Law Libraries are Great, in Moderation
As finals approach, I imagine that many of my fellow students are spending an inordinate amount of time in their respective law libraries. Aside from the social benefits that some people seem to find in the library, they can help with productivity as well.
A great article on the subject was just posted on My Shingle, which illustrates eight reasons solo practitioners should use law libraries. My favorite two are numbers one and five: librarians and space. I think these apply to everyone in the legal profession from law students to partners at large firms.
First, librarians at law libraries have a huge amount of information at their fingertips and can help direct you exactly where to find it. Why spend time needlessly searching through shelves and books to find what you want, when the librarian can point you there in two minutes flat? This is an incredible time saver. Anything that saves time increases productivity, which is what Legal Ease is all about.
Second, libraries definitely have space for reading, research, and any other work. This creates a wonderful getaway from home, the office, the cubicle, or whatever space in which you normally work. I am a firm believer in the principle of shifting the environment around a bit when things get stale. This helps increase productivity as well. It's always good to have a change of scenery from time to time, and your local law library can do just that.
With all that said, I will put in the caveat that I think some people over-use the library. I know some of my classmates practically live there. I cannot see how that is a healthy way to study and work. For me, I enjoy a mix of working at home, in the library, and other places. I am definitely a creature of habit, but I also like to change up the habits here and there.
What do you guys think? If you have any thoughts on law libraries, or libraries in general, drop me a line or leave a comment.
[tags]legal andrew, law school, library, law library[/tags]
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