It Looks Just the Same as the Print!

I saw a note on the ALLG listserv this morning from a Lexis rep announcing the availability of the NZ Law Reports and Queensland Law Reports in PDF. I’m not sure but I think this may be a first for Lexis, although Westlaw was there some time ago with the National Reporter System and of course we’ve had the wealth of resources from Hein and LLMC and Gale available in that format for a long while now. Its clearly a growing trend and a welcome one – I’ve always found it a useful ‘persuader’ for those who still resist giving up the print in favour of online access, to be able to say, ‘see, it looks just the same as in the book’. And frankly it works for me too – I prefer to look at and print out cases and journal articles that ‘look’ just the same as the original book version. But is this a passing, generational, thing? Will our future users who today wield blackberries and laptops and continuously text message each other feel the same? Thought for today.

Comments

  1. I’ve always liked the layout of the US Reports and would choose them in preference to the Sup. Ct. or LEd.
    That’s why however much we may use the LII, Findlaw or the commercial services, I keep going back to http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/05slipopinion.html to get the opinions to read. Because – they look just like the book!