CASE STUDY
Blank Rome LLP
How Blank Rome LLP decided the Reference Tracking module
within EOS.Web fit their needs.
Profile
Blank Rome LLP is one of the world’s premier
law firms. Part of the AM Law 100, Blank Rome
librarians are very busy attending to the needs
of over 500 attorneys in 12 locations worldwide.
Nine of these locations have libraries and two are staffed full time.
Meeting the legal and business research needs of attorneys, paralegals and support staff is the primary purpose of their library. In addition, despite the growth of the company as a whole, the need to trim costs to improve profit places an additional burden on the library. Like many other libraries in
today’s business climate, librarians strive to show their value as an asset to an organization and fight the perception of simply a space housing books and only incur a cost to the organization. The staff at Blank Rome uses the Reference Tracking module within EOS.Web Legal to insert themselves in the business of the organization, engage patrons in a convenient way, and show management their true value.
Blank Rome LLP, an international law firm founded in 1946, is one of the largest law firms in the United States.
‘‘
We can’t think of a better
program than the one
EOS has. I feel that
Client Services and the
developers are really
committed to this great
product and in helping us
to address all of our needs.
Mary Newman
Director of Library & Research Services
Blank Rome LLP
Problem
Solution
Previous to EOS.Web, Blank Rome used a software program designed for IT service ticketing for reference tracking. They made the best of what they had, but the software was not designed for libraries. It was less than ideal and required tweaking the software not as intended.
When newer versions became exclusively cloud-based and the pricing model changed substantially, they decided a switch was in order—one that fit their needs and was designed for librarians.
They had an internal generic company email address for the library requests and had spent years training the organization to use it to contact the library. They carefully monitored the email inbox and would take reference requests via that email address and then assign them to a librarian. Any new prospective solution needed to maintain this workflow. Their attorneys live in Microsoft Outlook and asking them to change how they interact with the library would risk decreasing library usage.
Blank Rome decided to test the Reference Tracking Module already within EOS.Web, their existing library software solution. Since the libraries do not receive much walk-in traffic anymore, they have a centralized reference library mailbox and have trained everyone over the past 5 years to email the library for assistance. With the email integration of EOS.Web Reference Tracking, there was no need to train employees on a new process.
They still use email the same email address as before. EOS.Web checks that email in box, pulls the email into EOS.Web and notifies the librarians of its arrival, automatically generating much of the necessary data and recording information from the email. With robust reporting features, they can show management what they do in the library. Mary Newman, Director of Library & Research Services at Blank Rome LLP, explains: “We create reports
by department and by practice group… It gives us the number of password requests, number of reference requests, number of document requests, ILL, order requests, etc.” These metrics help her show management not just how the library is being used, but how useful it is.
Previously, unless the researcher manually added the request, untracked activities would not show up in a report. Now they have confidence their software is automatically tracking their activities. Mary continues: “Reports can be generated by month or year...The real beauty is that we don’t have to create a ticket for every single request. When we were doing it ourselves for every single request, we knew that 20-25% of requests never made it to the report, and that wasn’t good. We really need to show the value of the library to our management.”
These reporting abilities let the librarians communicate essential data metrics that show they are part of the firm’s business. “If we can say we had 5000 requests over the course of the year, and the library staff wasn’t filling those requests, the firm would need to hire additional personnel for this purpose. It is really helpful for firm management to see that we aren’t just sitting here opening boxes of books, processing them, putting them back on the shelf and checking them out...A law library is really complex and using these reports is a way to show what we are really doing,” says Mary.
EOS.Web is a complete package with Reference Tracking abilities built into a robust library management system tailored to the needs of special libraries. When asked how this solution compares to others Mary says: “We can’t think of a better program than the one EOS has. I feel that Client Services and your developers are really committed to this great product and with helping us to address all of our needs.”
Without hesitation, Mary Newman recommends EOS.Web Reference Tracking to anyone looking for a solution. “If another librarian was looking for a Reference Tracking product, I recommend EOS. We had SydneyPLUS at one point and Inmagic at another time, and we feel we made a great decision going with EOS. EOS works with us. So I would say Reference Tracking is a great
WHAT IS EOS.WEB?
EOS.Web is a library automation software
solution available in the cloud or as an
on-premise installation. It was the first, fully
web-based, MARC 21 and RDA library solution
created specifically for special libraries. It is
built on Microsoft’s .Net technology and the
SQL database management system.
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product and if you are able to get a hosted mailbox, which EOS offers, you will love it. It’s the only way we can get these statistics and since we get requests right away, nothing is falling through the cracks.”
EOS.Web creates many benefits for special libraries. Whether it is simplifying operations, opening up access to users, or taking an intuitive approach to resource management, EOS.Web helps libraries stay
connected to their patrons. EOS’ Support Desk is available 24/7/365 with outstanding support from a live person. EOS is known for having the best client support services in the industry.
The EOS Global Data Centers offer a better way to manage IT costs and eliminate the need to configure, maintain and support a hardware, network and software environment. EOS.Web is the best value in special library software. Its functionality and connectivity is unsurpassed. This, along with many other reasons, is why EOS.Web is the #1 choice for so many of the world’s top law firms.
To see how EOS can help your library, get in touch with EOS by calling us at 800-576-5484 or emailing EOS at [email protected] today.
