FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Nevada Supreme Court Law Library Awarded Two Grants from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA)
The Law Library will use 100% of the funds to translate more than 65 self-help family law, protective order, guardianship, and name change forms in four languages
CARSON CITY, NV (July 10, 2023) The Nevada Supreme Court Law Library was recently awarded two Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) grants: a $75,000 2022 LSTA Last Chance Grant and a $66,636 2023 LSTA Competitive Grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), administered by the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records. The Law Library will use 100% of the funds to translate more than 65 self-help standardized family law, protective order, guardianship, divorce, custody and name change forms into Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog, and Vietnamese to ensure self-represented litigants of limited English proficiency (LEP) in Nevada have equal access to the courts.
The Nevada Supreme Court Law Library is a vital informational resource provided by the Court for the judicial branch, the bar, and citizens of Nevada. Its mission is to serve as a comprehensive current and archival resource for legal research conducted by the Justices and staff of the Nevada Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals, and members of the public. The Law Library provides access to the legal materials necessary so users may knowledgably exercise their rights and obligations. Consequently, the Nevada Supreme Court Law Library recognized the need for translation of standardized Self-Help forms for Limited English Proficient (LEP) Nevada residents.
In Nevada, there are over 276,000 LEP individuals who solely speak Spanish, Mandarin, Tagalog, and Vietnamese. This includes any person with limited English proficiency who utilizes Nevada court services. As the COVID-19 pandemic spread through Nevada, access to court services and legal resources have become increasingly virtual and the language barrier that LEP populations struggle with has become more apparent. Using the funds provided by these grants to translate standardized self-help forms, the Nevada Supreme Court Law Library hopes to remove some of the barriers LEP persons face and increase access to Nevada courts and self-help legal services.
Forms are available on the State of Nevada Self Help Center website https://selfhelp.nvcourts.gov/, and via the Nevada Legal Kiosk website https://nv.legalkiosks.com/. The Nevada Legal Kiosks have been installed at 22 Nevada public libraries.
For a full list of translated self-help forms, please visit https://nvcourts.gov/lawlibrary or contact the Law Library at (775) 684-1640, reference@nvcourts.nv.gov.
Funds for this project have been provided by the Institute of Museum and Library Services through the Library Services and Technology Act, administered by the Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records.
About the Nevada Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of Nevada is the highest court of the Judicial branch. There are seven Justices on the court who are elected to six-year terms, with one Justice serving as Chief Justice. The court conducts regular sessions in Carson City and Las Vegas. To learn more about Nevada’s judicial branch, visit https://nvcourts.gov/supreme/.
Institute of Museum and Library Services
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is the primary source of federal support for the nation's libraries and museums. We advance, support, and empower America's museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development. IMLS envisions a nation where individuals and communities have access to museums and libraries to learn from and be inspired by the trusted information, ideas, and stories they contain about our diverse natural and cultural heritage. To learn more, visit www.imls.gov and follow us on Facebook and Twitter.
Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records
The Nevada State Library, Archives and Public Records (NSLAPR) is the institutional memory of the State of Nevada. They provide governments, agencies, businesses, libraries and individuals a full range of information services. Their mission is to foster and further the establishment and proper maintenance of superior libraries and literacy programs. To promote the acquisition of resources, facilities, professional staffs and auxiliary personnel fully to support library and literacy services.