Scarecrow Press Law Librarianship in the Twenty-first Century

The role of providing public access to the law is a critical one for librarians. It has been over ten years since the last law librarianship textbook was published. Since that time, much has changed in the profession, and with the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing, law librarians must master legal materials and a thorough understanding of the latest technologies in order to best serve the public. Law Librarianship in the 21st Century, a text for library and information science courses on law librarianship, introduces students to the rapidly evolving world of law librarianship. With no prior knowledge of the law required, students using this book will find practical answers to such questions as: What is law librarianship? How do you become a law librarian? How does law librarianship interrelate with the legal world? Individual chapters provide a concise treatment of such specialized topics as the history of law librarianship, international law, and government documents. Standard topics are dealt with as they apply to the law library, including collection development, public services, technical processing, administration, technology, and consortia. The textbook also includes an explanation of the common acronyms and special terminology needed to work in a law library. Review The book is full of advice, case studies and tips which make the text eminently readable. It is a worthy addition to the literature of law librarianship and legal information.--Collection Building This is a timely publication explaining the state of the art and discussing issues with which this discipline is confronted. It is a reasonable textbook aimed at courses in law librarianship which provides practical answers to questions challenging the profession. The book is full of advice, case studies and tips which make the text eminently readable. It is a worthy addition to the literature of law librarianship and legal information.--M. P. Satija, Guru Nanak Dev University, Guru Nanak Dev University "Collection Building " This text is a welcome addition to the field.--Feliciter This book, although largely aimed at the novice to law librarianship, would also be beneficial to managers of law libraries seeking to understand both the practice of law librarianship and the emerging trends in this field.--Colin Fong "Australian Library Journal " This title is likely to be most useful to individuals who are new to, or unfamiliar with, law librarianship, especially library students, librarians considering a change of career track, and researchers hoping to compare law library trends with those of other library types. Law librarians mired deeply in their own specialties also may find these generalized summations of their colleagues' work insightful.--Chris G. Hudson, V. 47, Issue 2 "Reference and User Services Quarterly " About the Author Roy Balleste is the Law Library Director and Assistant Professor of Law at the Charles N. and Hilda H. M. Mason Law Library at the University of the District of Columbia, David A. Clarke School of Law, in Washington, DC. Sonia Luna-Lamas is the Associate Law Librarian and Head of Technical Services at St. Thomas University Law Library. Lisa Smith-Butler is the Assistant Dean & Director and Assistant Professor of Law at the Nova Southeastern University, Shepard Broad Law Center, Law Library & Technology Center.