1. Law Libraries and
Emerging Technologies
Saskia Mehlhorn, Assessor jur., LL.M.
March 2009
2. Emerging Technologies
Nanotechnology
Semantic Web
Cognitive Science
Artificial Intelligence
and
Web 2.0 with an assortment of tools suitable
for use in law libraries
3. Web 2.0
Has no hard boundary but rather a
gravitational core.
Visualize Web 2.0 as a set of principles and
practices that tie together a veritable solar
system of sites that demonstrate some or all
of those principles, at a varying distance from
that core.
4. Blogs:
Participation
Flickr, diigo: Wiki’s: trust in
Tagging Universal
not taxonomy knowledge
Services,
“Attitude not The Web
not packaged
Technolgy” as a Platform
software
Software gets better Harnessing
with the growing collective
number of users
intelligence
Playful
5. Applications
Social networking
Social bookmarking
Participation and Expression
Initiation of virtual realities
6. flickr
One of the earliest web 2.0 platforms
Image, video hosting website, web service
suite, and online community platform
7. flickr
This is a snapshot of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library on flickr
8. Facebook
Social network website, especially used by
students other than LinkedIn which is for
“older” professionals or myspace which is
popular among high school students
Useful to stay in touch with friends and
colleagues around the country and the globe
Excellent tool for alumni associations
10. diigo
Digest of Internet Information, Groups and
Other things
Social bookmarking website which allows
users to bookmark and tag web-pages
Can be shared with friends and groups
In 2006 named one of the 10 best research
tools
12. Wiki
Comes from the Hawaiian and means “fast”
Designed to enable anyone who accesses to
contribute and modify content
Can be open, and for anyone, or access-
restricted
Often used in business to provide Knowledge
Management
14. Twitter
Twitter is a free social networking and micro-
blogging service launched in 2006
Allows users to send and read other users'
updates which are up to 140 characters in
length
Public or private
Ideal for exchange of links etc.
In August 2008 it was used the first time for
up-to-the-minute court reporting
16. Twitter Applications
Twitter is elegant, but limiting. As a result,
hundreds of third-party tools were developed
to enhance Twitter.
TweetBeep
Twellow
TwitterFeed
20. Second Life
Internet-based virtual world launched in 2003,
became widely known in 2006/2007
Used by companies as a training tool
Info Island offers a variety of specialty
libraries among them law libraries
25. legallyminded
Provided by the ABA
Currently in the beta phase
Geared towards legal community
Combines networking features (People Map,
blog, wiki etc.) with news and articles and the
possibility to schedule meetings within your
sub-community.
26. Use of emerging technologies
As a research tool
As a teaching tool
As a knowledge management tool
As a marketing tool
27. Research Tool
Diigo – bookmark once – share with a group
Facebook – network, connect and share
Twitter – write and share
28. Teaching Tool
Second Life – Set up a session in SL – a
different set of students will respond
Wiki – assign every student a topic to report
on
Blog – widely used in private law libraries,
good way to prepare for practice
Twitter – in trial (or moot court) instant
connection - train now - use later
30. Marketing Tool
Flickr – present your library and your school
Facebook – connect with alumni, current and
future students
Twitter – through Hein Online, WestLaw and
the like stay connected
SL – have a presence
Diigo – search and find where you are
present
31. The Future of Law Libraries
is connected to technology.
We librarians have the training
to use technology, but we
have to raise our voice and
make it be heard.