The Challenge of Building a Law Library from Scratch

First and foremost, realizing the need for specialized knowledge in library education, I pursued a Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro (UNCG). During my two years there, I immersed myself in library studies, developing skills and insights that would prove invaluable upon my return to Bhutan. Yet, when I arrived back home, the task was still daunting, as the law library was to be built from scratch without detailed guidelines or systems in place. The law school, at that time, was called the Royal Institute of Law,Footnote ⁵ since it was still a project.

Resource Constraints and Initial Steps

Despite completing my MLIS, I was still lost and was not aware of where to start. Fortunately, White & Case, a legal firm based in Washington, DC, offered a consultant law librarian for the project, Ms. Judy Stark, who became my mentor in establishing the law library. The Detailed Project Report (DPR)Footnote ⁶ for the establishment of the Royal Institute of Law outlined general objectives for the school but did not provide specific details about the library’s structure, policies, or required resources. The absence of guidelines meant that every decision, from which books to acquire to what systems to implement, had to be navigated without a clear direction. The American Bar Association (ABA) Standards for the accreditation of law schools was one foundational document I used to understand the establishment of the law library.Footnote ⁷ Referring to ABA Standards provided some clues on what kind of materials to collect.Footnote ⁸ One of the primary challenges in establishing a new law library is resource availability. Budgets for new institutions, particularly in developing countries, are often limited. These constraints affect the acquisition of legal texts, journals, databases, and necessary technological infrastructure.Footnote ⁹ Additionally, legal publications and databases can be costly, making it difficult to procure comprehensive collections that meet academic and research needs.

Without a collection development policy or any other related policy, I relied on the DPR’sFootnote ¹⁰ outline to guide initial acquisitions and understand the law school’s curriculum and programs offered. It was immediately apparent that we needed core texts in Bhutanese law and supplementary materials in international law, criminal law, family law, and constitutional law, among others. Drawing on the DPR’s general recommendations and advice from colleagues on the Interim Academic Council (IAC), I began gathering materials that would be essential for the students’ education and research. Yet, this approach was far from systematic and underscored the need for a comprehensive policy to guide collection development going forward.

Challenges in Selecting Resources and Navigating Legal Databases

Obtaining international legal resources, particularly physical materials, was one daunting task. I came to understand that it’s almost impossible to buy any print legal resources in Bhutan since there is no market for them. Understanding the market, I explored alternative resources for the needs of the students and faculty. Digital resources were an alternative, and one of the most significant challenges was selecting electronic resources and navigating legal databases.

Initially, I had no experience with legal databases and little guidance on which resources would be most beneficial. With the support and advice of mentors like Judy,Footnote ¹¹ we began exploring databases and eventually subscribed to key resources like HeinOnline and later LexisNexis and Westlaw. These databases provided critical access to international legal scholarship and case law, enriching the library’s offerings and aligning with the school’s mission to foster a broad legal education. Furthermore, some open-source databases and fee-exempt databases like Research4life for developing countries added additional resources to the library.

The process of selecting resources, however, was complex. While I had learned the basics of library management at UNCG, I was still a novice when it came to understanding which resources would be most useful for a law school library. I began acquiring digital and physical copies of Bhutanese laws from the National Assembly of BhutanFootnote ¹² and the National Council of Bhutan,Footnote ¹³ thus ensuring that students and faculty had access to both current and previous legislation passed by the Parliament of Bhutan. Understanding the importance of court judgments as primary resources for law school teaching and study, I was also aware that access to judicial opinionsFootnote ¹⁴ is actually quite limited on Bhutanese public platforms, even though Section 96(A) of the Civil and Criminal Procedure Code (CCPC) (Amendment) Act 2011 of BhutanFootnote ¹⁵ states that the judgment of the Court shall be made accessible in the public domain, including libraries.

Expanding the collection beyond Bhutanese laws to include resources for foreign legal research, philosophy, comparative law, and Buddhist philosophy helped create a well-rounded collection that reflects Bhutan’s unique cultural and legal landscape. But without the help of my colleagues traveling out of the country and our visiting faculties and international friends of the law school, who were able to sneak books into their suitcases, expanding the library’s print collection wouldn’t have been possible.

Building Infrastructure in a Temporary Setting

Infrastructure poses another challenge, as law libraries require space for physical collections, study areas, and digital resources. In new law schools, facilities might be makeshift, with library spaces sharing functions with classrooms or administrative offices. Such settings restrict a library’s capacity to house a broad range of resources and provide an environment conducive to study and research.Footnote ¹⁶ Understanding the infrastructure requirements, the JSW Law Library began in a temporary office with only a few shelves to hold its initial collection. This setup, though modest, was essential for getting the library off the ground.

As I managed the development of physical resources, I was also heavily involved in the planning of the construction of the permanent library building. I participated in the design process, advising on space requirements, room sizes, and the layout of study areas. Decisions on everything from shelving placement to furniture dimensions had to be carefully considered to create an efficient and welcoming environment for future students and faculty. Visiting different law libraries when I was in the US for my MLIS studies sparked ideas despite my zero understanding and knowledge of engineering and architecture.

