Slide 1 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: 2. The Role of Public Libraries Prepared by the Self-Represented Litigation Network General Package Editor: Richard Zorza Copyright 2010, National Center for State Courts Developed by the Self-Represented Litigation Network of the National Center for State Courts, with Funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to the National Center for State Courts, and in cooperation with the Legal Services Corporation. Points of view and opinions stated in this document do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the National Center for State Courts, or of the Legal Services Corporation, or of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, or of any co-sponsor or of any participant in, or funder of, the Self Represented Litigation Network. Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 2 Editorial Panel Melissa Barr, Ohio Judy Helms, Travis County Law Library Bonnie Hough, California AOC Liz Keith, Pro Bono Net Marcia Koslov, LA Law Library Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 3 I.In the Beginning You are the frontline for access to information – and so to access to justice You don’t have to be a lawyer - but rather to help people navigate to the right information Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 4 II.Stories and Examples – Hope you’ll join us in our road to justice by –Assisting your patrons –Providing feedback to the website developers –Participating in access to justice working groups Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 5 II-A.LA Law Library 8 Branch Locations in Courthouses Open 4 hours per day Paraprofessional Staff Lack Technology Older collection / Not maintained Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 6 LA Law Library: Pasadena Pasadena Public Library –New leadership –Mid-size public library –Government document collection –General public legal materials Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 7 LA Law Library – Pasadena Partnership LA Law Library –Moved law practice materials –Maintain the collection –Provide training to staff –Provide training to public –Provide online service Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 8 LA Law Library – Pasadena Partnership Pasadena –Provided shelf space –Reclassified all legal materials together –File and shelve materials in timely manner –Provided technology –9 – 9 and weekends –Professional Staff Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 9 LA Law Library: Compton Compton Courthouse –Needed Library Space –Presiding Judge Request Los Angeles County Public Library –Compton Library undergoing renovation Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 10 LA Law Library – LACPL Partnership LA Law Library –Moved law practice materials –Maintain the collection –Provide training to staff –Provide online service Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 11 LA Law Library – LACPL Partnership Compton –Totally Renovated Library –Provided shelf space –Left LA Law materials together –Agreed to update Nolo Press materials –Provided technology –Evening and Weekend Hours –Professional Staff Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 12 II-B.Stories and Examples -- Montana Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 13 Early Identification of Public Libraries’ Potential In Montana, there is only one public law library. But there are wonderful public libraries, who are critical community partners Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 14 Training Analysis Previously law library trained at state library conferences, which only touched a few. Next law library trained at the library federation meetings, which bring in the directors at regional events. Still not always the right people. Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 15 Training Expansion The entire reference staff is the target of the new training. Law librarian goes to them. The training takes about 90 minutes, and is timed so that no one has to be at the reference desk. The following shows how many libraries have been involved through Remember that Montana is physically as large as California! Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

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Slide 17 Contents of Training Why the public library is so important What is legal information? –How is it different from legal advice? –Who produces it? –How is it organized? –Where can you find it? Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 18 Montana Training Contents State and community resources for referrals. Reliable websites; caution about forms Sample questions: how would you answer this?………. Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 19 Remember the Nature of SRLs Foreign land; foreign language Frequently have not chosen to be in court Scarcity of legal aid attorneys available Invitation to be our partners in providing access to justice Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 20 II-C.Stories and Examples -- Texas Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 21 Austin public librarian trained by Travis County Law Librarian Training was informal, flexible, personalized. Law librarian asked public librarians to list the questions they had been asked and their most frequently asked questions. In 90 minutes she showed them how to find the answers to those plus additional resources. Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 22 Who? Arranged by the Director of Training for APL and the Travis County Law Library Manager Taught by head reference library for the law library. Students were public reference librarians. Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 23 Where and with whom? Problem: Public librarians couldn’t leave the reference desk unattended. Solution: Law Librarian traveled to branches and trained at the reference desk. Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 24 What? What kind of legal questions did the public librarians get? What kind of website will provide reliable information and answers? Handouts Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 25 What else? Texas government portal Travis County government portal Travis County Law Library’s Research Links Other Travis County websites Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 26 Handouts and mouse pads Handouts to be copied and distributed -Texas Law Help/Free Texas Forms Legal Aid Clinic info Legal Assistance in the community Helpful Numbers Steps in the Texas Civil Litigation Process-4 pages Mouse pads from TexasLawHelp Business cards from the TCLL to give out Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 27 Results? Patrons at the public libraries will get better guidance to reliable online legal resources. Public reference librarians gained confidence in using TexasLawHelp and other trusted websites to find legal information, forms and community resources Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 28 Results Strengthened bond between APL and the Travis County Law Library Increased traffic to the law library and to the best and most reliable noncommercial legal websites. Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 29 II-D.Stories and Examples – Ohio Preservation of County Law Libraries Ohio Legal Assistance Foundation Web seminars Ohio Bar Association Public Resources Save the Dream foreclosure program Legal Aid community clinics and pro bono Ohio Supreme Court Opinions online Ohio’s Public Libraries Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 30 II-EStories: LawHelp.org/NY They have a Spanish url so they can be found by Spanish speakers on Spanish search engines: Access to Justice = Language Access

