Hartford Public Library Nation’s First to Be Certified by Bureau of Immigrant Appeals

Helping patrons to fill out immigration paperwork is an increasingly important need for the community in Hartford, CT. The Hartford Public Library (HPL) is just across the street from the United States Citizenship and Immigration services office, making HPL a common destination for immigrants who need computer access to bring up information and fill out online forms—access they often don’t have at home. To ensure that HPL staff can serve the needs of this community, HPL has become the first public library in America to have staff members accredited by the Bureau of Immigrant Appeals (BIA), so they can assist immigrants with the often confusing paperwork and online forms they need to fill out to get on—and stay on—the path to permanent U.S. citizenship.