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Discovery Layers in Law Libraries
Tuesday, December 13th, 2011
Valeri Craigle writes for the December issue of the AALL Spectrum about Discovery Layers in Law Libraries: A progress report on how our institutions are implementing this new technology. This timely article reports that 52 percent of [technical services law librarian] respondents are either currently using discovery layers in their libraries or are in the process of implementing them. The article not only discusses which types of discovery interfaces are being implemented, but the issues and challenges involved in such an initiative.
“Discovery layers have transformed our information seeking behaviors and have given us a deeper understanding of the depth, breadth, and value of our resources. They are particularly advantageous for college undergraduates, who must work with a variety of resources across many disciplines. However, based on feedback from students, staff, and faculty at my law school, and based on my own weighing of the issues involved with implementation, I wonder if discovery layers in law libraries introduce an unnecessary element of complexity in an already complex information environment.”
