Volunteers packing books for the Islamic University of Uganda
In the second installment of our series of interviews with our trustees, Katrina Crossley tells us more about her role and what the ILBF means to her.
Can you tell me about how you assist the ILBF?
I have worked in legal publishing since I qualified as a barrister. So, as a trustee, I assist the ILBF with my knowledge of legal materials and content. I am also a member of the Operating Committee, in particular supporting the student volunteers, contributing to social media, working with closely with the other trustees on funding and expanding our reach to new recipient organisations. This year is the 10th anniversary of the ILBF so I am organising our event on 4th November. We are also making a film about the ILBF and I am working closely with the film maker; hearing first hand about the impact of the books from our recipients is very motivating.
Why is the ILBF important to you?
The ILBF is important to me because it provides a very low cost, simple solution which goes a long way to support the rule of law and access to justice across the globe. As a law student in the UK I took for granted that I had access to well-written, up to date textbooks and materials which helped me to get to grips with the law. It is hard to imagine what it’s like to be a student without access to the right materials, even harder to imagine practitioners and judges without the tools of the trade. Such is the case for many universities, law courts and pro bono groups across the globe where there is no well-established local legal publisher, nor the funds to buy books. I am proud that the ILBF can find a new home for law texts donated by lawyers in the UK and that those law texts are without doubt making a difference.
What does the next 10 years look like for the ILBF?
The next 10 years will be very significant for the ILBF. Dissemination of legal information is not just via printed materials: online and particularly mobile access are growing fast. We need to make sure we understand the needs of the organisations we send books to and develop plans accordingly. So I see a greater dialogue with our recipient organisations and more collaboration with other rule of law organisations to deepen our impact. But all of this relies on the ILBF continuing to attract the funding it needs so my hope is that over the next 10 years we also grow our supporter base.
How to get involved
If you’d like to get involved or help with the work of the ILBF, we need assistance in the following ways:
- We need funding to help us carry out our work
- Books: If you have good quality and relevant legal texts to donate we’d love to hear from you.
- If you either are, or know of organisations who need texts, we need recipients, so please apply.
- Feedback: If you have received books, share your stories with us.
