Law librarians' new role as the lynchpin of their firms' knowledge management processes has earned them a radical increase in status and pay, according to research released this week.

The survey of 32 top 100 law firms by publishers Sweet & Maxwell revealed that 90% of legal librarians have seen their responsibilities increase in the past five years, with one-fifth now reporting to the highest level of management.


The average salary for a head librarian has risen to £45,000 - up from £35,000 in 2000 - while those in the biggest firms can earn more than £100,000.


Law firms are investing more in their law libraries, according to the survey, with some 88% of legal librarians seeing a rise in their share of the internal budget.


However, the title 'librarian' is fast disappearing, with half of senior legal librarians questioned no longer using the term. Alternative titles such as 'head of knowledge management' and 'head of information services' are gaining in popularity.


Susan Doe, chairwoman of the British and Irish Association of Law Librarians, and information and research manager at the London office of US firm Sidley Austin Brown & Wood, said: 'Law librarians are pushing forward the developments in knowledge management. But the skills needed are personal as well as technical - all the technology in the world will not help if you can't get lawyers to donate their documents.


'Salaries have improved, but given the general management we do and the value of the research we perform, they should be higher.'


She added: 'The term "librarian" is being dropped because we gain more respect without it.'


Jitendra Valera, director of Sweet & Maxwell Legal Online, said: 'Knowledge management is now at the very core of law firms, and because of this, senior legal librarians are now increasingly important to their firms... They find themselves managing a larger slice of a firm's spending and bigger teams of staff.' Jitendra Valera, director of Sweet & Maxwell Legal Online, said: 'Knowledge management is now at the very core of law firms, and because of this, senior legal librarians are now increasingly important to their firms... They find themselves managing a larger slice of a firm's spending and bigger teams of staff.'<