AALL President, Steven P. Anderson is looking for ways that law libraries and law librarians can communicate the value they bring to their institutions and communities. Anderson’s idea is to go beyond simply talking about the value, and actually create a report that presents the values through metrics and outcomes. Having sat with Steve over the past few years on the AALL Executive Board, I can tell you that this is something that he passionately believes is needed in the profession, and that AALL is the right association to commission the research needed to create the report. Anderson is putting his passion to practice and has issued an RFP to the research community to turn this idea into a report. Responses to the RFP are due by December 11, 2013 and a selection is to be made by AALL later in December.

The press release is below with more information.

                                         
 PRESS RELEASE For Immediate Release
Contact: Kate Hagan
312-205-8016 or Khagan@aall.org
 

AALL Issues Request for Law Library Value Report Proposals

Chicago 10/28/2013—The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) today issued a request for proposal to commission a research-based report on the important role law libraries play in today’s legal community. 

When complete, the report should offer law librarians and the institutions and businesses they serve important metrics that can help them calculate the return on investment law libraries provide. 

“The objective of this project is to  produce a comprehensive study of the return on investment and the consequent value proposition that law libraries provide, while also equipping them with methodologies and best practices to employ to communicate this value to the appropriate people or entities within their institution,” said AALL President Steven P. Anderson.

The last several years have brought fundamental changes to the legal profession and business of law. These changes have served as an impetus for law libraries to transform their operations and services in varied and profound ways—and it is now imperative that law libraries demonstrate the value they bring in concise, measurable ways.

Specifically, the report research will identify key implications for all types of law libraries and:

·     Include quantitative and qualitative methods used to demonstrate law libraries’ value
·     Define value in terms of the institution’s goals, not the library’s goals.
·     Identify best practices for demonstrating value

The response deadline is Dec. 11, 2013. A provider will be selected by Dec. 20, with a contract start date of Jan. 1, 2014. For more on candidate qualifications, submission guidelines and other information, please visit http://www.aallnet.org/Documents/Leadership-Governance/Committees/roi-rfp.pdf.

About AALL

The American Association of Law Libraries was founded in 1906 to promote law libraries’ value to the legal and public communities; foster the law librarianship profession and provide leadership in the legal information field. With nearly 5,000 members, AALL represents law librarians and related professionals who are affiliated with law firms; law schools; corporate legal departments; courts; and local, state and federal government agencies. For more information, visit AALLNET.org.