Law Librarian 2.0: Building the Law Librarian of the Future (03/09)
By Michael Saint-Onge
Many years ago I remember asking a software programmer friend of mine how they decided when an upgrade to a software program warranted a minor step (from 4.0 to 4.1, for instance) or when they switched to a new whole number (from 4.7 to 5.0). His response: “A minor step indicates that they’ve simply made improvements built on existing architecture, but the move to another whole number usually indicates that they’ve taken it back to the drawing board and rebuilt it from the ground up.”
Understanding the difference between merely tinkering with what is there and re-thinking it from scratch makes “Web 2.0” or Library 2.0” sound particularly intriguing, doesn’t it? What would those two things look like if we rebuilt them from scratch knowing what we know now?
That got me thinking about what the- “Law Librarian 2.0” might look like. What features will the new librarian need? (An interesting aside: what marketing language would we need to use so that lawyers and law firms will be inspired to upgrade?) While this list isn’t meant to be exhaustive, here are some features that are simply “must-haves” for Law Librarian 2.0:
- The Crystal Ball Feature
There is now, more than ever, a need for librarians to be “big picture” people. Sure, there will always be the need for cataloguers, reference librarians and administrative people who keep the day-to-day functioning of the library going, but what we need most are librarians who are visionaries, people who can see where we need to be and outline how to get there. Library directors should be looking at the long-range needs of the firm and then moving the firm forward. Of course, the future is unknown. Given the economic climate, the volatility of the legal industry and the ever-changing face of legal publishing, it’s impossible to say with certainty what the future will hold. But we do know it will change, and we know that we can direct some of that change by anticipating it, planning for it, working toward it. Surely the Law Librarian 2.0 will have a feature that will allow forecasting of the future.
- Information Manager Feature (This replaces the “Library Manager” feature on the current version.).
I believe one of the handicaps facing our profession is that we’re too closely aligned with a physical space called “the library” and not identified more with “information,” which is our true commodity. Physical libraries shrink, and with it shrinks the importance of the “Librarian.” (If I hear one more person tell me "libraries are dying because, after all, isn’t everything on the Internet?" I’m going to scream.) Yet information is exploding—it’s literally everywhere. Now more than ever, law firms need someone who can manage this information, package it, add value to it. We should be all about figuring out new ways to meet these information needs by harnessing technology because, ready or not, young lawyers today expect it, and the lawyers of tomorrow won’t know any other way.
- Teaching Module
Law Librarian 2.0 should have a new teaching module that will make it worth investing in the upgrade. In the prior model, law librarians often saw themselves as the repository of knowledge. (It was no accident that the first LexisNexis® terminals were located in the library, and that specialized databases such as Pacer and Dialog were limited to librarians.) As the Web made resources more readily available and made the interface easier to use, more and more of these sources have been pushed to the attorney’s desktop. Now, there will always be a role for librarians as researchers, especially when the research is outside of the realm or comfort zone of the lawyer—for business research, for example. But more often than not, librarians are now not just handing attorneys a fish but actually teaching them to fish, as the old saying goes. The good news? Librarian as teacher makes perfect sense. It’s a great role for us, as long as we embrace two fundamental premises: 1) not only are there differences in learning styles that need to be addressed, but there are different learning styles between generations as well. That means that, regardless of how strongly we want to cling to teaching legal research based in print, today’s young lawyers don’t start there, and won’t start there. Isn’t it easier to teach resources that are format-neutral so as not to risk being sidelined? 2) It is true that there are some “born” teachers, but the majority of us need to learn how to do it, to be more effective, to gain insight into how to teach and train, especially using technology. If we’re going to embrace this role and do it well, we’ll need to invest in our continuing education. It’s just that simple.
- Marketing Module
Who would have thought that one of the most important features of the new Law Librarian 2.0 would be the Marketing module? (How many marketing classes did you take in library school?) And yet, here we are in this very important role. But marketing is tricky because it presumes that you’re really in touch with what your customers need. T. Scott Pluchak says, “The emphasis on marketing is often misplaced because often what that translates to is people trying to create a buzz about the stuff they’re currently doing when, in fact, the stuff they’re currently doing isn’t that valuable.” Instead, we need to figure out what our customers need from us, then figure out ways to deliver it, then market the heck out of it.
- Confidence
I, like most Americans, found the recent inauguration to be very inspiring. It was a hopeful message in a sea of discouraging news about the economy. One of the things I like most about the new President is his confidence. He isn’t cocky, and the news is not all rosy. He openly acknowledges the fact that there are some significant challenges ahead, but he’s absolutely confident that we, as a nation, can overcome those obstacles. I have no less confidence in my librarian colleagues. Law firms are changing, and libraries are changing as well. It’s a little scary—and we’ve got a lot at stake as a profession. But in my 20+ years as a law librarian, I’ve met many individuals who are up for the challenge, who are willing to embrace the future. I’m confident that, if we work hard, Law Librarian 2.0 will take us far into the future. Of course this new model will cost a little more, but it will be worth it!
Have your own thoughts on what should be included (or excluded) in the Law Librarian 2.0? Let me know at Michael.saint-onge@lexisnexis.com
For more reading on the topic of preparing for the library of the future, check out Nina Platt’s Strategic Librarian blog.
