Kroski, MLIS, Director of Innovation & Engagement, The New York Law Institute
Forward - Ronald E Wheeler, MLIS, JD, Associate Dean, Law Libraries/Associate Professor of Law and Legal Research, Fineman and Pappas Law Libraries, Boston University School of Law
Law Library Management
1. Policy Development in Law Libraries - Sheri H. Lewis, JD, MLIS, Director, D'Angelo Law Library, The University of Chicago Law School
2. Budgeting for the law library - Justin Huckaby, MSLIS, JD, Director of the Grisham Law Library and Assistant Professor of Law, University of Mississippi Grisham Law Library
3. Negotiating Contracts - Kerry Lohmeier, MSIS, JD, Associate Dean of Library and Information Services The University of Akron School of Law/ Suzanne Darais, JD, MLS, Director, Faust Law Library, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
4. The Business of Running a Law Library - Abigail Ross, MLS Principal RoFinCo, LLC
5. Managing remote and hybrid workers - John DiGilio, MLIS, JD Firmwide Director of Library Services, Sidley Austin LLP
6. Vendor Relations: Navigating Challenges & Opportunities with Collaboration, Negotiation & Implementation - Crystal Alberthal, MLIS, Head of Collections, Resources & Information Management, University of Washington Gallagher Law Library/Pearl McCrea, MLIS, Collection Management Librarian, University of Washington Gallagher Law Library
7. Institutional Knowledge Management and Succession Planning - Sabrina Sondhi, JD, MLIS Director of the H. Laddie Montague, Jr. Law Library and Professor of Legal Research, Penn State Dickinson Law/Amy Carr, MLIS Senior Manager, Knowledge Management, Bowman and Brooke LLP
8. How to create a strategic plan and prove the ROI of the library - Rachel Gordon, MLIS, MBA, JD, Director of Library Services, Yale Law Library/ Marci Wilding, JD Public Services Law Librarian/Assistant Professor of the Practice of Law University of Mississippi
9 .Law firm Libraries: Organizational structure, Positioning of the Library, and Law Firm Mergers - Marcia Burris, Director of Research and Knowledge Management, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP
10. Digital Leases and Lost Legacies: The Quest for Sustainable Access - Sabrina Sondhi, JD, MLS Director of the H. Laddie Montague, Jr. Law Library and Professor of Legal Research, Penn State Dickinson Law
11. Risk Management in Law Libraries - Marci Wilding, JD Public Services Law Librarian/Assistant Professor of the Practice of Law University of Mississippi
Law Library Technologies
12. The Law Library Website - Syd Stephenson, MLIS Electronic Services & Systems Librarian Oklahoma City University School of Law/Jingwei Zhang, MLS, LLM Reference and student services librarian, Rutgers Law Library
13. The Law Library Intranet - Erik Adams, MLIS, Director of Library Digital Technology, Sidley Austin LLP/ Iain Barksdale, MLS JD, Law School Technology Services Librarian, The University of Alabama School of Law/ Kristen Naik, MLIS, Digital Initiatives Analyst, Sidley Austin LLP
14. Cybersecurity Issues and Training - Susan Boland, MLIS, JD Associate Director, University of Cincinnati Robert S. Marx Law Library
15. AI and Machine Learning in Law Libraries - Sarah Ryan, MLS, PhD, JD, Director of the Law Librarianship Program; Associate Professor of Information Science, University of North Texas/Cas Laskowski, MLIS, JD, Head of Research, Data, & Instruction; Director, Law Library Fellows Program, University of Arizona
16. Generative AI in Law Libraries - Michelle Rodenburg, MIS, JD Law & Technology Librarian University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law/ Jennifer Wondracek, MLIS, JD Associate Dean for Legal Information and Library Services, Capital University Law Library
17. AI-Driven Competitive Intelligence - Jim Currie, MBA, Competitive Intelligence Manager, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP/Josh Farley, Senior Competitive Intelligence Coordinator, Norton Rose Fulbright /Victoria Swindle, MLIS, Library Technology Specialist, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
18. Big Data and Law Libraries - Monique Gonzalez, MLIS, JD Associate Dean and Director for the Library and Information Technology Services, Paul M. Herbert Law Center, Louisiana State University
