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Law Librarianship as a Profession in the United States of America

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 February 2019

John S. Schultz*
Affiliation:
Coleman Karesh Law-Library, University of South Carolina

Extract

The performance of duties which law librarians consider professional varies in quantity and in quality among different types of law libraries. It is hoped that this small paper will reflect these differences and yet provide information typical enough of American librarians to provide an adequate picture for comparison. Noting the essential differences, this paper will briefly describe the organization of professional law librarians in their jobs and in their relationships with other librarians, their educational status and requirements, and other indicia of professionalism which affect their status. It will undoubtedly reflect the biases of a librarian from a university law library.

Type
Articles
Copyright
Copyright © International Association of Law Libraries 1975 

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References

1 See, e.g., letter from Margaret Stuart, 59 Sp. Libs. 647 (1968).Google Scholar

2 A.A.L.L. Recruitment Committee, Recruitment Checklist 23 (1974). See, Appendix II: “Bibliographic Activities of Law Librarians.”Google Scholar

3 “Educational Structure of A.A.L.L. – A Panel,” 66 Law Lib. J. 405 (1973).Google Scholar

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5 Roalfe, The Libraries of the Legal Profession, 390 (1953). Membership of A.A.L.L. now exceeds 1, 500, but its relative size still prohibits activities which could be performed by the larger organization.Google Scholar

6 Surveys of the major types of law libraries appeared in the May, 1974 issue of Law Library Journal. The text and statistical material published there provide an excellent overview of the type of work and the type of collection found in each group of libraries.Google Scholar

7 Finley, Private Law Libraries, 31 (1966).Google Scholar

8 Ibid., p. 32.Google Scholar

9 See, e. g., A.B.A., Standards and Rules of Procedure: Approval of Law Schools (1973). Standard 605 (a); Association of American Law Schools, Executive Committee Regulations § 8. 3b (1973).Google Scholar

10 Gallagher, “The Law Library in a new Law School,” 1 Texas Tech L. R. 21, 23 (1969); Lyle, The administration of the College Library 41 (ed ed. 1961); Woodruff, “Library Committees,” 35 D. C. Libs. 2 (1964).Google Scholar

11 A.A.L.L., Directory of Law Libraries, xiii (1974).Google Scholar

12 A.A.L.L. supra note 2, at 7.Google Scholar

14 Squillante, “What the Dean (and Faculty Member) Should Know About Their Law Librarian,” 21 J. Legal Ed. 292 (1969).Google Scholar

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18 A.A.L.L. Recruitment Committee, supra note 2, at 32–34.Google Scholar

19 A.B.A., supra note 9.Google Scholar

20 A.B.A., supra note 9. Standard 605 (b).Google Scholar

21 Association of American Law Schools, supra note 9.Google Scholar

22 A.A.L.S., Executive Committee Regulations §3. 3b (1973).Google Scholar

23 A.A.L.L., supra note 11.Google Scholar

24 A.B.A., supra note 9. Standard 605. See, Annex I. See also, A.A.L.S. By Laxes; Approved Association Policy § 6–1 (6) (c) (1973).Google Scholar

25 A.B.A., supra note 9. Standard 605.Google Scholar

26 A.A.L.S., supra note 24. § 6–1 (8) (c).Google Scholar

27 Bolden, “Educational and Experience Backgrounds of College and University Law Librarians,” 57 Law Lib. J. 58, 61 (1964).Google Scholar

28 A.A.L.S., supra note 24. § 6–1 (8) (d).Google Scholar

29 Stephens, Tauber and, Library Surveys, 134 (1967).Google Scholar

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31 See, e.g., “Ethical Problems of Librarianship: A Panel,” 67 Law Lib. J. 528 (1974).Google Scholar