Middle Temple Library Research Articles

Short but Sweet: How Nano-Training Expanded our Reach

AbstractIn this article, Beth Flerlage, an assistant librarian at The Honourable Society of the Middle Temple, discusses the Middle Temple Library's experience in developing a nano-training platform for members. It details the creative process and describes how the organisation reviews the content using data from YouTube Studio.

Raising the Bar: the Work of the Inns of Court Libraries

AbstractThis article has been written by Harpreet K. Dhillon, with contributions from colleagues at Gray's Inn Library, Inner Temple Library, Middle Temple Library and Lincoln's Inn's Library. During the course of the article, Harpreet looks at the way the four of Inns of Court libraries support barristers, though will use the term members interchangeably throughout. The Inns have their own histories, and the libraries function in their own unique ways, so the focus of this article are those key services provided by all the libraries and their relevance to the continuing work of Inn members. The article has been written using anecdotal evidence and contributions from all the library teams, concluding that the Inn libraries play a crucial and ongoing role in supporting the work of barristers, a role that evolves and will continue to do so alongside the legal profession's demands.

The Use of Agile Project Management and Related Tools for Book Moves

AbstractIn this article Beth Flerlage and Renae Satterley reflect on the library staffs’ experience of using Agile project management techniques and cloud-based tools to restructure resources at Middle Temple Library.

Are User Surveys Fit for Purpose? A Case Study on the Use of a Contingent Valuation Survey at Middle Temple Library

AbstractIn this article, based on a presentation at the BIALL Annual Conference in 2019, Renae Satterley and Adam Woellhaf discuss the methodology and potential effectiveness of using contingent valuation surveys in law libraries. Their approach is based on the Middle Temple Library's experience of running such a survey in 2018.

Classification With a K: Moys at Middle Temple Library

AbstractIn this article Harpreet Dhillon recounts the experience and impact of Middle Temple Library's transition from an alphabetical organisation of textbooks to a subject order using the Moys Classification Scheme.

Exhibit: The Art of Disagreeing Badly: Religious Dispute in Early Modern Europe, Middle Temple Library, London, United Kingdom

Exhibit: <i>The Art of Disagreeing Badly: Religious Dispute in Early Modern Europe</i>, Middle Temple Library, London, United Kingdom

Brexit Projects at Middle Temple Library

AbstractThis article, written by Lenka Geidt, gives detailed insight into Brexit projects undertaken by Middle Temple Library. The library specialises, among other areas, in European Union law. This article explains how members of the Inns of Court and librarians can benefit from these projects which focus on legislation, case law and the legal debate regarding the United Kingdom's referendum on European Union membership and Brexit.

Legal Research Training at Middle Temple Library

AbstractThis article, written by Adam Woellhaf, describes the legal research training offered by Middle Temple Library to Inns of Court members. It examines the challenges of designing and delivering legal research training to practitioners, as well as offering guidance and advice to others in their own legal research training efforts. It also looks at the potential for using mobile technology in legal research instruction.

Tablets in the Library: Trialling eBooks and iPads at Middle Temple Library

AbstractThis article by Renae Satterley discusses a trial conducted over a four month period at Middle Temple Library where members were allowed to borrow iPads for a week, free of charge. The iPads were lent to the library by LexisNexis and had ebooks and a subscription to LexisLibrary loaded on to them. In this article the author discusses the pros and cons of lending tablets to library users and whether law ebooks are as popular as some claim. It also examines the possibilities of integrating tablet computers into legal research training sessions.

In Praise of the Theologie Naturelle

This article deals with a hitherto unknown and unpublished English poem on the Theologie Naturelle of the Catalan theologian, Raymond Sebond or Sabunde. The manuscript is contained in a copy of the French translation by Michel de Montaigne held in Middle Temple Library. It is shown that the poem dates from the mid-seventeenth century and asserts the compatibility of faith and reason, while subordinating the latter to the former. The formal properties of the poem are investigated, including the thematic material it draws on from Sebond’s own preface to his work and its echoes and parallels with the work of Du Bartas. Sebond’s place in seventeenth-century English theological writing is outlined and it is argued that the anonymous author of this original poem espouses a particular view of the relationship between theology and philosophy, foreshadowing the rise of the Royal Society, with which Middle Templars were prominently associated.

Exploring User Training Needs at Middle Temple Law Library

AbstractThis research, conducted by Erin Gow, aims to explore the information literacy and legal research training needs of users of the Middle Temple library.* In order to do this it focuses on the patterns of use of library resources by users, reasons for these patterns, previous training users have received, and general evidence of user training needs in law libraries. The research as a whole was generated in result of the recognition that many Middle Temple library users require further legal research skills training in order to confidently find and employ the extensive resources available through the library. Before such training could be developed, however, research needed to be conducted into the specific capabilities and needs of the unique user base at the library. As a result of the research the current habits of library users have been explored, their general training levels and needs identified, and recommendations made about how to structure training so as to address these needs and best serve users. It was discovered that Middle Temple library users generally visit the library frequently, and are already confident using certain materials such as textbooks. Despite confidence in using certain common materials, users struggle to take advantage of the full range of resources available, making training necessary. The difficulties many users currently face in the library stem from a general lack of information literacy and library skills training.

The European Union Collection at Middle Temple Library

AbstractGillian 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.

The American Collection at Middle Temple Library

Vanessa Hayward, Librarian and Keeper of the Records at Middle Temple, charts the history of one of the most important collections of American law in this country.

The Ecclesiastical Collection in Middle Temple Library

The Ecclesiastical Collection in Middle Temple Library

The Ecclesiastical Law Centre At Middle Temple Library

‘The Ecclesiastical Courts date from 1076, but it is certain that at no time in their long history have they been as busy as they are today. Most of their work arises out of applications for faculties to make alterations in churches, their contents or churchyards. The majority of cases are dealt with without a hearing and in Chambers, but an increasing number have to be decided after a full hearing in Open Court. Most Ecclesiastical Court Judgments are not reported; yet many of them are of considerable interest and together they create a body of Ecclesiastical Law. To meet an undoubted need, the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple has been glad to receive from the Ecclesiastical Judges’ Association transcripts of Judgments, to copy, bind and index them and to make them available for reading and, if desired, copying within the Inn's Library. If provided with copies of future Judgments, the Library will treat them in the same way.’

Literary allusions in Dickens: 'David Copperfield’

Journal Article Literary allusions in Dickens: 'David Copperfield’ Get access J. J. Cowley J. J. Cowley 1Assistant Librarian, Middle Temple Library Search for other works by this author on: Oxford Academic Google Scholar Notes and Queries, Volume s12-XII, Issue 258, 24 March 1923, Page 237, https://doi.org/10.1093/nq/s12-XII.258.237 Published: 24 March 1923

James Gordon, keeper of the middle temple library

James Gordon, keeper of the middle temple library