RICHMOND, Va. -- People head to the library for all kinds of references. It can be easy to get lost in the stacks with so much information available from on so many topics, and Richmond librarians often get questions surrounding legal matters.
Meldon Jenkins-Jones, the Hull Street Branch library manager, says during some weeks three to five people come into their branch asking for help.
"They don’t know where to start," she said. “A lot of times they’re in distress, and they need an immediate answer. So, we try to be prepared. . . Sometimes we have to translate it from hurt and pain to a legal issue."
The American justice system is a lot of things, but the various processes are not clear and understandable to thousands of people who interact with it regularly.
Richmond librarians do not provide legal advice but are trained in referring their visitors to credible resources.
“You can spend a lot of time going here or there, and if it’s the wrong place, the wrong type of attorney, the wrong courthouse, it can be a big waste of time," said Jenkins-Jones. “Here’s where you can find an attorney or here’s where you can go to get help that’s free or low cost.”
This kind of work at library branches across the city spurred the idea of a new workshop series taking place the week of December 4.
Over five days at five different Richmond Public Library locations, experts will host the "Access to Justice" series, answering questions free of charge.
"The RPL Law Library will host an informational workshop on all the free and low-cost legal services in and around the Richmond region. Come learn what each of the three local Legal Aid Services provides. Find out more about state-wide civil rights organizations and how to reach out to them. Get connected to pro bono legal services and more. Also, learn what free resources the RPL Law Library has to offer," the flyer reads.
"We were getting a lot of questions about a wide variety of legal topics," said Charlie Schmidt, an attorney and the Law Librarian for RPL who will be leading the workshops.
“The web and internet is a fantastic tool, but it is filled with not just necessarily misinformation but other information that doesn’t apply to their situation, so it’s a matter of trusting the source," he continued. "These workshops can help people sift through that overwhelming information, talk to somebody that’s friendly, knowledgeable, and understands what they need to do for their next step, where they need to go for their next piece of information.”
The sessions will be held at branches all across the city at various times so more people can attend:
- Monday, December 4: Broad Rock Branch Library from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
- Tuesday, December 5: Hull Street Branch Library from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Wednesday, December 6: Main Library from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Thursday, December 7: East End Branch Library from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Friday, December 8: North Avenue Branch Library from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
You can sign up ahead of time hereor call 804-646-7223.
Both Schmidt and Jenkins-Jones said anyone with questions about the legal system should seek help quickly, whether at the library or elsewhere.
“It’s really important for them to reach out because the longer they wait, the worse their situation might get. .so the sooner they get help the better off they are," Jenkins-Jones said.
Schmidt and other staff members are available to field questions about available resources at theRichmond Law Library, which is located at the Downtown Richmond main library.
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