Martin Barber-Redmore makes some valid points about the possibilities of outsourcing and electronic resources, but misses some fundamental points in his paragraph on traditional legal libraries.

Libraries still have a role within law firms, regardless of where they locate themselves or how the office is arranged.

There is still a need for a collection of resources to support lawyers and many of these will be in printed form for a while longer.

Underpinning these resources are the training, support and research services offered by law librarians, who need to be co-located with the case teams or accessible to them as needed.

Finally, a small but perfectly formed law library is a lovely place to show clients!

Susan Scorey, president – British and Irish Association of Law Librarians