Tag: service

Meet the New Service Committee Chair Nicole Belbin

This fall, in addition to serving as the Chair of the Service Committee, Nicole starts her new position at Western New England University School of Law Library as the Associate Dean for Library and Information Resources and Professor of Law.

Nicole Belbin, Western New England University

Nicole grew up in rural Ohio, where her first library experiences were thanks to the local book mobile. She joined the United States Marine Corps after graduating high school. She has been with WNE for seventeen years, when she started in an entry-level staff position and fell in love with library work. Nicole received her MLIS from Drexel University, and most recently, her JD from WNE in 2020. She is passionate about the role libraries play in student success.

She has been a member of LLNE since 2010 and has enjoyed serving on the Service Committee for the last two years. She is looking forward to leading the Service Committee this year and continuing to bring amazing service opportunities to our members. In keeping with the theme of starting new things, Nicole has been training to run her first (and maybe last) marathon in October.

LLNE-SNELLA Members Support the Books-to-Prison Project

Thanks to all who donated at the LLNE-SNELLA Spring 2022 meeting! The LLNE Service Committee partnered with the Lillian Goldman Law Library’s Books-to-Prison Project, an initiative spearheaded by Julian Aiken, Yale Law Library’s Assistant Director for Access and Faculty Services. Donations of new or like-new paperbacks (fiction or popular non-fiction) as well as recent law books help the project establish libraries in jails and prisons across Connecticut. The Project has also provided books to domestic violence shelters and will be working to expand outreach to additional local community programs.

Members had the opportunity to donate books to the Books-to-Prison Project either during the 2022 LLNE-SNELLA Spring Meeting at Yale Law School, by mail if they could not attend the meeting, or through  donating e-gift vouchers to a local Connecticut bookstore. Through the generosity of LLNE-SNELLA members, the Books-to-Prison Project has so far received a total of 34 books and $200 in gift vouchers!

It’s never too late to make a donation! If you’d like to donate books to the Project, they can be mailed to:

Julian Aiken

Yale Law Library

127 Wall Street, New Haven, 06511

Or you can purchase an electronic gift card through RJ Julia Independent Booksellers and send it to julian.aiken@yale.edu.  

If you have any questions, please contact co-chairs, Jessica Almeida at jessica.almeida@umassd.edu and Kaitlin Connolly at kaitlin.connolly@jud.state.ma.us.

Thank you all again for supporting this cause!

The Service Committee

LLNE Spring Service Project: Yale Law Library’s Books-to-Prison Program

As part of the LLNE Spring Meeting, the Service Committee is partnering with Yale Law Library’s Books-to-Prison Program.  To date, the program has delivered over 2,000 books to jails and prisons across Connecticut.  They have also provided books to domestic violence shelters and are reaching out to the community to provide books for local homeless shelters and food pantries. 

To donate, please bring new or like new paperbacks (fiction or popular non-fiction) as well as recent law books to the Spring Meeting.  You can drop off your donation at the Service Committee table near registration. 

If you are unable to make the meeting, you can still donate by purchasing books from your favorite bookstore and having them shipped to:

Julian Aiken
Yale Law Library
127 Wall Street, New Haven, 06511

Or you can purchase an electronic gift card through RJ Julia Independent Booksellers and send it to julian.aiken@yale.edu. 

If you have any questions, please contact co-chairs, Jessica Almeida at jessica.almeida@umassd.edu and Kaitlin Connelly at kaitlin.connolly@jud.state.ma.us.

The Service Committee

LLNE Service Project – Ukraine

If you are looking for ways to support the people of Ukraine, the LLNE Service Committee has compiled a few resources for your consideration.  Listed are several local/US organizations that are taking donations to provide food, shelter, and medical supplies. 

A member brought to our attention Olena Gnes, who was our online tour guide during LLNE’s FUNtivities in July 2021.  She gave us an amazing virtual tour of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.  Olena is currently living in a bomb shelter with her three children in Kiev.  She posts daily updates on her YouTube channel, What is Ukraine.  If you would like to donate directly to Olena and her family, please consider purchasing a tour through her Airbnb site.

Airbnb users can book stays or tours in Ukraine that they don’t plan to check into as part of an effort to donate directly to people in Ukraine. The campaign (“Pay don’t stay”) allows Ukrainian Airbnb hosts to receive direct support from those looking to help.

Olena’s page: https://www.airbnb.ae/experiences/1930416

This RI organization started by Brown University professors is raising money to send medical supplies to the Ukraine.  For more information, visit https://www.abc6.com/30k-and-counting-raised-for-ukrainians-by-rhode-island-professors/

 Sunflower of Peace Foundation is a Boston, USA-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.  They are currently raising money to acquire and distribute first-aid backpacks, medicine, medical instruments to medical personnel in the Ukraine.

World Central Kitchen is distributing meals in Poland to Ukrainians fleeing the country. The organization, founded by chef José Andrés, is seeking donations to provide remote support to Ukrainian restaurants continuing to serve meals for people in need.

Please consider giving to Olena’s family or one of these organizations. 

The Service Committee

LLNE Trivia Night 2021!

Join us on Wednesday, November 17th at 7PM (EST) for LLNE Trivia Night 2021!  The event will once again be hosted by Ttodd and prizes provided by Lexis.  We will be raising money for SouthCoast Fair Housing,  a nonprofit fair housing organization dedicated to eliminating housing discrimination, ensuring equal housing opportunities, and developing inclusive communities throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts.  Remember to register for the event and donate any amount!  Once registered, the Zoom link will be sent to you prior to the event.  This event is open to all, so feel free to invite family, friends, and colleagues.  

