The Kent Law School at the University of Kent celebrated its 40th Anniversary in 2008 and Diane Raper, the current law librarian, reviews the changes that have taken place over the years in relation to user comment and feedback, and external drivers which have ensured the provision of a first-class library and information service for staff and students. She also considers the major changes in the modus operandi of the service over the last 40 years.

Linda Holbeche discusses how knowledge and service industry organisations should change in recessionary periods and she explains the cycle of change.

Nick Brotchie, Librarian of the Scottish Law Commission, provides a history of law reform initiatives in Scotland, traces the evolution of the Scottish Law Commission and explains the process of law reform in Scotland.

This article by Patrick Overy, from the University of Exeter, aims to clarify some of the distinctions between different categories of working document and provides details of some of the databases and collections which are essential for research into the workings of the European Union.

This article by Andrea Longson, the Senior Librarian, outlines the history of both the Advocates Library and the Faculty of Advocates. It describes the collections and services offered by the library.

The new Supreme Court of the United Kingdom, which heard its first case in October 2009, sits at the apex of the UK's justice systems. Located in the painstakingly restored Grade II Listed Middlesex Guildhall in Parliament Square, it will be the highest appeal court in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and for civil cases in Scotland. Jenny Rowe, Chief Executive of the Court, reveals how the new Justices' Library is at the heart of this landmark building.

This article by Natasha Choolhun, with input from Emma Harris and colleagues, considers how the proliferation of freely available legal information has affected standards of information literacy and research capability in the current legal environment. Real life examples are given to illustrate how staff in law firms are using resources such as Google and Wikipedia in preference over authoritative legal material. The phrase “Google Generation” is explored and consideration is given to how law schools and commercial firms are attempting to instil in their lawyers principles of good information literacy and research skills.

Phil Wilkin runs the Archive of European Integration (AEI), University Library System, University of Pittsburgh, an online repository and archive for research materials on the topic of European integration. The AEI uploads both privately-produced papers and official European Union (EU) documents, which are freely available to all. Because the EU is a treaty- and law-driven organisation, a small percentage of the privately-produced papers and many of the official EU documents on the AEI are relevant to EU law, primarily in the areas of the implementation of EU law in policy and administrative areas and the work of the court system.

In the current climate of rapid technological change, upheavals in the legal profession and global recession, Nick Holmes asks “What does the future hold for law publishing?”

Hester Swift, Foreign and International Law Librarian, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, and Peter Clinch, Senior Subject Librarian for Law, Cardiff University delivered this paper at the recent BIALL Annual Conference.

This article by Stig Marthinsen describes the background to the establishment of the Caselex database and outlines how it is being currently developed and the plans for its future.

The library of the Royal Faculty of Procurators in Glasgow has been in existence for over 190 years. It is open to all practising and retired solicitors, advocates and law firms. This article by John McKenzie briefly outlines its history, relevance to the legal profession today, current set-up, challenges and future.

This survey of United States law sources, by Hester Swift, Foreign and International Law Librarian, Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, is based on a presentation delivered at the BIALL Foreign and International Law Seminar on 3 March 2009.

This article by James Mullan is based on his paper delivered to the BIALL Conference 2009. It examines the role that social media and Web 2.0 technologies can play in the life of the legal information specialist.

Elaine Bird, the current Librarian of the Signet Library, describes the history and current activities of this library which forms part of one of the world's oldest legal professional bodies

This article by Paul Clarke (Chairman) and Eric Davies (Administrator) explains the history and current aims and activities of the EIA, which provides vital networking opportunities, for all information professionals working within the European information environment.

Gillian Kalitsi, the current European Union librarian at Middle Temple, describes the scope of the collection, the types of enquiries she receives and also details the other holdings of this major professional organisation law library.

This article by Gill Black of Biggart Baillie LLP, the current Convenor of the Group, describes its membership and activities.

As part of the 40th Anniversary Issue we are including information about some of the regional groups which have come into existence since the foundation of the Association, as this has been a particularly active area of our work. We have not included the City Legal Information Group in this article as we covered it in Vol.8 (4) 257–259.

This paper by Lesley Dingle, Squire Law Library, University of Cambridge was presented at the BIALL Seminar held on 3 March 2009. It covers the major sources, both paper and electronic, of international law.