Baltimore County Public Library to debut Mobile Li

Daily Record Staff//August 9, 2021//

Listen to this article

From left, Maryland Legal Aid Deputy Chief Counsel Amy Petkovsek, Baltimore County Public Library Director Sonia Alcántara-Antoine and Baltimore County Community Engagement Coordinator Kirk Mitchell help show off the library’s new Mobile Library Law Center at Monday’s ribbon-cutting event. (Submitted photo)

Baltimore County Public Library’s new Mobile Library Law Center (MLLC) will be “on the road” beginning Wednesday.

The vehicle, which will travel to underserved areas on the east and west sides of Baltimore County, is to serve as a mobile legal office with attorneys offering free civil legal advice to community members in need.

The library is launching this new initiative as an expansion to its Lawyers in the Library partnership. Lawyers from Maryland Legal Aid (MLA) will provide free civil legal advice for those who are financially eligible in areas such as bankruptcy, child custody and support, debt collection, expungements, government benefits, housing, landlord/tenant, veterans’ benefits, and unemployment benefits. Specifically targeted will be individuals with disabilities, seniors, veterans and those who are economically disadvantaged.

While the project was designed pre-pandemic, the fallout from COVID-19 has only exacerbated the legal issues the library and its partners plan to mitigate with this service. When the current eviction moratorium ends, thousands of families could face homelessness and according to Maryland Matters. A study of eviction cases in Baltimore last year found that “tenants with legal representation are more likely to avoid eviction. The study also found that just 1% of tenants had counsel in eviction cases compared to 96% of landlords.”

Retrofitted to include two private meeting spaces, solar panels to reduce the vehicle’s carbon footprint and all the necessary electronic equipment and internet access, the MLLC will set out on Wednesday.

The vehicle will travel to the Woodlawn area on Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., visiting facilities such as the Islamic Center of Baltimore County, and the Essex area on Thursdays from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., visiting facilities such as the Essex Senior Center. On board will be an attorney from Maryland Legal Aid and a librarian to help with general resources.