The following is a guest post by Robert Newlen, the Assistant Law Librarian for Collections, Outreach, and Services in the Law Library of Congress. Robert has previously blogged about the Kellogg Biennial Lecture, Souvenirs from Moscow, and Humboldt University Law Faculty.
I recently had the honor of visiting the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico while attending the annual meeting of the International Federation of Library Associations. Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, the Honorable Federico Hernández Denton, welcomed the group and spoke most eloquently about the Supreme Court’s library; the Head Librarian, Ivette Torres Álvarez; and the value of libraries to society.
Chief Justice Denton stated that “governments, schools and organizations all over the world are coping with the challenges of facilitating access to authentic and reliable information for our citizens. And in that task, new technologies and tools can be used to democratize access.” He further said that “since access to justice in all respects also entails access to information, this accessibility must be maintained and guaranteed if we are to have fair and stable democratic societies.” His complete remarks are available to read.
There are also some pictures of the building where the library is housed available on their website.