LISNews: Librarian News

Book Lovers Beware: A Survey of Online Research Habits of Stanford Law Students [PDF] The Robert Crown Law Library surveyed Stanford Law students for the past three
years. One question that the survey treated was the percentage of research that
students performed online. The following article summarizes the findings of that
survey question over the three year period (2002-2004). It should come as no
surprise that the students described their research habits as primarily online.
What did surprise them was the strength of their preference.

Steven M. Cohen writes "From Palm Beach Post:"The public law library at the Palm Beach County Judicial Center could close by October if county commissioners don't come up with $300,000. Once again, the county will have to pay for a public service that is the state's responsibility.

The library, though available to judges and lawyers, is primarily a resource for the growing number of people who cannot afford to hire a lawyer or for other reasons choose to represent themselves. From the main courthouse in West Palm Beach, to satellite offices in Palm Beach Gardens and Delray Beach, the library draws people from beyond Palm Beach County's borders."

Terrence Bosky writes "The sad state of the Palm Beach County Law Library continues to be underreported. Having lost their primary source of funding, the Law Library appealed to the Board of County Commissioners.

As reported by the June 7, 2005 Palm Beach Post: "Law library: Rejected a $454,519 request to subsidize the law library, with no discussion. Court administrators will ask commissioners for $250,000 this month to help keep the library, on the first floor of the courthouse, open through the rest of the year.""

From the October 4 issue of The Lawyer, a British online legal publication, an article about the increased role and responsibilities of senior legal librarians (SLLs). "They are now responsible for the management of powerful online legal information services and practice tools, teams of researchers and ensuring lawyers are fully trained to use the latest research tools and supplied with all the additional information they need to pursue their sector specialisations." The article also notes that more than half of them have new titles that don't include the word "librarian." [The Lawyer.com]