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.
Edited by:
Ellyssa Kroski (New York Law Institute)
Imprint: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions:
Height: 254mm,
Width: 178mm,
ISBN: 9781538199749
ISBN 10: 1538199742
Pages: 440
Publication Date: 26 June 2025
Audience:
Professional and scholarly
,
College/higher education
,
Undergraduate
,
Further / Higher Education
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming
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 Okla0homa 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 About the Editor About the Contributors
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.
Reviews for Law Librarianship Practice: Challenges and Opportunities in Law Firm, Government, and Academic Law Libraries
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