Sunbelt Blog

A Law Library in the Palm of Your Hands?

Amazon's Kindle, Sony's Reader, and now Apple's iPad have captured the imaginations of booklovers around the globe. Have they captured yours? While having access to millions of eBooks at your fingertips may make you want to curl up on the couch with a mug of hot chocolate for a few hours of escapism, these eReaders have practical applications as well. Imagine having an entire law library in the palm of your hands!

A quick look at Amazon's Kindle Store displays the store's bestsellers. Enter the term "law books" into the search box and you'll find a large selection of law books covering constitutional law, civil rights, general law, and human rights. If you drill down a little deeper, you'll soon find The Dispute Resolution Law Book Store where you'll find law books and legal guides both in print as well as for wireless delivery to the Kindle. Categories include: U.S. Law Books, International, Arbitration, Mediation, Paralegal, Ombudsman, Conflict Resolution, Self-Help Guides, Legal Forms, Student Textbooks, Bar Exam Guides, Kindle eBooks, Divorce Books, and Estate Planning.

Not to be outdone, Sony's eBook store is also loaded with law books with categories that include: business law, civil law, criminal law, family law, general law, government, legal reference, and property and tax. In addition, Sony's eReaders can connect to your local public library where you'll be able to browse for compatible digital law books that you can checkout and download. Sony also offers a huge library of public domain books in conjunction with Google Book Search.

Apple's iPad, a tablet computer-like device that also doubles as an eBook reader, has not yet hit the market. However, it will feature an online bookstore just as Amazon and Sony have created. The iBookstore will feature downloadable eBooks and it is presumed that some of them will fall under the law books category.

Each of the three big players in the eBook industry uses a different platform. For example, Kindle eBooks are compatible only with the Kindle and devices equipped with Amazon's software. Sony uses Adobe software which has been embraced by booksellers and public libraries as well. Recent reports indicate that Apple's iPad will use yet a third format for its digital books.

While you can certainly find law books available in Amazon and Sony's digital marketplaces, other sources of digital books exist. For example, Lincoln Memorial University's Carnegie-Vincent Library features access to law-specific eBooks and eBook journals. Among the digital collections available to students: AudioCase Files, BNA's Core Collection, CALI (Computer Assisted Legal Instruction), eBrary, FastCase, Gale Digital Libraries, Google Scholar, Hein Online, Index to Legal Periodicals 1908-1981, Lexis Congressional, LexisNexis, NetLibrary, and WestLaw. This is but one example of a university library making access to digital information a simple matter of signing in.

If you're interested in eBook readers, check with your alma mater's library and see what types of digital law books are available to you and which formats are most prevalent before you buy a reader. Next, explore the eBook stores from Amazon, Sony, and Apple to get a feel for the availability of law books in your practice area. Finally, consider how you will access and download the eBooks, journals, and periodicals. Is wireless access a must? While the Kindle has always had wireless capabilities, Sony has finally introduced a wireless Reader.

It took a few years for eBooks to capture the imagination of booklovers. Now that the technology is in place, have e-law books captured your imagination?