Bristol Law Society, the oldest in the Country, started with and retains as its principal object, the maintenance of library services to the benefit of its members.
During the past 200 years, the Library has been maintained and built to provide a valuable resource, including many old case reports and texts, as well as core current texts.
It is a very substantial asset, available for the use of all members. Those who have looked at it recognise that it would take many tens of thousands of pounds to establish such a resource.
We receive requests for information from many parts of the country for copies of case reports held in the BLS Library.
It is open to all our members, Associate Members as well as members of the Judiciary.
The Society employs a librarian, Emilio, who is only too willing and able to assist with research.
However, there is a need for debate and consideration as to how this is carried forward.
Three years ago it was recognised that the cost of renewals and subscriptions, running in excess of £50,000 per annum, more than accounted for the deficit incurred by the Society in that period. Council took steps to reduce losses and curb expenditure. We reduced subscriptions and renewals in the following year to something just over £30,000 and last year, with deficits continuing have resolved to limit expenditure to a minimum, while investigating other means to maintain provision.
Investigation of means has involved discussion with a number of institutions, including the Courts Service, who currently provide a modest grant to BLS to allow the judges access to the Library.
Discussions demonstrate a continued need for library resource in central Bristol and the level of expenditure on law library facilities in Bristol. All organisations , whether the Universities, Chambers, law firms and in house counsel keep a watchful eye on their budgets as well as the room that library facilities take up. Indeed the growth in law firms, a wider geographical spread of courts and barristers chambers across the City and with so much student accommodation in central Bristol, there is significant increased demand for access to law library facilities in the Centre.
Firms have established their own essential library resource, with expenditure on subscriptions in the tens and probably hundreds of thousands of pounds.
Therefore looking at the centre of Bristol, the hub for legal expertise, it is easy to see that there must be many hundreds of thousands, probably well in excess of a million pounds expended by members' firms on the duplication of library provision.
While there will be specialities within firms that require particular texts that would not be common, there must be a question as to the extent. There will always be benefits from duplicate provision, but do we really need collectively to maintain eleven or twelve copies of certain texts within a half a mile radius of the city centre.
In the age of electronic communication and cataloguing there is an opportunity for mutual co-operation to maintain significant library resource centrally while at the same time reducing the overall expenditure for each individual member firm.
Bristol Law Society can facilitate the debate and broker a solution, recognising that all will need to be satisfied that any arrangements struck are sustainable as well as efficient and workable.
In any event there is a debate to be had as to the size, shape and extent of library services in an increasingly electronic and "on-line" society.
BLS will be interested to hear from any members or their firms (this an issue for Finance Directors as well as those responsible for Knowledge Management and Library Services) with views on the subject.
It is abundantly clear that with good sense and thinking, real progress could be made to the benefit of all without acting in a manner that would be anti-competitive or in breach of licensing agreements.
We welcome contribution to this debate from Universities, those in industry and Chambers.
In the meantime and short term, please consider again the value and extent of the library service provided by Bristol Law Society.
Robert Bourns