Slide 31 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 32 This is the opening page of the how-to-use LawHelp/NY video in Spanish Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 33 There are Know Your Rights resources in 34 languages in addition to English and Spanish. This is the list: Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 34 For example, with the help of law student interns, they we translated the navigation and resource titles into Chinese Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 35 For some legal listings, they were able to add info in Spanish and Russian Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 36 and Chinese Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 37 Throughout the site, they added Language Access Rights resources Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 38 Using pro bono lawyers, they rewrote the new NYC language access rights rules into plain language and had them translated into the five official NYC languages other than English Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 39 Multilingual LiveHelp Thanks to a grant from LSC, they just brought on line LiveHelp in English and Spanish. It’s a real time “chat” facility to lead low- income users to the legal help they need. It will be staffed by pro bono law students, pro bono lawyers and other volunteers Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 40 Search Engine Optimization and Marketing With a TIG grant beginning January 2010, NY LawHelp are developing search engine optimization and marketing strategies. This will combine natural search strategies (eg key word, linking, etc.) with paid marketing They will pilot SEOM in Spanish language search engines for: They are developing models for replication and lessons learned for statewide website community Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 41 II-F.Stories and Examples Santa Clara Outreach to public libraries to learn about – –Statewide Legal Aid website –Statewide Court Website –Forms completion program (EZLegalFile) –Resources at the law library – ons/accpubserv-16.htm Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 42 III-A.Benefits -- Libraries Service to Customers Increased comfort level for reference staff Sharing resources – budget saver Community outreach to other agencies (courts, legal aid, pro bono programs, etc.) Strengthening community support Superlibrarians - heroes to your patrons Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 43 III-B.Benefits – for the Public Public Library is: Familiar Accessible Neutral territory Has technology Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 44 III-C.Benefits -- Courts Opportunity to serve public –When courts are closed –When public isn’t sure of where to go –When courts are intimidating –When people need time to understand options Court may not be the best way There’s lots to know before you file a case Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 45 III-D.Benefits – Law Library Helps patrons Additional role for libraries Gateway into system Helpful at budget time Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 46 III-E.Benefits – Legal Aid Critical additional service Way of getting tools out Feedback mechanisms for content Brings new range of capacities Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 47 IV.The Key Content Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 48 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries IV-A.The Key Content Tools – Legal Aid Websites

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Slide 50 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries LSC Network Supports Multi-Lingual

Slide 51 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries Court Legal Aid Partnership -- NY

Slide 52 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries IV-B.The Key Content Tools -- Court Websites -- California Site

Slide 53 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries The Spanish Version

Slide 54 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries Connecting to a Range of Services from the Court

Slide 55 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries Including Integrating Video

Slide 56 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries Highlighting Local Self Help Services

Slide 57 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries IV-C.The Key Content Tools -- Online Forms Core Idea -- have computers conduct an online interview to get information to complete forms The software asks questions and use branching logic (subsequent questions depend on previous answers) The questions can screen for appropriateness, relief, etc. The software produces filable or e-filable documents LSC and SJI funds national server and circuit rider support – now available for courts

Slide 58 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries Using A2J Authoring Software

Slide 59 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries Idaho Forms Access

Slide 60 Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries Montana Law Library Form Diagnosis

Slide 61 IV-E.Tools Chat Starting the Process Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 62 Asking for Information Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 63 V.Making it happen Intro to rest of conference Partnership Training Support Content Outreach and Marketing Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries

Slide 64 VII.Conclusion We hope that you’ll learn some skills – and where to find the answers to your questions so that you can be a key part of the movement for ACCESS TO JUSTICE Public Libraries and Access to Justice: The Role of Public Libraries