Outsourcing is now a reality for the legal profession. Sarah Fahy from Allen & Overy LLP asks how we decide its relevance for know how. Key to deciding is an objective review of our current internal practices and an appreciation of the relationships and skills necessary for compiling successful know how. Establishing a productive partnership with an outsourcing company takes commitment and investment. Success is forged through a shared vision of success from an agreed starting point.

Susanna Winter from Baker & McKenzie considers the key issues which will affect law firm information services in the 21st Century. These include the use of technology, including the rise of so-called social networking and Web 2.0 tools; the impact of the Google-generation; the structure of information units; and the changing place of librarians within the law firm structure as a whole.

Philippa Smith gives a brief introduction to the records of the City of London livery companies held by the Manuscripts Section of Guildhall Library.

This article by Loyita Worley examines the potential effects of outsourcing knowledge management processes in law firms and discusses the impact it may have on the firm, its information resources and the clients involved.

Jennifer Vass and James Mullan of the BIALL Blog take a look at the UK law librarian blogging scene, dispelling some of the myths associated with blogging before asking, “Where do you want to go today?”

This new service won the Halsbury's Award for the Best Legal Information Service – Non-Commercial Sector at the recent BIALL Conference in Dublin. Chris Holland explains the background to the project and outlines plans for its future development.

Online legal resources are increasingly the sole official source. Authentication – the means to demonstrate that materials are what they purport to be – is inseparably interrelated with the official status of sources on the web. This article by Richard J. Matthews examines key features of the UK Statute Law Database, the US Government Printing Office future digital system (FDsys), and the Ohio Supreme Court database of judicial decisions that are relevant to assessing appropriate authentication procedures for those resources. Archival and computational authentication methods are reviewed. Overall findings of AALL's State-by-State Report on Authentication of Online Legal Resources and its recent national summit on authentic legal information on the web are analysed.

This is an edited version of the presentation given by Peter Clinch to the 40th BIALL Annual Study Conference held in Dublin in 2008. It helps to set in context the surveys he conducted on behalf of the Society of Legal Scholars. The results of one of the surveys are reported as part of the Annual Academic Law Library Survey elsewhere in this issue.

Jack Diggle from Prince OMC provides an overview of the world of outsourcing legal services. He explains the various methods of outsourcing and provides a glossary of the terms involved. He tells us what is happening in the UK in terms of outsourcing legal information work and explains how the concept of outsourcing began.

In a paper given at the 39th Annual BIALL Conference held in Dublin in June 2008, Sue Hill MD of Sue Hill Recruitment, discusses the current issues affecting law librarianship and looks at potential future changes. She then suggests how legal information professionals can stay ahead of the game.

This is the latest report analysing the results of the BIALL and Society of Legal Scholars Survey. It has been written by Peter Clinch, Senior Subject Librarian for Law, Cardiff University

In her BIALL Conference Paper last June, Ann Hemming considered the potential impact of e-learning on the legal profession and legal information professionals in particular. She discussed what is meant by e-learning and how it can be incorporated into our current knowledge systems. She then considered the needs of the current generation of info pros and the potential uses of social networking tools, such as Second Life, in the e-learning environment.

This article by Sally Creissen offers a thorough guide to the processes involved in selecting a library management system, from the initial consideration of whether it is really necessary to the post-implementation stages.

In a paper given at the 39th Annual BIALL Conference held in Dublin in June 2008, Samantha Steer covered key findings from the 2007 Sweet & Maxwell Survey Information Managers in the 21stCentury. The survey was prompted by changes in the legal market, including those that will follow from the Legal Services Act, and the wider availability of new technology, altering the delivery of legal information. The findings cover past changes to the information management role, and perceptions as to how the role will continue to change over the coming years.

This article by David Gee gives an overview of the current copyright regime in this country, from the perspective of both rights-owners and librarians. It considers the issues raised by the digital copyright regime and the latest official developments in this area.

Guy Holborn, Librarian of Lincoln's Inn, considers whether the Inns of Court libraries have a future in the digital age. He discusses their longevity and their context within the profession. Unfortunately, the past gives several examples of such libraries which have not survived, but he is confident that history will not repeat itself.

Victoria Jannetta explores the reasons why library and information centres need to measure performance; what activities you can measure; how to report performance to management, including looking at the Balanced Scorecard. She discusses a number of measurement tools.