Matthew has graciously answered a couple of our burning questions about his new position and what being a Senior Court Librarian actually entails. Thank you Matthew for taking the time to answer our Q&A!
Why did this role interest you initially? The incredibly broad job description. I am very lucky to have been working in libraries for over half of my life and this is the role with the widest scope of responsibilities I have ever had. It’s a great mix of traditional librarianship and devising & implementing strategic direction. I get to meet with Judges and tell them about all of the incredible resources available to them, tell them about how Judicial Libraries will go above and beyond for them across the many services we give them. The role also includes a lot of travel, so I’m seeing parts of this beautiful country that I otherwise might not have. |
I am a firm subscriber to the importance of paper resources, but, our role is to provide information to our users in the way that they want, not just in the way that it has been done before.
The Judicial Clerks who support the judges are digital natives and they want their information in the format that they feel most comfortable with. The Judicial Libraries Management Board see the benefits of digital resources and want the librarians to lead the way on procurement and training of Judges on these items.
Obviously, there are still a lot of users who want their paper resources, but the movement towards digital is gathering pace. A truly comprehensive digital law library is not obtainable, affordable and for some of our users desirable in 2021, but 2031? Maybe.