Introduction
Some choose to be law librarians, and some have legal information work thrust upon them. That seems to be the assumption behind this book, which is another good addition to Information Today’s “Accidental” series. The contents are, therefore, aimed at different audiences, although, no doubt, there is much overlap. If you are already a law librarian, then the chapter on how law firms operate and how to market the law library will be very pertinent. If, however, you are a reference librarian in a public library who has to answer the occasional legal question, then the introductions to legal publishing and the sources of law will be very useful.
The first chapter is a fairly simple guide to legal publishing. It also includes a brief introduction to public and law firm libraries. Later chapters deal with the loose-leaf publications commonly found in law collections, the “big two” as the author calls them of Westlaw and LexisNexis (the former will not be familiar to many outside the USA), and other legal databases. Chapter 2 has the fascinating title “the kolor-koded, turnkey-shaped streamline basics of legal research” and that’s what Aycock tries to give to the reader. It discusses statutes, cases, administrative law and secondary sources, so reducing some of the confusion in the minds of those without previous legal experience. Chapter 3 is a guide to answering legal questions. A later chapter gives more detail on finding public information (birth certificates, etc.), company information, individual persons and other subjects commonly asked in public libraries.
The book is something of strange mix (which, no doubt, it was always intended to be). It will be of great value to the librarian unfamiliar with legal resources who has to answer questions relating to the law. To the law librarian, there is a mixture of content ranging across mobile legal research apps, how to write business cases in the law firm environment, tips on keeping down costs and much more. It is an inexpensive addition to the shelves of anyone who thinks they may, one day, be a law librarian in some form.
