FROM: Jenny S. Silbiger, AALL Vice President.
“I am so grateful to all of our members who make AALL an informed, educated, and wholehearted organization. I know we are not alone in the work that we do, as access to legal information impacts all aspects of the legal profession, and I am heartened to know that we are just one organization of many who are working diligently to make a positive difference in the world.”
STATEMENT:
Introduction
Materials consulted in preparing this posting were curated from various sources including the recently introduced Deep Research by OpenAI.
With Elon Musk at the helm of the Department of Government Efficiency, various agencies within the U.S. government may experience restructuring aimed at streamlining operations, reducing costs, and integrating advanced technologies. One area likely to be affected is government agency libraries—institutions that provide critical research, archival, and information services to federal employees, policymakers, and researchers. These libraries, usually housed within agencies such as the Library of Congress, the National Archives, and the Department of Defense (DoD), play an essential role in supporting government functions. This essay explores how Musk’s efficiency-driven policies might reshape these libraries, with potential consequences for automation, digitization, data management, funding, privacy and information security. Although the focus of this posting is U.S. government libraries, its implications are far reaching.
The new year is the perfect time to set and achieve your professional development goals. By focusing on small, actionable steps, you can grow your education and enhance your professional skills. Here are some opportunities offered by the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) to inspire your 2025 journey:
The Justice Department’s potential move to compel Google to sell its Chrome browser could significantly reshape the digital landscape, with direct and indirect consequences for the ability of law libraries to utilize computer-assisted legal research (CALR) to serve patrons effectively. This essay explores how such a divestiture might affect CALR resources, access, and functionality, while also considering implications for law libraries’ broader operational frameworks.
Most computer-assisted legal research tools, such as Westlaw, LexisNexis, and Bloomberg Law, are optimized for popular web browsers, including Chrome. Google Chrome’s dominance in the browser market (approximately 60% as of recent statistics) has led developers to prioritize compatibility with Chrome over other browsers. If Chrome’s ownership changes, there is a possibility that its development priorities, security protocols, or support for certain legal research tools could shift. This could necessitate costly adjustments by CALR providers and law libraries.
The internet, a vast tapestry of information and connection, stands on the cusp of a transformative era. Artificial intelligence (AI), with its ability to analyze, learn, and adapt, is poised to usher in a fundamental change in how we experience the digital world. This article will delve into the multifaceted impact of AI on the internet’s future, exploring both the potential benefits and challenges. While most observations will be general, a specific paragraph will be devoted to law libraries
Faster and more efficient data transmission:
AI-powered networks can transmit data more quickly and efficiently, which could lead to faster download and upload speeds and reduced latency.
Although retired as an active law librarian, I try to keep up with current developments by maintaining memberships in AALL, SLA, ABA, and maintaining contacts with friends currently active in the profession. I also have been publishing articles on the Criminal Law Library Blog since 2007 on various subjects, including those related to law, law librarians, and artificial intelligence.
I am grateful to have been able to maintain all of these relationships through the years and hope the below article will help my professional colleagues realize the potential of AI as a powerful ally. In my view, AI has the potential to revolutionize the services provided by law librarians through various means including those outlined below.
Law libraries are undergoing a transformation fueled by Artificial Intelligence (AI). While AI isn’t replacing librarians, it’s becoming a powerful tool that’s changing how legal research is conducted and how libraries serve their patrons.
The history of artificial intelligence in law libraries is a fascinating journey marked by technological evolution, legal industry demands, and the gradual integration of advanced tools to support legal research, information management, and decision-making processes. Here’s a historical overview of this subject:
Early Beginnings and Development
AALL will hold it’s 2004 Annual Meeting at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. to bring together collaborators from across the legal information profession for four days of innovative learning and networking. Here is the Schedule At-A-Glance of the Annual Meeting.
The American Association of Law Libraries was founded in 1906 to promote and enhance the value of law libraries to the legal and public communities, to foster the profession of law librarianship, and to provide leadership in the field of legal information.
Since Open AI released ChatGPT for public use on November 30, 2022, its rate of adoption by the public has been explosive and appears to be increasing at a near exponential rate. Within two months after its public release, it had acquired an estimated 100 million users and surpassed one billion page visits by the end of February, 2023 — an increase unprecedented and creating strong incentives for other generative AI systems to join the fray.
In its official announcement of the release to the public of ChatGPT, Open AI stated very clearly that the system would sometimes generate errors of fact and other types of mistakes in a random manner difficult to predict. It also warned potential users of the urgency of checking ChatGPT responses to user queries against other sources for verification. Most other Generative AI systems have issued similar warnings.
The cumulative impact of the public release of ChatGPT, followed by the public release of other generative AI chat systems, is yet to be determined. However, it will be disruptive— at least in the near term — and may require significant changes to the workplace. Some of these changes might very well involve introducing what I would call error management systems to help manage the deluge of items generated by ChatGPT and other systems in a more organized manner.
Being a retired law librarian of a certain age, I am now often asked to reflect upon my 50 years serving in various capacities as a law librarian. I have noticed that most questions asked can be grouped into discrete categories. For example, people want to know what lessons I have learned along the way as a law librarian, what I found most rewarding being a law librarian, what changes in law librarianship I have observed since I started approximately 50 years ago, and who have been my mentors or people who have greatly influenced me along the way. In this posting, I offer responses to these questions based on my current views.
What are some of the lessons you have learned as a professional in your field and in life?
I have come to appreciate the importance of understanding that change as it relates to all aspects of work and life is constant. And in order to be truly successful and to avoid stagnation, we must learn to become highly adaptable and flexible. Of utmost importance is the need to maintain enduring and useful connections with others.
Criminal Law Library Blog