Memorial Day : Does your law blog represent the best society has to offer?
“Access to knowledge is the superb, the supreme act of truly great civilizations. The New York Public Library is in this regard, both symbol and act of what the best civilization has to offer.”
This from American novelist, editor, and professor, Toni Morrison, recognizing The New York Public Library Endowment Fund in 1986. It’s etched in stone above the donors, as you ascend the steps to the Rose Reading Rome in the New York City Library.
I was headed up to the reading room to blog when I saw Morrison’s quote. I thought of bloggers giving access to their knowledge by openly blogging and collaborating with other bloggers. Done well, these bloggers were part of something truly great and, in fact, part of the best our society has to offer.
In the case of lawyers who blog, we’re giving the public access to our knowledge. Access to knowledge, insight, and commentary that the public would not otherwise have.
Sure, we’re not writing books making the shelves of the New York Public Library. But who is to say that what we’re offering is not of as much value to our society?
Timely collaboration between lawyers truly giving of themselves provides the public peer reviewed commentary available no where else. Until know this knowledge was trapped in the heads of practicing lawyers. Reporting on legal news and issues that is going unreported with the decline in newsroom staffs. Tremendous knowledge being captured and retained.
Of course I am not referring to all law blogs. Some law blogs do not represent knowledge nor the best of what society has to offer.
Such law blogs are no more a part of a ‘body of knowledge’ than a 50 foot tall neon Times Square Coca-Cola ad would be a part of the collections in the Rose Reading Room.
Those law blogs are done for show and to grab attention rather than to provide true access to knowledge. Some of these blogs are not even written by the lawyer who falsely seeks credit.
Monday is Memorial Day. The day for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. A day for remembering those who gave their lives for things we as Americans really appreciate as a society – such as access to knowledge and free access to publish.
On this Memorial day, ask yourself as a blogging lawyer if what you are contributing is true knowledge and part of a “Supreme act of truly great civilization.”
If you’re not yet blogging as a lawyer, consider joining in. There are plenty of topics not being covered and there is plenty of room for good lawyers looking to give access to their knowledge.
I know I can do better with my blog.
Happy Memorial Day.