Legal Research

Law Libraries & the Economic Crisis

How is the current economic crisis affecting the law library profession? An e-newsletter from AALL President, James Duggan, shares the results from a recent survey of law library directors:

Staff

• 23 percent of law libraries have experienced staff reductions, the overwhelming number ranging from one to five full-time employees laid off.
  
• Nearly 20 percent of law libraries have eliminated vacant positions, and more than 63 percent have a hiring freeze in place at this time.
  
  • Hardest hit have been the private law libraries; 30 percent have had staff reductions, and nearly 72 percent have a hiring freeze in place.
    
  • Only about 10 percent of academic law libraries have reduced their staffs, but 45 percent have a hiring freeze in place.
    
  • A little more than 15 percent of state, court, and county law libraries have experienced layoffs, and 57 percent have a hiring freeze.

Budget

• 60+ percent of all respondents have already experienced budget cuts.
  
  • Again, private law library budgets have seen the most cuts; nearly 73 percent have been cut, and about a quarter of respondents have seen cuts of 15 percent or more.
    
  • Nearly half of academic law library budgets are so far untouched.
    
  • About 40 percent of state, court, and county law library budgets also have remained steady, but many anticipate cuts in the next fiscal year.

Full results of the survey, as well as examples of what law libraries are doing to cope with the current economic situation are available on the AALL Tools for Success wiki.

Full post as published by WisBlawg - From the UW Law Library on April 17, 2009 (boomark / email).