The report looks closely at law library budgets, staffing, content/materials spending, cost containment efforts, use of new technology, the changing and expanding role of the law librarian and many other issues. The 140-page report presents more than 200 tables of data, broken out by size and type of law library. Data is broke out separately for courthouse, government, private firm law department, law firm, and university law libraries.
This study (ISBN 1-57440-155-6) presents data from a survey of more than 50 law libraries in the United States and Canada.
Just a few of the report's many findings are that:
+ For 43% of the libraries in the sample salary levels did not change from the year before.
+ More than 31% of libraries sampled said that their budgets would increase in 2011.
+ A mean of 13.12% of all the costs of the library were accounted for by charges back to patrons
+ Despite the general trend towards the elimination of print resources, they still account for more than half of the traditional law library materials budget. Only libraries in the largest institutions, those serving 300 or more lawyers, spent more of their library budget on electronic than print resources.
+ Amazon.com was used frequently or extensively by more than 28% of libraries sampled. About 7% used Facebook frequently, none used it extensively. 9.68% of law firm libraries used Facebook frequently.
+ In 2009 spending on print reporters was a mean of $35,744 and the range was extraordinary, from 0 to $500,000. Law firm libraries spent a mean of a little more than $15,300; the range was from 0 to more than $64,000.
+ Librarians in the sample report some success in re-negotiating contracts for online information services at lower prices than have prevailed in the past. Results and tactics vary considerably. Success seems greater for online than print resources.
+ A mean of 15% of librarians staff time was spent doing research designed to produce new business or clients for the organization.
+ Mean spending on content by the libraries in the sample was $6,277 per lawyer employed in the parent organization.
The report is available in PDF or print format [from Primary Research Group] for $132.00; site licenses are also available. Print copies will be available on September 16, 2010.
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