Can’t make it to trivia?  You can still donate to this great cause!

Questions?  Contact Jessica at jessica.almeida@umassd.edu.

The LLNE Service Committee

Interested in algorithmic justice? Here are ways LLNE members can help!

Don’t forget to register for the June 11th (this Friday!) screening and discussion of the acclaimed documentary Coded Bias. The event starts at 7pm EST: tinyurl.com/xr5dm9wf. The filmmaker, Shalini Kantayya, has also compiled an activist toolkit for those interested in becoming advocates for “algorithmic justice.” If any LLNE members would like to get involved, page 24 of the toolkit lists recommended organizations to which you can subscribe and make donations.

Another way to get involved is by signing the Universal Declaration of Data Rights as Human Rights, which was developed by the Coded Bias team. Upon signature, your name and zip code are sent to US elected officials. The committee is encouraging members to sign the declaration if they are interested in further supporting this cause.

We hope to see you on Friday!

LLNE Service Committee

Service Committee Project: The Prison PUP Program

In conjunction with the Law Librarians of New England (LLNE) FUNtivities , the Service Committee is raising funds for NEADS, an organization that provides service dogs to veterans, people with physical disabilities, individuals with autism, and even assistance dogs that work in hospitals and courthouses. 

The money we raise will go to the Prison PUP Program.  According to NEADS “90-95% of NEADS puppies are trained in 7 correctional facilities throughout New England. Our statistics show that, under the guidance of NEADS staff, inmates are able to provide consistent training at a high level simply because of the amount of time they are able to devote to the dogs. This enables us to place dogs faster with people in need.”  

For more information, please visit https://neads.org/training-placement/prison-pup-program/.

For a first person post about the program, please visit https://neads.org/prison-pup-program-a-win-win/.

Due to the generosity of our members, we have increased our goal!  To donate, go to https://support.neads.org/llne.  

The Service Committee

Service Committee Transcription Project: Wrap-Up

The LLNE Service Committee would like to thank everyone who helped us transcribe documents for the Rhode Island State Archives this year.  

In the Fall, the committee hosted a transcription party with State Archivist, Ashley Selima.  LLNE members transcribed documents from the Rhode Island Suffrage Association from 1868-1871 and 1888-1892 at the Roger Williams Law Providence Campus.  Transcribers were then treated to a tour of the Rhode Island State Archives and a social hour at a local restaurant.  The committee would like to thank Roger Williams Law Providence Campus for the fantastic space and technological support.  We would also like to thank to LLNE and Lexis for sponsoring the event.  

After the party, members of the Service Committee wrote an article titled “Hosting A Successful Transcription Party”, which was published in the March/April 2019 issue of the AALL Spectrum.

In the Spring, the Service Committee took the transcription party on the road.  LLNE members from all over transcribed historical documents from the comfort of their home or office.  The committee is happy to report that we had 23 volunteers transcribe over 100 pages of the Rhode Island Equal Suffrage Association Journal from 1888-1892.  Thank you to everyone who volunteered and made this project a success!  

All the transcriptions will help make these fascinating historical documents more accessible to everyone.  The LLNE Service Committee would like to thank the Rhode Island Secretary of State’s office and RI State Archivist Ashley Selima for providing this wonderful opportunity.  

Thank you to the members of the Service Committee for all their work making this project a reality.  We are always looking for more volunteers!  If interested, email Jessica at jessica.almeida@umassd.edu.  


The LLNE Service/A2J Committee’s Work of Public Librarian Outreach in New England Continues

On Sunday, October 28th, members of the LLNE A2J Committee and the LLNE Service Committee presented at the New England Library Association Conference (NELA) in Warwick, RI.  The presentation titled “Law, Technology, and Access to Justice” discussed the access to justice gap in both New England and the United States and how technology is being developed to help bridge the gap.  The presenters showcased a variety of current and upcoming technologies that are focused on helping self-represented litigants prepare for court, such as RePresent, Objection! Your Honor, and the Odyssey Guide and File.  The session also tackled ethical concerns and the unauthorized practice of law with presenters role-playing common legal reference scenarios to show setting boundaries with patrons.  Finally, and most importantly, the presenters discussed LLNE’s Legal Link resource for providing legal reference and referrals. The session was well-received and the attendees were engaged with the material. The slides from the session have been uploaded and shared on the NELA website.  

Join the LLNE Service Committee on Friday, November 16th for a Transcription Party!

From 1-4pm, we will be at the Roger Williams University Providence Campus (1 Empire Street, Providence) transcribing historical documents from the Rhode Island State Archives’s Suffrage Association collection.  Afterwards, come enjoy drinks and appetizers (and the company of fellow law librarians) around the corner at Rosalina’s (50 Aborn Street, Providence).

No experience with transcription necessary! None of us have ever hosted nor attended a transcription party before so don’t worry if you are unsure about transcription!  Come ready to have fun and help out a great organization!

Please RSVP to Jessica Almeida at jessica.almeida@umassd.edu or 508-985-1194 by November 9th .

Computers will be available on site or you are welcome to bring your own.  Parking is available on the street or at the Providence Civic Center Garage located on Washington Street.

*Sponsored by Lexis and LLNE*