Book Burning in the Twenty-First Century: ABA Standard 606 and the Future of Academic Law Libraries as the Smoke Clears

Vol. 106 Law Library Journal 11 (2014)

36 Pages Posted: 26 Jun 2013 Last revised: 28 Apr 2014

See all articles by Michael Whiteman

Michael Whiteman

Northern Kentucky University - Salmon P. Chase College of Law

Date Written: June 21, 2013

Abstract

Academic law libraries face a challenging future. The cost of legal information sources continues to rise while law library budgets continue to shrink. As budgets tighten the tension between collecting print and electronic sources has come to a juncture where law libraries might need to choose one over the other. Academic law libraries are not necessarily free to make a wholesale switch from print to online. Standard 606 of the ABA Standards and Rules of Procedure for Approval of Law Schools must be considered before an academic law library can truly pitch the majority of its print resources. This article examines the evolution of Standard 606 and its impact on academic law libraries. There is great hope that Standard 606 has evolved to a point where academic law libraries might be free to make the hard collection choices that will help them thrive in the twenty-first century.

Keywords: Collection Development, American Bar Association, ABA Standards, Standard 606, Academic Law Libraries, Accreditation

Suggested Citation

Whiteman, Michael, Book Burning in the Twenty-First Century: ABA Standard 606 and the Future of Academic Law Libraries as the Smoke Clears (June 21, 2013). Vol. 106 Law Library Journal 11 (2014), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2284375 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2284375

Michael Whiteman (Contact Author)

Northern Kentucky University - Salmon P. Chase College of Law ( email )

Nunn Hall
Highland Heights, KY 41099
United States

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