The University of Wisconsin Law Library has ranked 17th in a study of law libraries nationwide compiled by The National Jurist magazine.
Using information from the American Bar Association and the American Association of Law Libraries, the study ranked 183 national law libraries on criteria including both quantitative factors and non-quantitative ones.
Quantitative measures included number of volumes, ratio of seating to student enrollment, number of titles, number of serial subscriptions, ratio of professional librarians to student enrollment, and the number of hours per week that the library is open.
Non-quantitative criteria focused on quality and dedication of library staff and the importance the library places on serving and educating students and other library users.
"We have come a long way from the notion that the quality of a library depends on the quantity of books and journals that the library owns," comments Steven M. Barkan, Director of the UW Law Library. "It is now conventional wisdom among those familiar with academic libraries that evaluative measures need to focus on the ability of the library to provide access to a wide variety of information in various formats and the quality of services and support offered to students and faculty."
Barkan notes that factors contributing to the UW Law Library's high ranking most likely included its excellent staff, service-oriented philosophy, and location within a great university with a highly-esteemed library system.
Submitted by on October 14, 2004
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