The digital library is different from your main platform on Westlaw and Lexis. The print and digital libraries in every law firm are at some stage of reorganization, at least they should be. As firms are trying to trim costs with all aspects of legal research, whether going to a sole provider or moving print libraries to digital, the “old reliable” books are still hanging in there. Long gone are the CD-ROM towers of the 90’s, where everyone in the firm could share access to the resources that they didn’t have online.
There are different opinions about actual books and digital libraries. Some think that the books will never die, while some feel books will be replaced completely. And then there’s the middle. Most of the books are available on the main platform and on digital libraries.
- The digital print library really only makes sense if the subscription is not in your plan with your legal research provider, however, there are some exceptions.
- There are those that still want to have that “go-to” book on their desk (the one that’s all marked up with a bunch of sticky notes poking out of the pages).
- Most likely, these desktop books aren’t going away any time soon and that goes for some of the specialty practice guides that are easy to flip through for a quick answer.
- Law firms are eyeing the shelf space that books take up for some other use.
The latest generation of attorneys coming out of law school probably aren’t interested as much in books, since they do most everything online. The attorneys that have been doing this for a while will still want some form of a book in their hands. There may be some questions:
- Do you need to qualify for a digital library?
- Can the digital subscription be as effective as using the book?
- Will more than one user be able to have access to the digital subscription?
- What will the digital cost be to replace the book?
- Are there any other fixed costs to having a digital library?
- Are the attorneys working from home doing their research without their books?
Digital libraries are here and should be explored. Some research providers are trying to move away from print completely (Hint: not Westlaw and Lexis). Trying to understand all of the options with digital libraries could be overwhelming but also could be worthwhile.
Legal Counsel Consulting has the resources to evaluate contracts and services to assure competitive pricing.
If there is any way I can help or if you would like to schedule a brief conversation, please feel free to contact me.
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