Technical Services

Technical Services includes a wide range of behind the scenes duties ranging from all aspects of cataloging, serials, acquisitions, title updates, repairs, maintaining the library’s databases, and managing the organization of the collection. The easiest explanation of technical services is that if a task does not fall under public services or administration it is part of technical services. While Chapter 7 covers collection development, this chapter addresses classification options, cataloging, and collection maintenance (repairs and preservation). Security and theft control, though not technical services per se, are also considered to be a vital behind the scenes responsibility.

Collection Development

The collection is the heart of the library. Everything revolves around the library’s resources, be they hard copy, non-print, vertical file, or digital. Without that collection, the library’s staff is unable to provide quality service, answer questions, and teach patrons how to perform legal research. Because basic collection development theory applies to all libraries, this chapter concentrates on the major differences between standard collection development theory and practice and the theories and practices specific to law librarianship. Furthermore, differences between law library specifics and public law library needs are highlighted. A discussion of the various formats, their advantages and disadvantages could entail a full-length monograph; therefore, this discussion concentrates on the basics and then only as format determination impacts the public law library’s collection development plan. Several excellent collection development titles are listed in the Additional Reading section at the end of this chapter for those interested in a collection development refresher course. Further discussion of digital resources, including format advantages/disadvantages, electronic licenses, package or bundle sales, digital resources, and contracts in general appears in chapter 8. Collection maintenance, weeding, and discard procedures are reviewed in the Technical Services chapter.

General Library Management

Building on the discussion of mission statements, goals, and objectives in Chapter 3, this chapter begins with long and short range planning. It is not enough to complete the basic organizational documents only to shove them into a filing cabinet and forget they exist. Used properly, these documents can help keep library activities, staff, administration, and governing authorities on track and within the library’s resources. Planning activities can also have an impact on the political climate in which the library exists. Political realities are addressed throughout this chapter as it discusses funding methods and issues, the budget process, and the purpose of written policies and procedures. Because much of this information is generic to all library types, the authors have tried to keep the discussion and examples specific to the public law library’s peculiarities.

Public Services

Public Services, as the name suggests, is the most visible of the many roles of a public law librarian. Rarely does the public see the other library responsibilities such as budget, collection development, cataloging and processing materials, weeding, or staffing. Being the most visible, public service is a major part of a library’s public relations and marketing process and customer service speaks volumes as to how one is perceived by library patrons. This chapter covers a wide variety of functions that fit under this category including reference, bibliographic instruction, jail services, disabled or handicapped access, circulation, and interlibrary loan.

Governance and Organizational Structures

A library is a library is a library, right? Well, yes and no. While basic administrative practices remain the same across library types, the public law library poses a number of unique situations requiring uncommon administrative practices. Many of these administrative differences are due to the public law library’s dual missions and uncommon organizational configurations. Other administrative differences are due to the nature of the law both as a subject and as a career field. This chapter reviews the diverse governance and organizational structures most often found among public law libraries; however, this discussion is not all-inclusive, and other governance forms may exist. Organizational documents such as mission statements, goals, and objectives are discussed within each type of public law library structure, and the organizational variations are depicted by sample organizational charts. The law library committee, the advisory law library board, and the governing law library board are also discussed.

Patron Base

How does the public law library successfully meet its very challenging mandate to provide legal resources to all who enter its doors? The quick answer is “with difficulty.” The more in-depth answer is: By understanding the needs of each patron group the library is obligated to serve, and by establishing policies, procedures, and an atmosphere that allows the library’s staff the most flexibility possible to meet the conflicting missions, multiple goals, and varying objectives. Before tackling the practicalities of the public law library’s organizational and supervisory options, this chapter examines the library’s patron base, the expectations of the various groups, the types of resources most appropriate to their needs, the diverse library types filling the public law library role, and how a multiple mission is likely to affect a public law library’s ability to provide adequate services to its assorted service populations.

Introduction to Public Law Libraries

Representing the smallest special library category, public law libraries serve the largest and most widely diversified constituency. They also have a convoluted developmental history that makes a simple definition impossible to determine. In this chapter, the authors define the public law library, review the history of law librarianship and public law library development, examine the field’s standing within librarianship, and reflect on future trends.

Technology, Contracts, and Electronic Resources

The electronic revolution, which began over fifty years ago, has changed not only the way libraries operate but the way people conduct research and business, interact with each other, socialize, communicate, and even commit crimes. Originally, the phrase “library electronics” referred to an ILS (integrated library system) or an OPAC (online public access catalog). Today, this same phrase refers to not only the ILS, OPAC, and public access computer but to print management and computer reservation software, e-books, CD-ROMs, databases, and CALR vendors. As technology has changed libraries, it has also changed users’ behaviors, research techniques, public services, and the librarian’s role. Intended to be an extension of the collection development and public services chapters, this chapter explores the effect of the digital revolution on the public law library, ways public law libraries can utilize the technology, and how and why these libraries are being driven to increase their use of digital technology. Because contracts are commonly thought of as being associated with electronic resources, the authors have chosen to discuss contract issues in this chapter rather than in the Collection Development chapter. Other related topics include transitioning from the card catalog to the OPAC and ILS, electronic formats, vendor selection, miscellaneous electronic technologies, and pricing issues.

Personnel

Until the mid-1900s information explosion inundated legal researchers, legal professionals saw little need for law librarians, preferring instead to rely on the uneducated caretaker, the law student, or the under employed lawyer to oversee their libraries. As legal research evolved into a broader process that required one to sort through a rapidly growing influx of legal and non-legal information from the social sciences, sciences, and statistics, law firms began hiring librarians to corral, collect, sort, manage, and organize the increasing quantity of information. As databases developed and attorneys became more and more consumed with income generating activities, private law librarians came to be recognized as the search, research, and resource experts. Unfortunately, public law librarians were not as lucky. In the public law library world, the position of librarian continued to be filled by under employed attorneys or untrained individuals who were often treated as facility caretakers, janitors, housekeepers, or the governing authority’s secretary, clerk, administrative assistant, or “Girl Friday.” This chapter discusses the widely varied job descriptions, staffing options, training, and levels of professionalism within the public law library field. It will also present the dual degree and certification debate, the use of temporary and unpaid assistants, and review some approaches to changing the position over time to create a less clerical, more professional position.

Public Relations

Public relations and marketing are more than simply advertising the library’s existence. Everything the librarian does or says is public relations fodder. Properly used, public relations and marketing activities can create a favorable library image with both the library’s governing authority and the library’s target audience. They also allow the librarian to educate everyone on the library’s role in both society and the legal system. The purpose of public relations is to develop a relationship between the library, its governing authority, and its users. The failure of even one of these relationships makes the library ineffective or completely unable to adequately serve its public. Such failures mean the library can find itself at the bottom of the funding list at budget time, first on the cut list for budget or service cuts, or treated as a necessary evil that translates into “merely existing” with minimum wage, volunteer, or community service room-sitter coverage.