Target Audience: Law firm librarians, as well as corporate legal departments and government agencies that are tasked with effectively implementing just-in-time information ownership policies by extending the firm's print and electronic resources
Learning Outcomes:
1. Participants will identify and analyze the types of services that membership libraries can provide, such as increasing access to resources and expanding research/reference assistance while ensuring a significant ROI.
2. Participants will be able to explain the membership library concept to the C-level, using metrics to justify the costs of membership, and be able to instruct attorneys on accessing information and materials existing "outside the walls" of the individual firm.
Membership libraries serve a critical role in the legal information community, but many librarians are simply unaware of the services they offer. Law firms are moving away from a model that emphasizes ownership of information resources to one that emphasizes just-in-time access. In response, membership libraries are embracing innovative ways of offering responsive, collaborative services, such as API (Application Programming Interface) technologies, to fulfill the information needs of attorneys and other legal professionals. This session brings together representatives from two prominent membership libraries along with a user of their services to talk about how looking outside the walls of one's own library and firm can be key to ensuring firm-wide access, especially for minimally staffed branch offices, to legal information while keeping costs in check.