KarunaNews Story

A pilot program in 18 libraries across nine counties in Illinois trains staff to help residents navigate civil court proceedings, offering a lifeline in communities where legal aid and public transit are scarce. Since August last year, Illinois residents navigating civil court cases, such as housing, family and probate law hearings, have received help logging into remote proceedings, requesting translation services and learning the court’s e-filing system from librarians trained through the Court Access Library Center pilot program. The pilot locations in the nine counties are where low-income residents with limited transit were most concentrated. Some libraries have since expanded on the initial setup, copying court links and Zoom guides onto other computers, creating online reservation forms for private rooms or posting regular reminders about the service on social media. Program rules prevent library staff from supporting patrons with criminal cases; instead, they refer them to the public defender’s office. The bar foundation and Supreme Court commission share the program cost.