By MATT CHANDLER
Buffalo Law Journal

James Wooten, a longtime law professor at the University at Buffalo, has been named director of UB's Charles B. Sears Law Library.

Wooten replaces interim director Beth Adelman, who will take over as head of technology at the university. Adelman had served in an interim capacity since Jim Milles stepped down in late 2008 after eight years in the post.

As head of the law library, Wooten will be responsible for the management and direction of the facility. He was also named vice dean for legal information services at UB's law school. Both appointments are effective Aug. 14.

Wooten began his career as a law clerk for a federal judge - Hon. William Justice - in Texas and later worked in private practice, focusing on labor and employee-benefits law. Since joining the UB Law faculty in 1995, he has taught courses focusing on pension and employee-benefits law, federal income taxation and federal tax policy.

A self-described "library rat," Wooten says he is excited about stepping out of the classroom and into the library.

"I've always loved libraries, and as a student I used to wander around the library just because I liked to see what books were coming out," he said. "The library staff is great. I've always enjoyed dealing with them, and I'm going to look forward to working with them."

In a statement announcing the promotion, UB Law Dean Makau Mutua described Wooten as "in tune with the changing nature of law libraries in the information age and the importance of the law library to (UB)."

Wooten says things have definitely evolved in the world of research over the last 20 years, and he recognizes how important it is that the library adapt to those needs.

"It is much more heavily computer-driven now compared to when I was in law school," he said. "Almost all of my research was paper-driven when I was in my practice, in the early 1990s. It was maybe 70/30 (percent) paper versus computer, and now, my sense is that the shift has gone at least as far in the other direction."

He is hesitant to qualify one method of research as better than another, saying both have their place in a university.

"What I tried to do (over the years) was take a run at each method of researching, because I found the more research strategies you used, the more complete picture you came away with," he said.

Though he will have to cut his teaching load by half as part of his new position, Wooten said he will return to the classroom in the fall, teaching contracts in addition to overseeing the law library.

"I love teaching, but this is a change," he said. "I can really appreciate how much libraries matter, both as a historian as well as someone who works in a contemporary field like tax or employee benefits."