The Legal Professionals' Perception of Law Libraries in the Digital Age: A study on how legal professionals view the relevance of traditional law libraries today

Abstract

This article looks at the perceptions held by legal professionals with reference to the merit, relevance, and status that traditional law libraries hold in this digital age. It is quite apparent that legal research has seen a revolutionary change, with the prominence held by sources like online databases and e-books, challenging traditional law libraries to continue being relevant and significant. The study examines the frequency of visits to physical libraries; the use of digital legal databases; and the opinions of legal professionals on whether productivity is enhanced by a physical library environment. Furthermore, it delves into the limitations of digital resources, as well as the evolving role of law libraries functioning as hybrid spaces by combining both digital and physical resources. The findings reveal that while convenience is the prime reason for digital resources being widely favoured, there are many legal professionals who still value traditional law libraries for their unique offerings such as providing access to rare materials in particular and fostering a conducive research environment.