The evolution of the law library from a place to a service presents opportunities for law librarians, but challenges as well.
The move away from traditional legal research and books frees up librarians for more sophisticated analytical duties. But as their role evolves, some librarians feel they are being elbowed aside by IT data scientists and other specialists whose expertise may overlap their own. Most librarians have advanced degrees in library or information science, and many also have a law or other professional degree. But only 9 percent of library directors in our survey report to the managing partner, which means they are often not in the room when crucial decisions about their departments are being made.
