Association of Law Teachers March 2005 Why do I need the law library if I’ve got ? Edwina Higgins, Laura Tatham, Nicola Wakefield, Manchester Metropolitan University

ALT conference 2 A familiar story?  The 3 rd year dissertation student  What skills did this student lack?  Why did the student lack these skills?

ALT conference 3 Implementing information skills 1. identify the skills 3. develop materials 4. embed in programmes 2. identify delivery

ALT conference 4 Identifying the information skills  Planning a search Planning searches using appropriate databases Understanding the reason for searching  Finding materials Sources of law – printed and electronic Locating secondary sources Using the library catalogue Using legal encyclopaedias  Evaluating information Tracing the status of a case/statute Evaluating the quality of materials Evaluating/abstracting materials  Organising and using information Utilising materials within own tasks Correct acknowledgement of use of other materials

ALT conference 5 Information skills projects  Printed library tasks  Electronic database tutorials  BLIS  PoLeR  InfoSkills  Internet Detective  Plagiarism tutorial  Legal Citing Proficiency Test

ALT conference 6 Printed Library Tasks  Worksheets & exercise books  All courses  Library orientation  Halsbury’s Laws of England  Halsbury’s Statutes  Halsbury’s Statutory Instruments  Current Law  The Digest

ALT conference 7 Basic Legal Information Skills  BLIS  Graduate Diploma in Law  Electronic database searching skills

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ALT conference 13 Working Partnership  Roll out Instructing students  Control Tracking Selected release of course areas  Evaluation Students, staff and project team  Review

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ALT conference 16 Embedding the skills  Embedding with students: Locating within units Link to PDP Reinforcement – e-learning allows flexible approach Note that WebCT allows control through conditional release  Embedding with staff

ALT conference 17 Reflections and plans  Why is it important?  What benefits have we seen from these initiatives?  What do the students think of it?  How can we develop the strategy?