Future of Law Library Print Collections

The most recent issue of the Law Library Journal (vol. 100, no. 3) has an article entitled By the Book: Thoughts on the Future of Our Print Collections by Rita Reusch (S.J. Quinney College of Law, University of Utah).

"A few years ago, I co-chaired an AALL committee called The Future of Law Libraries in a Digital Age. The committee’s report, Beyond the Boundaries, described many scenarios on future directions of law libraries. One of the academic law library scenarios discussed the evolution of the virtual law library, and the transition from print collections to the virtually all-electronic law library. My participation in the discussions of the committee and the development of the committee’s report stimulated my personal views and expectations regarding the direction and roles of academic law libraries."

"The scope of the Beyond the Boundaries report goes well beyond the future of our print collections. But the scope of this piece focuses on that precise issue. What we didn’t dwell on in the course of envisioning our future were the practicalities and the minutiae and the uncertainties of moving our institutions away from print. The process of actually transitioning a physical, print-based library collection to an all (or mostly all) electronic one can be painful and controversial— and a lot of work."