For some time, the concept of e-books – books in electronic format – has been just over the horizon but a viable product has been slow to materialise. While new technologies such as the internet, personal digital assistants and BlackBerrys have revolutionised the way lawyers search for information and communicate with each other, our love of the traditional paper book still has yet to be seriously challenged. The market for books in an electronic format and for ‘e-reader’ devices that can store and display them in a reader-friendly way is still embryonic.
While the anticipated launch of an ‘e-reader’ device from Amazon, expected to be announced this month, should help pioneer e-books in the general
marketplace, the legal profession is already well-placed to embrace this new technology. For lawyers, more than any other profession, the potential benefits of e-books are huge. Legal books are often heavy and bulky, so are not always easy to carry around to client offices or far-flung courtrooms, particularly if several volumes are necessary for cross-referencing. Not only that, but finding the required sections by thumbing through can be very time-consuming. If entire libraries of e-books can be stored on one handheld e-reader with sufficient readability and functionality, and at the right price, demand could soar.
