At a press conference today, Presiding Judge Stephen R. Pacey announced the establishment of a new internet-based legal self-help center for residents of Ford County. The new center is a collaborative project among the circuit court, Circuit Clerk, Kim Evans’, Office and the public libraries in Paxton, Gibson City, Melvin and Piper City. Technical assistance and support were provided by Illinois Legal Aid Online and the Illinois Coalition for Equal Justice.
“Ford County is fortunate to have four very community-focused public libraries in Paxton, Gibson City, Melvin and Piper City. When Judge Pacey wrote to them explaining the project, they immediately agreed to be a part of it. The role of the public libraries in this collaborative project is critical. Public libraries are community focal points for information, both printed and electronic, particularly in rural areas where high speed internet access might not be readily available” said Joseph A. Dailing, Executive Director of the Illinois Coalition for Equal Justice.
“The library directors, Anne Newman at Paxton Carnegie Library, Sharon Craig at Moyer District Library, Jacqueline Allen at the Melvin Public Library, and Julie Kurtenbach at the Piper City Public Library District have all been fantastic to work with on this project. Their public access computers will allow patrons to use this rich source of legal information that Illinois Legal Aid Online has developed and which it maintains,” he said.
“This is one of those instances where technology can overcome the usual barriers caused by long distances. Technology makes it possible for everyone to have the same level of access to information whether they are located in Paxton or in Chicago,” he said. “For those who have internet-enabled computers at home, the resources of the center are available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week,” Dailing said.
The Ford County Legal Self-Help Center is the forty-fourth new legal self-help center opened since 2007 in Illinois. It can be found on the internet at Ford.IllinoisLegalAid.Org. The start up funding for the Ford County Legal Self-Help Center comes from a grant from the Illinois Bar Foundation.
Submitted by: Illinois Coalition For Equal Justice on 06/14/2010
