I am not a LAW-LIB subscriber, but a colleague has kept me posted on the
discussion.
I agree with Fred Shapiro that only a systematic and combined effort can
address the problem of preserving legal materials. Other disciplines are
way ahead of law in this respect. In the field of agriculture, there is
the National Preservation Program for Agricultural Literature (for a
description, see Samuel Demas, "Setting Preservation Priorities at Mann
Library: A Disciplinary Approach", LIBRARY HI TECH 12:3 (1994), 81-88).
RLG has adopted a "whole discipline" strategy for collaborative
preservation projects; the first project of RLG's Whole Discipline
Preservation Task Force will be to preserve literature in the field of
architecture. I think law libraries should do likewise; individually we're
at a loss to know if we're making the right decisions, and have much less
clout in attracting funding and support. As Fred Shapiro suggested, there
is much more at stake here than antiquarian interests. This is a vital
issue for our constituencies: the bench, bar, academics, students, and
citizens.
MIKE WIDENER
Archivist/Rare Books Librarian
Tarlton Law Library
University of Texas at Austin
727 East 26th St.
Austin, Texas 78705-3224
Phone: 512/471-7263
Fax: 512/471-0243
Internet: mwidener@mail.law.utexas.edu
MIKE WIDENER
Archivist/Rare Books Librarian
Tarlton Law Library, University of Texas at Austin
Internet: MWIDENER@MAIL.LAW.UTEXAS.EDU
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