This simultaneous focus on temporary and permanent facilities required adaptability and a clear vision of how the library would eventually serve its users. While establishing a foundational collection, I balanced the needs of the current setup with the long-term vision of a fully operational law library that would be housed in a purpose-built facility.

Human Resources

A library’s success hinges on knowledgeable and well-trained staff. Newly established law libraries often struggle to recruit skilled law librarians, especially if the field of library science is underdeveloped in the country.Footnote ¹⁷ Additionally, the lack of in-house expertise for managing specialized legal resources and providing research guidance can hinder the library’s ability to serve faculty and students effectively. In Bhutan, library-educated professionals are rarely seen, as the profession doesn’t seem attractive and is not a highly desired profession. Therefore, finding and hiring librarians is almost impossible.Footnote ¹⁸ Further, there are no librarians in Bhutan who have training in both law and library studies. By default, working to establish a law library, I claim to be a law librarian without formal legal education.

The reading culture in Bhutan faces challenges due to limited awareness of the broader role that libraries can play. This perspective, in turn, limits the public’s potential to understand library education. Until I received my MLIS, I must admit that I was of the same mindset, but after receiving my MLIS, the door of library education opened for me, and I learned that it is a profession that involves and allows continuous learning.

Convincing the law school’s administration about the need for a professional librarian was not easy. I can’t blame them, as there is definitively a cultural stigmatization of libraries and librarians in Bhutan. There is just a small library in every Bhutanese school and a staff member who looks after basic library services. Further compounding the issue is the narrow range of services provided by library staff. In most school libraries, the primary functions are limited to issuing and receiving books, along with shelving duties.Footnote ¹⁹ This basic structure contrasts sharply with modern libraries worldwide, where librarians serve as conduits to knowledge, assisting patrons with digital resources, research guidance, and information access.Footnote ²⁰ This contrast is due to the lack of library-educated professionals in Bhutan.

Opportunities for growth and Interdisciplinary learning

Despite the challenges, establishing the law library presented opportunities for me to develop new skills and integrate interdisciplinary knowledge into the academic program. Alongside library development, I was involved in designing course modules on legal research and writing (LRW) and legal rhetoric and composition (LRC), as well as developing a course on law practice management (LPM).Footnote ²¹ These courses allowed me to apply my growing knowledge of legal resources and research techniques to the curriculum, equipping students with practical skills they would need in both academic and professional settings.

The experience of building the law library from the ground up provided a unique interdisciplinary learning experience that blended library science with legal education. I began to understand how a well-curated collection and effective library instruction could shape the way law students approach research and analysis. This integration of library resources into the academic curriculum became a cornerstone of my approach, reinforcing the idea that the library is a vital part of the learning process, not merely a repository of information.

Key Lessons Learned:

1. 1. Adaptability and Lifelong Learning: Without a background in library science, I had to learn on the job, constantly adapting to new challenges. The experience underscored the importance of lifelong learning as I continually sought out new information and resources to develop and improve the library.

2. 2. User-Centric Development: Building the collection and designing the physical space with the primary users in mind was vital to the library’s success.Footnote ²² Understanding the specific needs of our users (both present and future) and their preferences guided decisions on everything from resource acquisition to spatial planning.

3. 3. The Power of Mentorship and Collaboration: Having a mentor is like a lifesaver. Guidance from mentors and collaboration with colleagues were instrumental. Their insights and support made it possible to navigate the unknowns of building a law library. Without their guidance, we would not have reached where we are today.

4. 4. Embracing Digital Resources: Digital databases transformed the library’s capacity to support comprehensive legal research.Footnote ²³ Ensuring access to international resources expands the learning environment for students and faculty, bridging local and global perspectives in legal education, particularly filling the gap of limited legal resources in Bhutan.

Current Status of the JSW Law LibraryFootnote ²⁴

Despite all the challenges, the JSW Law Library has been making strides towards modernizing its infrastructure. It aims to offer access to digital legal databases, fostering a hybrid model of traditional and digital resources. The JSW Law Library faces challenges typical of all Bhutanese libraries, including limited funding, limited legal resources, and a lack of trained librarians. However, the JSW Law Library remains committed to establishing itself as a pivotal resource in legal education in Bhutan and as a model for future academic libraries in the country.

Currently, the JSW Law Library is governed by the following documents:

1. 1. JSW Law Library Strategic and Operational Plan 2023–2024;

2. 2. JSW Law Library Policy;

3. 3. JSW Law Library Program document;

4. 4. Record Management Policy; and

5. 5. Draft Archival policy.

Further, the JSW Law Library is a two-story, world-class, energy-efficient building with a seating capacity for four hundred users. With tremendous difficulty, the law library collected eight thousand physical items through purchases and generous donations. The library has six reading rooms, sixteen individual study carrels, one smart classroom, two conference rooms, one textile storage room, an archive room, an open lounge, and an open reading room. The library has eight library staff members who render library services to around two hundred users. The law library uses the KOHA integrated library system, an open-source library management system that is an excellent tool that all Bhutanese libraries use.