19. Data on the Horizon: Involvement and Impact of Law Librarians in Big Data Projects - Erik Adams, MLIS, Director of Library Digital Technology, Sidley Austin LLP/ Kristen Naik, MLIS, Digital Initiatives Analyst, Sidley Austin LLP
Law Library Challenges and Opportunities
20. Advancing the Impact of Legal Information: Challenges and Opportunities in Law Firm Libraries - Scott Bailey, MSIS, Director of Research & Knowledge Services, Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP
21. Challenges and Opportunities in Government Law Libraries - Holly Grimes, MLIS, Circulation Librarian, Alabama Supreme Court and State Law Library
22. Using Scenario Planning to Discover Challenges and Opportunities in Academic Law Libraries - Debbie Ginsberg, MLIS, JD Faculty Services Manager Harvard Law School Library
23. How Law Libraries Can Reimagine Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in an Anti-DEI Climate - Monique Gonzalez, MLIS, JD Associate Dean and Director for the Library and Information Technology Services, Paul M. Herbert Law Center, Louisiana State University/ Phebe Huderson-Poydras, MLIS, JD, Director of Library Services, Professor of Law, Southern University Law Center
24. Access to Justice (A2J) - Latia Ward, MSLS, JD Research Librarian University of Virginia School of Law, Arthur J. Morris Law Library/Rebecca Katz, MSLIS, JD, Founder and Executive Director, JusticeAccess
25. Law Library Partnerships - Kris Turner, MLIS, JD Associate Director of Public Services University of Wisconsin Law Library
26. Working in the Field Without an MLIS - Don Boman, MLIS Research & Knowledge Resources Manager Skadden Arps
27. The Professional Law Librarian Today - Malika Lipscomb, MLS Research & Training Librarian Fisher Phillips/ Nicholas Lamb, MA, JD Information Research Specialist in Learning Technology at Baker Library, Harvard Business School
28. The Law Library as a Center for Innovation - Kenton Brice, MLS, JD Law Library Director University of Oklahoma College of Law
Bibliography
Index
About the Editor
About the Contributors
Forward - Ronald E Wheeler, MLIS, JD, Associate Dean, Law Libraries/Associate Professor of Law and Legal Research, Fineman and Pappas Law Libraries, Boston University School of Law
Law Library Management
1. Policy Development in Law Libraries - Sheri H. Lewis, JD, MLIS, Director, D'Angelo Law Library, The University of Chicago Law School
2. Budgeting for the law library - Justin Huckaby, MSLIS, JD, Director of the Grisham Law Library and Assistant Professor of Law, University of Mississippi Grisham Law Library
3. Negotiating Contracts - Kerry Lohmeier, MSIS, JD, Associate Dean of Library and Information Services The University of Akron School of Law/ Suzanne Darais, JD, MLS, Director, Faust Law Library, University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
4. The Business of Running a Law Library - Abigail Ross, MLS Principal RoFinCo, LLC
5. Managing remote and hybrid workers - John DiGilio, MLIS, JD Firmwide Director of Library Services, Sidley Austin LLP
6. Vendor Relations: Navigating Challenges & Opportunities with Collaboration, Negotiation & Implementation - Crystal Alberthal, MLIS, Head of Collections, Resources & Information Management, University of Washington Gallagher Law Library/Pearl McCrea, MLIS, Collection Management Librarian, University of Washington Gallagher Law Library
7. Institutional Knowledge Management and Succession Planning - Sabrina Sondhi, JD, MLIS Director of the H. Laddie Montague, Jr. Law Library and Professor of Legal Research, Penn State Dickinson Law/Amy Carr, MLIS Senior Manager, Knowledge Management, Bowman and Brooke LLP
8. How to create a strategic plan and prove the ROI of the library - Rachel Gordon, MLIS, MBA, JD, Director of Library Services, Yale Law Library/ Marci Wilding, JD Public Services Law Librarian/Assistant Professor of the Practice of Law University of Mississippi
9 .Law firm Libraries: Organizational structure, Positioning of the Library, and Law Firm Mergers - Marcia Burris, Director of Research and Knowledge Management, Womble Bond Dickinson (US) LLP
