In August of this year, the Bureau of National Affairs, Inc. (BNA) rolled out a new platform. The BNA Labor & Employment Law Resource Center™ is the first in a series of area specific resource centers BNA plans to launch. With this new resource center, BNA developers have coupled the legal research areas, such as cases, statutes, regulations and the like, with news information. The purpose of the resource center is to provide users with a platform where they can find the most update and accurate information related to the areas of labor and employment law. I was granted access to the site and can say BNA developers and editors accomplished their task. The platform has integrated news with case law updates and core research. Whether you are a skilled practitioner or a law student, the resource center is a great place to learn about, become familiar with or be updated on labor and employment law.
BNA has managed to compile and stream line a wealth of information in one place. The new platform took what users found on BNA’s Labor and Employment Law Library and added to it analysis and insights from some of the leading experts in the areas of labor and employment law. The platform houses in one place much of the information that would normally take of shelves of library space to cover.
One way BNA is continuing to be leaders in the industry is by adding what they call BNA Insights to the resource center. With BNA Insights, BNA has teamed with outside legal practitioners who provide a series of articles and videos that deal with and focus on hot topic areas. The Insights give a unique perspective and are updated as the authors discover new and emerging trends in law and employment law.
In addition to the mountain of information at hand, BNA has made the site easy to navigate. The top ribbon has tabs for easy maneuvering ranging from disability law to occupational safety. Each tab is topic specific so that users can more quickly and efficiently find what they are searching. Each section has been tailored to the particular area with the most pertinent information appearing first. Along that same line of reasoning, users are able to search by citation or keyword to find cases. This search technique can be found on the home page as well as within each tab. The BNA Insights also appear within these areas. Although they have not been formatted to be area specific, the utility they bring gives BNA another leg up on the competition.
Another added bonus and convenience is the inclusion of a practice tools section. BNA has added a number of tools to assist practitioners in their day to day task or for students who are learning the tricks of the trade. These tools consist of forms, checklists, client letters, and others that will produce more efficient work flow. The tools can be easily accessed from the home page, but most importantly from the topic specific tabs. The practice tools section in each area informs users of what information is available for that specific topic.
With this new platform, BNA has once again set itself apart from the rest. The site is easy to use and full of relevant and timely information. Subscribers can purchase an all inclusive package or can tailor the packages to meet their specific needs. Users of BNA’s Labor and Employment Law Library will still have access to all of those contents plus the numerous other perks and benefits of the Resource Center.
Tiffany R. Paige, JD, MLIS
Acquisitions Librarian, Mississippi College Law Library
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