‘Classification, then, is a tool for very simple but infinitely important purposes. Its whole object is to secure an order which will be useful to readers and to those who seek information with the smallest complication of search or other effort. It is a technique designed to expedite the full use of the knowledge stored in books and other material housed in the collection.’ (Maltby, 1975). Rita Marcella expounds her view of the importance of subject classification.

I recently found myself in the ‘enviable’ position of purchasing a library management system. The whole process gave me the chance to review the current classification scheme. The classification used was a ‘home made’ scheme based on broad legal topics. While the scheme was in itself fine, developments in the law meant that a significant number of areas were no longer sufficient. Coupled with the rapid growth in the firm's specialisms in the past few years, the classification scheme no longer served the needs of the library.

The title of James Shearer's article makes his aim and ambit clear. James Shearer regularly teaches day courses on cataloguing for Aslib, and has recently provided bespoke courses for the London Library and the Library of the European Commission. He is an information consultant and lecturer in information management at the University. With Alan R. Thomas he co-edited Cataloguing and classification: trends, transformations, teaching and training (Haworth Press, 1997). Examples of cataloguingc referred to in the text appear on pp. 14 to 17.

This article from Gillian Sands looks at the cat and class skills taught on information studies courses and the use these skills are to new legal information professionals. The article is based on the opinions of nine new legal information professionals from both academic and law firm libraries.

Cath Hancock, Staff Development Officer at Cardiff University, and Alison Clayton of Cameron McKenna have supplied us with two articles addressing aspects of the recruitment and selectiom process. This article from Cath Hancock concentrates on the pre-intervies process but also looks briefly at post-interview issues.

Alison Clayton and Cath Hancock have supplied us with two articles addressing aspects of the recruitment and selection process. This article from Alison Clayton, Training and Development Officer at Cameron McKenna, deals with the skills you need to be an effective interviewer.

This article (from Janice Collino, Academic Manager at ILEX Tutorial College) Reports on a case study looking at the effectiveness of LPC studies.

Roderick Munday, Fellow of Peterhouse, Cambridge and Editor-in-chief of the Justice of the Peace Reports, shares his invaluable perception and extensive research on the difficulties which arise from the excess of access to judgments.

This is the latest report arising from the SPTL/BIALL Survey. It was prepared by Cathie Jackson of Cardiff University

Helen Young, the information Librarian (Law & Official Publications) at the University of Leicester, reports on the results of one extra element in the BIALL/SPTL Survey, designed to acquire further information about academic law librarians.

This Current Awareness column, and previous Current Awareness columns, are now fully searchable in the new caLIM database (Current Awareness for Legal Information Managers). The caLIM database is available on the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies Web site at: http://iala.sas.ac.uk/library/caware/caware.htm