PCPL offering new kiosk for legal resources

The Putnam County Public Library is now equipped with a digital kiosk offering legal resources and services for free to residents and visitors.

The kiosk will be located on the upper level of the library, near the reference desk.

The Indiana Bar Foundation (IBF), Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) and Indiana Supreme Court unveiled 120 of these kiosks in November. They are being installed across the state.

“We are excited to have been chosen as a kiosk location,” Library Director Matt McClelland said. “Navigating the legal system can be a challenge. Hopefully this kiosk will be a great resource for our patrons who need it.”

The kiosks provide a way for Hoosiers to easily access IndianaLegalHelp.org, an IBF program that connects Hoosiers to legal resources and services. The website, which has seen over one million visits since its launch, includes legal forms, instructional videos, referrals to free and low-cost legal services and a statewide calendar of free legal advice clinics.

The kiosks will initially focus on serving Hoosiers facing eviction or housing instability and will expand to include other legal issues later this year.

“Through IndianaLegalHelp.org and a network of statewide partners engaged in assisting Hoosiers facing housing-related civil legal issues, the Foundation is uniquely positioned to expand services statewide and connect underserved communities with services not previously accessible,” IBF president and CEO Charles Dunlap said.

In Indiana, housing evictions are considered a civil matter, meaning individuals are not provided legal representation and are to navigate the legal system independently. Resources like the kiosks make resources on IndianaLegalHelp.org available to individuals who do not have access to reliable internet.

“These kiosks are an example of the courts embracing innovative solutions to increase access to justice,” Indiana Chief Justice Loretta Rush said. “To ensure solutions, we must implement an avenue for people in the justice system to seek help.”

Last year, the IBF received a $13 million contract from the IHCDA to fund housing stability legal services across the state. The kiosks’ development and deployment come from this two-year contract.

The IBF and seven statewide partners are collaborating to offer a network of legal services, including brief advice legal clinics, legal aid attorneys and non-attorney legal navigators to support Hoosiers facing eviction. They include the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Indiana Legal Services, the Indianapolis Legal Aid Society, the Legal Aid Corporation of Tippecanoe County, the Legal Aid Society of Evansville, the Neighborhood Christian Legal Clinic and Pro Bono Indiana.

The library is open Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. It is closed on Sundays.