Know-How and Information Provision in Legal Firms is reported to be the first study on the development of know-how systems in UK legal firms and its impact on the operation of in-house information services.

Know-how, which is defined as a record of the combination of personal knowledge and related work experience of individuals, is increasingly being added into databases, so that firms have access to skill records for their employees.

The report, commissioned by the Research & Innovation Centre of the British Library, looks at the recording of know-how and its use in IT systems in 42 law firms, and identifies opportunities for change in information delivery methods.

Copies of the report, priced at £15, can be obtained from its author, Sylvia P Webb, at 2 Alderley Court, Berkhamsted, Herts HP4 3AD.