Just to add one more opinion on the virtual library.
My own definition of the virtual law library (at this early stage of
thinking through a definition) is a law library with the ability to obtain
when needed or have in house the information sources requested by the faculty
and students (or a large group of users the school and library have decided
they will serve). I think of "having in house" to include, but not be
limited to, access to databases which allow us to print the full text of the
information needed.
I certainly agree that it is essential to stay abreast of all the technical
advancements, Internet for example, and make use of them.
One thing we do here at USC is keep an informal track of which fac. and
student requests can and can't be met with full text from databases. Our
experience is that we still have a large percentage of fac. and std.
requests for info that is only available in full text in monographs or
periodicals (in book form). Certainly, the percentage of our information
requests that can now be met in full text via databases has increased
dramatically in the last 10 or so years and continues to increase. Our
user's requests, however, still show a large percentage that can't be
satisfied full text via databases (I don't mean that the user simply prefers
the info in book form, I mean the information is only available in book
form). Like yours, these requests come from footnotes of articles and books
users read, plus all the other standard search capabilities like online
catalogs, peridoical indexes, etc.
One example of database impact. Some of our students are inclined to search
only the full text periodicals in L and W rather than searching Legal Track,
ILP etc (even rather than searching them online). The students doing
in-depth research and the faculty research go for the more exhaustinve
searching of Leg. Track, non legal periodicals, etc. etc.
Albert Brecht, USC.
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