LLMC Digital

I’ve just finished reading the lastest Law Library Microform Consortium Newsletter (#17, February 2006), in which I found out that LLMC itself is 30 years old, and the digital project is now 3 years old this February.

I’ve sung the praises of LLMC before on SLAW but again I ugre SLAWers to take a look at what they are up to, particularly the digitizing of Canadian titles at http://www.llmc.com.

I particulary note their work with the Legal Information Preservation Alliance (LIPA) to develop an online, universally-accessible database for the tracking of hardcopy preservation copies of legal and law-related print materials. You can check out LIPA at http://www.aallnet.org/committee/lipa

In connection with this, in my thinking Canada needs to develop a coherent strategy for the preservation and digitalizing of its legal heritage. Some of the larger digitalizing projects (such as CIHM) might do this, but perhaps not, and there is a lot of very valuable historical material in private law firm collections. I have been chatting with Balfour Halvey, formery the law librarian at Osgoode Hall, and he pointed out to me the difficulties and potential costs of such a programme. But it still seems an idea worth pursuing and that is why in previous posts I also gave accolades to those mentioned in one of the previous posts by Heather Acton on February 16th.

It is still very general, and maybe a daft idea, but I’m interested in what others have to say.