Abstract
This article explores how academic law libraries can strategically develop collections that support the increasing emphasis on practice-oriented legal education. In response to reforms advocated by legal education stakeholders—including the Carnegie Report and Best Practices for Legal Education—the authors argue that law libraries must balance traditional scholarly resources with practical materials that prepare students for the realities of legal practice. Through a comprehensive review of collection development practices at ABA-accredited academic law libraries, Street and Runyon identify gaps in resources that support experiential learning, such as practice guides, form books, and jurisdiction-specific materials. The article offers a framework for librarians to collaborate with faculty, assess curricular needs, and revise collection development policies to better integrate practice-focused materials. By “finding the middle ground,” law libraries can maintain scholarly depth while also aligning collections with evolving pedagogical goals and the professional competencies expected of graduates.
Document Type
Article
Publication Information
102 Law Library Journal 399-439 (2010)
Repository Citation
Street, Leslie A. and Runyon, Amanda M., "Finding the Middle Ground in Collection Development: How Academic Law Librarians Can Shape Their Collections in Response to the Call for More Practice-Oriented Legal Education" (2010). Library Staff Publications. 139.
https://scholarship.law.wm.edu/libpubs/139
Included in
Collection Development and Management Commons, Law Librarianship Commons, Legal Education Commons