Cornell University Law Library A Year in Review 2011 /2012 Message from the Director As I reflect on my first year as Law I have often been asked if the library still Librarian, it is gratifying to read through gets foot traffic. The answer is “yes.” The the pages of our annual report to see how library is frequently busy, and usage of amazingly busy and productive a year it the library continues to be evidenced by has been. I invite you to also read through well-worn carpets and circulation statistics this report for an overview of what the which are on the upward trend. Last winter, Cornell Law Library has been doing. Much our library was featured in Flavorwire as of what we have accomplished has been one of the world’s 25 most beautiful college made possible through the efforts of a libraries and the Gould Reading Room was dynamic team of professional librarians beautifully depicted. To further enhance and support staff, who wholeheartedly users’ experience in our wonderful space, embrace our service mission to the law a designated eating area was added in school, the university community, and the spring and planning began to create our friends at large. I would also like to a comfortable seating area in one of the acknowledge the unwavering support of reading room alcoves. We expanded our our benefactors, listed on the last page of virtual presence on social media platforms, this publication. including Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. The latter features videos of faculty book The library continues to anticipate and talks and will also host oral histories of the proactively meet the dual challenges of law school in the near future. space constraints and flat budgets, which have made a significant impact on our On the personnel front, our long-serving collections. Despite these challenges, Associate Law Librarian, Pat Court, and our focus remains on maintaining a Head of Research Services, Jean Callihan, first-rate collection by focusing on retired at the end of the spring semester. the acquisition of scholarly materials We also welcomed new librarians into necessary to support the research needs positions created to respond to rapid of our faculty and students, which include changes in library operations prompted expanding our digital offerings. With by the digital era. The newly created current and forthcoming law school position of Continuations Management renovation projects, we are using space Librarian was filled by Jackie Magagnosc more effectively than ever. We have started in November 2011; a Digital Resources the process of reassessing our collection Librarian, Nina Scholtz, was hired in the and moving infrequently used materials spring of 2012; and Dan Blackaby joined to the Annex, the library’s remote storage the professional staff as Technology facility. More information on this move Services Librarian in early summer. can be found in the collections section In the coming year, we intend to revisit of this report. We are also forging ahead our strategic directions and launch a new with special projects, which fulfill our initiative in e-book lending. It promises mission of making our excellent resources to be another exciting and vibrant year, discoverable by our patrons at home and and I extend a warm invitation to visit worldwide. In the spring, we launched the library in person or virtually through the library’s digitized trials pamphlets our website or by following us on social collections website, featuring trials from media. the late 1700s through the 1800s. This project, spearheaded by the Law Library’s Femi Cadmus Thomas Mills in collaboration with Cornell Edward Cornell Law Librarian & University Library, was made possible by Associate Dean for Library Services a grant from the Save America’s Treasures Grant Program. Compiled by Thomas Mills Photography by Carol Clune, Thomas Mills, and Chris O’Hara Collections Collection development trends that electronic resources: the Law Library States and, similar to NEFLLCG, aims began with the financial crisis in 2008 can subscribe to a resource and pay an to build collaborative relationships continued in the 2011/2012 fiscal annual subscription fee or purchase across academic law libraries. year. Namely, the collections budget perpetual rights to an e-resource was held flat as the price for legal and pay a much smaller annual In light of the fact that the Dawson materials and the cost of shipping maintenance fee. We tend to opt for Rare Book Room will be closed due to continued to rise. In response, the the second option, even though the the Myron Taylor Hall construction, Law Library’s collection development up-front costs are greater. Electronic the Law Library held a series of open policy continued its transition away databases the Law Library purchased houses in February, March, and from a “just in case” model towards in the 2011/2012 fiscal year include: April to give students and faculty an a collections policy that is more opportunity to see highlights from the tailored to the immediate research • The International Law module of rare book collection in the grandeur needs and interests of the faculty and the Making of Modern Law series of the rare book room itself. The open students. This transition has included • The American Indian Law houses proved popular and visitors an emphasis on purchasing more Collection (Hein OnLine) enjoyed seeing documents from the electronic resources for the collection, • Congress and the Courts (Hein Nuremberg Collection, the copy of which is a trend that will continue OnLine) the Napoleonic Code presented to as the Law Library is slated to lose • Foreign and International Law Napoleon’s sister, and the Statutes of approximately 40-45 percent of its stack Resources (Hein OnLine) the Province of Pennsylvania printed New Popular Reading Collections space in the renovation and expansion • Foreign Relations of the United and sold by Benjamin Franklin, among During the spring 2012 semester, the of Myron Taylor Hall. States (Hein OnLine) other treasures. Law Library introduced a popular read- • The History of International Law ing collection, which has both non- From a collections perspective, this past Collection (Hein OnLine). In addition to the open houses legal popular fiction and nonfiction year has also been focused on getting and classes taught for faculty using books. Books are chosen from best- the collection ready for the eventual Moving towards a narrower, more materials from the rare book and seller lists and include such titles as The loss of space. Thus, a good portion of tailored collection policy has made special collections, a number of Litigators by John Grisham, Steve Jobs the year was spent on cancelling print collaboration with other academic projects involving these materials by Walter Isaacson, and Too Big to Fail materials. Areas of the collection that law libraries more important. Thus, began in the last year. Through a by Andrew Ross Sorkin. The collection were most affected include looseleaf the Law Library has continued to grant from Save America’s Treasures expanded in fall 2012 to include e- services, student-edited law reviews, maintain and build cooperative program, the Law Library’s trial books and audiobooks via OverDrive, a digital distributor of downloadable and most of the National Reporter relationships with other major law pamphlet special collection is being digital resources. Law school students, system. The vast majority of this libraries. We are a long-standing conserved and digitized (see page 11 of faculty, and staff are able to download material remains available to Law member of the Northeast Foreign this report). The Law Library has also e-books and e-audiobooks via a link on Library users in electronic formats, Law Librarians Cooperative Group been helping law reform commissions the Law Library’s website. and we retained subscriptions to some (NEFLLCG), along with Harvard, Yale, in Liberia with research conducted of this material in paper at the request Columbia, Fordham, NYU, University in its Liberian law collection, and a of faculty. Back issues of cancelled of Pennsylvania, and Georgetown. new special collection focusing on the material are being moved to the This group shares information American jury system and its influence University’s high density storage, from and expertise about foreign and around the world was begun. which users can have a book or article international law resources, and allows delivered within 24 hours to the Law everyone access to the print collections Library circulation desk. of the entire group. The Law Library also participated in a broader Canceling print material freed up cooperative endeavor initiated by money in the collection budget to Harvard Law Library three years ago. acquire more electronic resources. This group includes most of the major Page 5 There are two acquisition models for academic law libraries in the United Information Management The staff in Information Management Information Management and Access continued their intense focus on Services, staff began to inventory and cancellations during fiscal year barcode the rare collection in June. Figure A 2011/2012, nearly doubling the number of titles that were cancelled Transitions last year (see Figure A). American In November 2011, Jackie Magagnosc law reviews constituted a significant was promoted to the newly portion of the titles cancelled, and created position of Continuations various titles of the National Reporter Management Librarian. Jackie was system were also cancelled this fiscal originally hired into a staff position, year. Loose-leafs, treatises with and her promotion created a need supplementation, and other non-serial for an additional staff member. This continuations were also among the position was filled by Cynthia Lange, titles cancelled. who was hired in February 2012 to work half time in Access Services and Cancellations were driven not only half time in Information Management.