This paper, written by Gemma John and based on her keynote address at BIALL's 49th Annual Study Conference held in Birmingham in June 2018, explores the value of offices and libraries as spaces for meeting, sharing and learning in a moment when new technology enables individuals to access information anywhere, anytime, at the click of a mouse. Drawing on first-hand material from research, policy and projects, it explores the transformation of offices and libraries as workspaces, and the place of offices in the library and of libraries in the office. It focuses on how both offices and libraries are being designed for productivity as the boundary between work and home begins to blur in the United Kingdom.

Embarking on a library space planning odyssey is exciting, terrifying and all absorbing. Planning a new library building or a major refurbishment is a challenging process requiring a strong strategic vision, attention to detail, excellent communication and an element of crystal-ball gazing. This article, written by Karen Latimer, examines the changing typology and current trends in library building design which help planners to envisage the future library and make informed decisions. These trends include the move from collections to connections, the need for varied and flexible learning spaces, sustainability, the impact of technological developments, and the need for scholarly research centres amongst others. Examples of recent library projects are cited to provide inspiration and illustrate the points made. The planning process required to brief the design team effectively and to achieve a successful outcome is considered as is the key role of post-occupancy evaluation in ensuring a continuous loop of improvement. To conclude resources available to provide support are described.

This article developed from a talk delivered by the authors, Timonie Green and Diane Miller, at the BIALL Annual Conference in June 2018, whereby they looked at how the Library and Information Services in both of their firms have managed a move to agile working. Withers, at the time, were deep in preparations for the move, whilst Gowling WLG had been working agilely for some time. The hope is that by telling these stories, and talking about the issues encountered, some pointers and ideas can be given to other firms facing the challenge.

This article represents a summary of the plenary session that Barry Vickery presented to delegates at the 2018 BIALL Conference in Birmingham. It explored the changing role of technology in a range of different markets and showed how different management styles, attitudes and strategies have created very different outcomes for those respective companies. Those that have chosen to ignore technology have generally suffered, fallen behind the competition and in ever increasing numbers, gone bust. Parallels were drawn between these companies and professional services today. Are there lessons we can take from these failures that we can use in our working life, even in our personal lives, or do we just keep our head down and convince ourselves that ‘We've always done it this way’?

Today's students have come to expect library services that are quite different from their predecessors and law librarians must evolve to meet their needs. As law libraries in the United States face the realities of declining enrolment and decreasing budgets, it is imperative that we find new and creative ways to build positive relationships with our students while also preparing them for the realities of practicing law in an environment driven by rapid technological change. Three law librarians from the United States, Brian Detweiler, Kimberly Mattioli, and Mike Martinez, Jr., discuss their successes and failures in reaching out to their student populations, creating and evaluating various student-centred instructional programmes, and in establishing a strategic plan to meet the needs of millennial law students.

Technology is transforming the way legal work is being delivered. It is influencing what law firms, clients and legal departments are expecting of their employees and what employees are expecting of their employers. It is reshaping legal education and careers; lawyers are becoming legal knowledge engineers, information professionals and knowledge managers are working closer than ever with IT teams. In this article, Ann Hemming and James Wilkinson will be considering lawyers’ training and BIALL members’ role in the landscape being reshaped by legal technology.

This article, by Claire Fox, is designed to share tools and techniques to help with business planning. It will focus on sharing real life knowledge and experience, with practical tips for developing your own business plan. It will lead to a better understanding of why a formal business plan process is crucial to helping teams prepare for the future and remain relevant and necessary to their organisations.

In this article, Barry Vickery explains the history of InfoTrack during his tenure as General Manager of Corporate Services, and outlines the reasons for their success. Barry will discuss the world of technology and how, by understanding the blend of law firms’ needs, customer insight and technology, InfoTrack are disrupting the legal market.

In this article, where Liz Murray, Information Resources Manager at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies (IALS) in London, interviews Claudia Holland, Head of the Library of the Max Planck Institute for Comparative and International Private Law, the strategic direction of the new Head Librarian is explored. The strengths of this major international, comparative private law library are considered and the balance between providing electronic access to law resources while still maintaining an excellent legal print collection is examined. The importance of networks and collaboration is also highlighted.