Ellyssa Valenti Kroski is the editor of Law Librarianship Practice: Challenges and Opportunities in Law Firm, Government, and Academic Law Libraries, which is available now from Bloomsbury. I recently had the chance to speak with Ellyssa about her new book, what she hopes readers take away from it, and her predictions for how law librarianship will evolve in the coming years. My interview with her is below.
1. Please introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi everyone, I’m Ellyssa Valenti Kroski, Director of Innovation & Engagement at The New York Law Institute. I’m a librarian, adjunct faculty member at San José State University, an international conference speaker, and the editor and author of 78 books. My work has been honored with the Joseph L. Andrews Legal Literature Award for Law Librarianship in the Digital Age (2013) and Law Librarianship in the Age of AI (2019).
On a personal note, I live on my family’s homestead in Nichols, South Carolina with my Australian Cattle Dog, Ripley. I’m also pursuing a Master’s degree in Egyptology at the University of Manchester, where my dissertation explores how immersive technologies—such as virtual, augmented, and mixed reality—can be used in the field and in galleries, libraries, archives, and museums to support cultural heritage preservation, research, and education.
2. Briefly summarize Law Librarianship Practice.
Law Librarianship Practice: Challenges and Opportunities in Law Firm, Government, and Academic Law Libraries is a forward-looking volume that explores the latest trends shaping the profession. The book brings together insights from leading voices across academic, government, and law firm libraries who share how they are meeting today’s challenges head-on.
Contributors address pressing issues such as managing remote workforces, negotiating with vendors, outsourcing services, preparing for emergencies, navigating law firm mergers, and succession planning. They also highlight exciting opportunities, from leveraging AI for competitive intelligence and big data decision-making, to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion, and expanding Access to Justice initiatives.
What makes this book stand out is its practical perspective: each chapter is grounded in real-world experience and offers strategies that librarians can adapt to their own institutions right now.
3. Why did you decide to edit this book?
When the publisher first approached me, the idea was to create a textbook-style second edition of Law Librarianship in the Digital Age (2013). But as I began developing the proposal, reading reviews, and speaking with colleagues, it became clear that what the profession really needed wasn’t another textbook—it was a resource written for practicing law librarians.
That shift in focus changed everything. Instead of introductory chapters for students, the book addresses the issues librarians are grappling with every day: policy development, contract negotiations, budgeting, the business side of running a law library, strategic planning, cybersecurity challenges, digital access, risk management, and more. By grounding the book in the realities of practice, it became a timely and practical guide that meets librarians where they are right now.
4. What are two things you hope all readers take away?
First, I hope readers walk away with practical, experience-driven insights they can put to work right away in their own law libraries. The contributors to this volume are leaders in the field, and their advice is grounded in real-world challenges and solutions.
Second, I want this book to serve as an ongoing reference—a resource librarians can return to when new projects arise or when they step into areas that may be less familiar. Whether it’s policy development, vendor negotiations, or emerging technologies, the book provides examples, resources, and strategies they can draw on over time.
5. As you read the chapters, is there anything that surprised you?
I can’t say that I was surprised—the contributors to this book are all seasoned professionals with deep expertise in law librarianship. What did strike me, though, was just how energizing it was to read their chapters as they came in. It quickly became clear that this would be an outstanding volume, packed with insight, practical advice, and forward-looking perspectives.
6. Based on current changes, what additional changes do you foresee happening in law librarianship in the next five years?
I tend to be cautious about predicting the future, because if the past five years have taught us anything, it’s how quickly circumstances can change. The pandemic reshaped work into remote and hybrid models, digital delivery and electronic resources took on new importance, and we’ve seen the extraordinary rise of generative AI.
The one thing I can say with confidence is that law librarianship will remain resilient. Our field has always adapted to change, and I believe it will continue to do so. In the coming years, I see law librarians not only incorporating new technologies into existing roles but also carving out new areas of expertise—particularly in AI governance, ethics, and risk management.
7. Is there anything else you would like to share?
I would simply encourage everyone to read this book! Whether you purchase a copy or borrow it from your library, I think you’ll find it well worth your time. I truly cannot say enough about the outstanding contributors who made this volume possible—their insight and experience are what make the book such a valuable resource for the profession.
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