Resource–Sharing in the Digital Age: Imperative for Law Library Development in Nigeria

Abstract

The Internet age has had such globalized impact on the nature, volume and variety of legal information resources that no single library can provide satisfactorily all the materials it requires for effective information service delivery. Law libraries in their respective domain are also evolving and adapting to the new trends of library services using information technology facilities. This trend has challenged the law library operators as well as the mode of their operations. For law libraries to more along with this trend and remain relevant in the digital age, resource–sharing using digital and electronic facilities becomes very imperative. The paper therefore adduces the need for resource–sharing among law libraries; provides modern approaches to resource–sharing using websites, databases, legal search engines etc. Problems hindering effective resource–sharing are highlighted. In spite of hindering problems associated mainly with developing countries, resource– sharing alternative becomes the way out of the woods for law libraries.

KEYWORDS: Digital Information Service Law Libraries – Resource–Sharing – Digital Age.