10. Digital Leases and Lost Legacies: The Quest for Sustainable Access - Sabrina Sondhi, JD, MLS Director of the H. Laddie Montague, Jr. Law Library and Professor of Legal Research, Penn State Dickinson Law
11. Risk Management in Law Libraries - Marci Wilding, JD Public Services Law Librarian/Assistant Professor of the Practice of Law University of Mississippi
Law Library Technologies
12. The Law Library Website - Syd Stephenson, MLIS Electronic Services & Systems Librarian Oklahoma City University School of Law/Jingwei Zhang, MLS, LLM Reference and student services librarian, Rutgers Law Library
13. The Law Library Intranet - Erik Adams, MLIS, Director of Library Digital Technology, Sidley Austin LLP/ Iain Barksdale, MLS JD, Law School Technology Services Librarian, The University of Alabama School of Law/ Kristen Naik, MLIS, Digital Initiatives Analyst, Sidley Austin LLP
14. Cybersecurity Issues and Training - Susan Boland, MLIS, JD Associate Director, University of Cincinnati Robert S. Marx Law Library
15. AI and Machine Learning in Law Libraries - Sarah Ryan, MLS, PhD, JD, Director of the Law Librarianship Program; Associate Professor of Information Science, University of North Texas/Cas Laskowski, MLIS, JD, Head of Research, Data, & Instruction; Director, Law Library Fellows Program, University of Arizona
16. Generative AI in Law Libraries - Michelle Rodenburg, MIS, JD Law & Technology Librarian University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Law/ Jennifer Wondracek, MLIS, JD Associate Dean for Legal Information and Library Services, Capital University Law Library
17. AI-Driven Competitive Intelligence - Jim Currie, MBA, Competitive Intelligence Manager, Norton Rose Fulbright US LLP/Josh Farley, Senior Competitive Intelligence Coordinator, Norton Rose Fulbright /Victoria Swindle, MLIS, Library Technology Specialist, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC
18. Big Data and Law Libraries - Monique Gonzalez, MLIS, JD Associate Dean and Director for the Library and Information Technology Services, Paul M. Herbert Law Center, Louisiana State University
19. Data on the Horizon: Involvement and Impact of Law Librarians in Big Data Projects - Erik Adams, MLIS, Director of Library Digital Technology, Sidley Austin LLP/ Kristen Naik, MLIS, Digital Initiatives Analyst, Sidley Austin LLP
Law Library Challenges and Opportunities
20. Advancing the Impact of Legal Information: Challenges and Opportunities in Law Firm Libraries - Scott Bailey, MSIS, Director of Research & Knowledge Services, Eversheds Sutherland (US) LLP
21. Challenges and Opportunities in Government Law Libraries - Holly Grimes, MLIS, Circulation Librarian, Alabama Supreme Court and State Law Library
22. Using Scenario Planning to Discover Challenges and Opportunities in Academic Law Libraries - Debbie Ginsberg, MLIS, JD Faculty Services Manager Harvard Law School Library
23. How Law Libraries Can Reimagine Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in an Anti-DEI Climate - Monique Gonzalez, MLIS, JD Associate Dean and Director for the Library and Information Technology Services, Paul M. Herbert Law Center, Louisiana State University/ Phebe Huderson-Poydras, MLIS, JD, Director of Library Services, Professor of Law, Southern University Law Center
24. Access to Justice (A2J) - Latia Ward, MSLS, JD Research Librarian University of Virginia School of Law, Arthur J. Morris Law Library/Rebecca Katz, MSLIS, JD, Founder and Executive Director, JusticeAccess
25. Law Library Partnerships - Kris Turner, MLIS, JD Associate Director of Public Services University of Wisconsin Law Library
26. Working in the Field Without an MLIS - Don Boman, MLIS Research & Knowledge Resources Manager Skadden Arps
27. The Professional Law Librarian Today - Malika Lipscomb, MLS Research & Training Librarian Fisher Phillips/ Nicholas Lamb, MA, JD Information Research Specialist in Learning Technology at Baker Library, Harvard Business School
28. The Law Library as a Center for Innovation - Kenton Brice, MLS, JD Law Library Director University of Oklahoma College of Law
Bibliography
Index
About the Editor
About the Contributors