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head o' (the) pac
An Interview with Tom Fleming
by Steve Anderson – Gordon Feinblatt Rothman Hoffberger & Hollander LLC

Tom Fleming, by all accounts, was one of the first law librarians to embrace technology. Now newly-appointed library director at Jeffer, Butler, Mangels and Marmaro, Fleming had been head of the Piper & Marbury libraries for several years.

Q  You've been a library leader in technology for a number of years. What prompted you to push computers when colleagues were pushing papers?

A  In the early 1970s the use of computers in law was in its infancy, but it gave the glimpse of a whole new way to perform legal research and manage a law library. At that time nobody envisioned PCs and the Internet, but the promise was there.

The precursor to Lexis-Nexis, OBAR, had just finished Ohio statutes and case law. Even with this small amount of information, the researcher was able to search the information free text. There were a number of times when the researcher was able to make connections that were not possible with the manual indexes. The other dramatic change was that the researcher was not tied to a physical library or even a physical place. The dial-up modem allowed the person to do the research anywhere they had a terminal and a modem. These changes are now commonplace, and the physical size of law libraries has been dramatically reduced.

The professional librarian has always had a place in the development and implementation of the computerized research when they chose to be involved. At first it was bringing these new products into the law firm and training the researcher in the proper use. Then law librarians suggested enhancements based on their experiences in what the researchers needed. Today's law librarians also have to be proficient in the management of online, CD-ROM and Internet contracts and licenses. They have to constantly reevaluate the electronic and paper sources of information to be able to provide the information in the most economic form.

The other great promise of computers was in the management of the law libraries. OCLC, formerly the Ohio College Library Catalog, enabled librarians to share catalog information. For the first time, librarians were able to see quickly and easily what all the participating libraries had cataloged. It also allowed sharing of original cataloging. The early automation of the circulation, acquisitions, and serials check-in was rudimentary, but it saved staff time, and the information provided new ways to monitor what was happening in the library. Besides telling librarians what was circulated, librarians were able to tell what was not being used. Some are now even on the Internet as Application Service Providers (ASP).

Q  You recently changed positions – congratulations! Describe some of the new tasks you'll be performing.

A  At Jeffer, Butler, Mangels and Marmaro, I will be in charge of the library, records management and conflicts. The goal is to bring all these resources together into one information system, i.e., knowledge management. A premise of knowledge management is that 80% of the information needs can be satisfied in an organization. The problem is that the researcher does not know where the information is. The intranet has become a vital component of implementing knowledge management.

Q  What are some of the Web sites that will be most useful to you in your Web management projects, conflict checking tasks, and library management responsibilities?

A  www.virtualchase.com, www.llrx.com, www.dnb.com (family tree locator), www.apqc.org (knowledge management), www.brint.com (knowledge management), www.adventive.com/index.html (information architecture), www.informationweek.com, www.aallnet.org, www.sla.org, www.law.com, www.pro2net.com and http://ecommerce center.bna.com (BNA's Internet Law News).

Q  On which print resources do you rely to keep you updated on these technology issues?

A  I primarily use the following, although there are others I read somewhat less frequently:

Information Outlook (SLA), Information Today, Information Week, Law Technology News, Legal Information Alert, Knowledge Management, Online, Spectrum (AALL) and the Wall Street Journal.

Q  Is there any "information gap" that you perceive? If so, describe the perfect Web site or publication that would fill that information need.

A  An information gap will always exist when there are new technologies and information resources that must match the needs of a particular organization. The skills that librarians need to have can help bridge this gap. However, because information is based on the unique characteristics of each organization, it would be impossible to have the "perfect Web site."

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Special Libraries Association, Legal Division