Finding Legal Information: A Guide to Print and Electronic Sources

Citation

Osorio, M.A. (2005), "Finding Legal Information: A Guide to Print and Electronic Sources", Collection Building, Vol. 24 No. 3, pp. 104-104. https://doi.org/10.1108/01604950510608311

David Pester studied law at the University of Kent and has worked at the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies and House of Lords Library before working at London Metropolitan University. In addition to teaching courses on legal materials for new law librarians, his daily work for 17 years as a law librarian has given him invaluable experience at finding legal information about the laws of Britain and of Europe.

Part 1 of the book deals with general and primary material; Part 2 focuses on the different topics of the law. A list of abbreviations is found at the front of the book; after Part 2 an appendix lists legal publishers and internet bookshops. There is an index of online services; an index of web sites; an index of authors, editors and contributors; and an index of titles.

A comparable guide entitled Lawyers' Law Books by Donald Raistrick, although of excellent quality and scholarly import, has not been revised since 1997. There are no references in it to the electronic resources we now find indispensable in searching the web for the latest changes in the ever‐growing field of law. Another bibliography by R.G. Logan titled Information Sources in Law, last published in 1996, covers legal literature from more than 30 European countries and is very informative and of the utmost excellence; however, the layout and format of Pester's work is very easy to access, making the work of research as a consequence easier too. Patrons will also appreciate having access to the most current thinking on the controversial issues of the day.

Pester has done all the hard work of putting together a guide for legal information for Britain and Europe, indicating where one can go to find accurate, reliable, scholarly, authoritative, current and up‐to‐date sources in law. Anyone, from a student of the law to a seasoned professional, will want this book for their collection. It is highly recommended for law school libraries, legal practitioners interested in European law, university and large public libraries.