The world of legal information management is increasingly more complex. Even as digital resources put more information at our fingertips, there are complicating factors that underscore the necessity and value of skilled information professionals. From license agreements to access points and the integration of resources, from onboarding and training to addressing the ethical issues associated with artificial intelligence, the law librarian brings deep experience in the field and in your firm to all aspects of library management, vendor relations, collaborative work with other departments, and, most critically, to meeting the information needs of your attorneys and other professionals.

Some readers, just a few, I’m sure, think that they no longer need a librarian since their firm has a service like Lexis Advance, Westlaw, Fastcase, or Bloomberg Law. Still others think that legal information professionals in corporate and firm settings just shelve books and do loose-leaf filing. If that’s your organization’s limited experience with or understanding of the role of a librarian, consider the value that skilled library managers provide with this brief list of examples.

• Product comparisons and testing, training, ongoing vendor relations, contract negotiations
• Onboarding legal professionals with documentation, training, and user support in legal information tools and their integration with the organization’s other resources
• Selection and implementation of applications for library dashboards, documentation management, research, news, knowledgebase, usage tracking and single sign-on
• Tracking and addressing changing and emerging information and research needs
• Comprehensive collection review, cost containment strategies, de-duplication of print and digital information resources, and migration to the right digital materials
• Understanding the practical and ethical implications of AI in legal research, guiding users, identifying shortcomings or gaps
• Retention of and access to the firm’s institutional archives and knowledge management
• Sophisticated research for legal and business needs
• Curation of tracking and alerts for litigation, legislation, people, companies, and issues
• Document delivery and interlibrary loan for items outside of the firm’s collection and resources

Library management is multi-faceted and ever-changing. Your law librarian is a problem solver, a well-connected expert in the legal information field, a professional familiar with the most up-to-date information management best practices, resources, and technologies.