The quarterly publication of the International Legal Technology Association
Issue link: https://epubs.iltanet.org/i/43128
will have a great understanding of what types of information the attorneys want and need. What can be commingled? There are many opportunities to commingle the two areas — contract negotiation probably being the most obvious. By commingling this function, the firm comes out ahead because they will have better leverage with the vendor. It will also help bring the two groups closer together because they will be working toward a common good. Working together on an ongoing basis also makes both groups more efficient. If each group stays in contact with respect to what work is being done, then the other group will be able to provide support and look for new opportunities. An example of this happened recently during the process of implementing an innovative new KM solution at Fulbright and Jaworski. Scott was speaking with his library services group about new initiatives, and it dawned on him that they could leverage the librarians for a portion of the process that attorneys were typically asked to handle. By involving the librarians they were able to lessen the burden on attorneys and get the librarians more involved in new technology initiatives. What should be kept separate? Those things that are unique to each group should remain separate. For example, analyzing computer specifications to determine the next hardware roll-out is clearly something that will remain in the IT domain. Likewise, managing periodical subscriptions is an example of something that will remain in the library's domain. The key is to play to the strengths of each group, and figure out how to bring the two groups together at the right time. Why These Groups Have Difficulty Collaborating Each group tends to attract different personalities. Technologists typically like to live in a binary world. Either the computer works or it doesn't. The server responds or it doesn't. The changes made to a configuration improved performance or they didn't. Additionally, technologists tend to reason in a linear fashion. Their processes are much more sequential. This is a necessary trait for many functions within IT because of the complexity of the environment. If the technologist didn't work in this manner it would be virtually impossible to effectively troubleshoot a problem. Librarians, on the other hand, typically live in between the two extremes. They tend to be much more analytical and feel much more comfortable dealing in a world without absolutes. Librarians' typical processes are more dynamic in fashion. And because of this, their work requires a different skill set. To put it another way, technologists typically live in a world of black and white, and librarians typically live in a world made up of shades of gray. Understanding the different personalities in each group actually helps each group work with the other. Done correctly, these traits can be used to the advantage of both groups. As you initiate a project, you should use this knowledge to help divide tasks. 66 www.iltanet.org Peer to Peer An Alliance Is Formed Spend more time learning about the other discipline and less time talking about why it makes no sense to have them manage information. Understand the strengths of each group and play to those strengths. By working together you will enjoy the process more, you will create better systems and solutions, you will stop giving vendors the advantage and you will start doing what is right for the client. By understanding more about each group, knowing how to leverage personality traits and assigning tasks accordingly, both IT and library services will be setup to succeed. As each group starts to embrace the other, they will begin to trust each other's intentions — this is a key point in the relationship between them. ILTA Find "Moving Beyond the Library Walls to Support Strategic Knowledge Management" webinar and others online at www.aallnet.org. Greg Lambert, JD, MLIS, is the Library and Records Manager at King & Spalding's Houston office. Greg is also a member of the AALL Executive Board and a blogger with 3 Geeks and a Law Blog. He can be reached at glambert@kslaw.com. Scott Preston leads Fulbright and Jaworski's information technology, practice support, records management and project management departments. He has more than 20 years of senior management experience in legal technology, spending the last 11 as Fulbright's CIO. A creative intellectual who is often found thinking outside the box, Scott is known for his passion for technology and for motivating others by having a hands-on, fun approach. He can be reached at sapreston1@gmail.com.