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5 PLL Persp. 1 (1993-1994)

handle is hein.lbr/aaplper0005 and id is 1 raw text is: Pe~trwepQe,6tiu'eMe The Quarterly of the Private Law Libraries/SIS of the American Association of Law Libraries Volunie 5 Issue 1 Sabrina 1. Pacifici, Editor/Desktop Publisher Imaging Systems: Comments and Observations with an Update on the Imaging Project at Dresser Industries by Jeanne C. Reynolds, Kemp, Smith, Duncan & Hammond, El Paso, TX and Karen Dibble, Dresser Industries, Inc., Dallas, TX LECTRONIC LIBRARIES,VIRTUAL REALITY, THE paperless office (yes, that claim continues to be made), and the superhighway of connectivity, the Internet, are all issues which are being analyzed, discussed, hyped and touted. Information about imaging systems, their applications, benefits and technology is everywhere. Our firm recently completed net- working our office so that we now share such features as word processing, accounting/billing and time entry, conflict check- ing, e-mail and computer assisted legal research. I thought we had it all! Soon after these sytems were implemented, I was queried about imaging in the Library and Resource Center. A number of possible applications came to mind: litigation sup- port, e-mail with image-enabled support tools (which means you can send an e-mail message with images attached), and records management of client files. On the other hand, imple- mentation time, the demands on staff, the overall cost, and the real benefits to the firm of such applications were not entirely clear. Everyone will tell you that the most important aspect of imaging involves defining your present system, your current and future needs and goals, and then evaluating the hardware and software. As one vendor has stated: No decision without a vision. But all visions have a price tag and the reality is that im- aging systems are not cheap. As with any technological imple- mentation, the cost will depend on the system selected. Ven- dors are reluctant to be specific because each installation is unique to the institutions' operations. Those institutions implementing systems are reluctant to talk of such proprietary matters as cost. Some estimates for single user situations considered to be on the low end range from $12,000 to $15,000. Large-scale sys- tems, networked or organization-wide, can easily cost $1 mil- lion plus. Software and scanners vary greatly in price. Scan- ners are priced from as little as $1,500 to as much as $7,500. The importance of having a quality scanner often means that those priced in the upper ranges are probably what is required, though it may vary depending on the application. Some ven- dors sell desktop application software for as little as $600 for single users. Additional users can double and triple the cost. There are several turnkey packages available ranging from $46,000 to $360,000. These costs include hardware and soft- ware but not necessarily costs associated with the network. Many experts will tell you that it is more cost effective to outsource the image scanning, but then you must address issues of who does the indexing/tagging, and of course, soft costs, i.e., better cus- tomer relations or faster turn around time on billing. As many of us have learned, automation does not always result in a re- duction of staffing levels. Usually staff must be retrained or sometimes replaced with more skilled workers. As always, there are seminars that detail how to construct an RFP, and consult- ing firms as well as vendors are willing and eager to profile your needs. There is no serious talk of imaging in my firm at this time. However, that doesn't mean that I won't be asked again about potential applications in my areas of responsibility. There- fore I follow the current literature, watch videos and rely on my professional association and colleagues to enhance the learning process in this area. I have read with great interest articles about the imaging system at Chicago-Kent College of Law un- der the guidance of Mickey Voges; the JANUS system at Co- lumbia described by Jim Hoover; and Karen Dibble's imaging project at Dresser Industries. As more institutions implement imaging projects, their information and expertise will become available to us so that we can make administrative decisions on the use of imaging technology in our own operations. Karen Dibble N THE JUNE/JULY 1992 ISSUE OF PLL PERSPECTIVES I wrote an article discussing Dresser's use of imaging tech- nology in our corporate legal department. I described our ongoing project of scanning legal records and then took several stabs in the dark trying to predict solutions to puzzling issues. Continued on page 4 Fall 1993

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