Getting to Know Professor Elaine Torn茅s-Blanco
This August, Elaine Torn茅s-Blanco will join the William A. Wise Law Library as the Collection Services and Research Librarian. Most recently, she served as a Librarian Assistant Professor at the University of Miami School of Law, where she taught legal research and provided reference support. Her work there also included growing involvement in collection development and acquisitions.听
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Prior to her role at Miami, Professor Torn茅s-Blanco was the Law Library Fellow (2022-2023) at the William A. Wise Law Library. Her professional experience also includes serving as a librarian at the University of Puerto Rico鈥檚 Business Administration Library.听
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Professor Torn茅s-Blanco holds a Bachelor鈥檚 degree in Psychology (magna cum laude) from the University of Puerto Rico, a Juris Doctor (cum laude) from the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico School of Law, where she published in Revista de Estudios Cr铆ticos del Derecho (CLAVE), and a Master of Information Science. Her scholarship and creative work include legal writing, poetry, and children鈥檚 literature.听
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Professor Torn茅s-Blanco is active in the law librarianship profession, serving as Chair of the Latinx Law Librarians Caucus of the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL), and as a co-author of a chapter in Exploring Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in Academic Law Librarianship. Her professional interests include collection strategy, access to legal information, American Indian law, copyright, law and literature, and Foreign, Comparative, and International Law (FCIL), with a focus on supporting faculty research, student learning, and clinical programs.听听
Learn more about Professor Torn茅s-Blanco in the Q&A below:听听
What excites you most about life in Colorado?听
ETB: I enjoy spending time with family, being outdoors, and working alongside colleagues at one of the country鈥檚 top public institutions. Colorado鈥檚 natural beauty and sense of community make it a wonderful place to live and work. I鈥檓 also especially excited about being part of the Wise Law Library. The William A. Wise Law Library is not only an important resource for the law school, but also for the broader legal community throughout Colorado and the Rocky Mountain region. Its role as a publicly accessible, full-service law library and federal government repository reflects a strong commitment to public access to legal information, which is something I value deeply.听
Can you share a bit about any current projects you are working on?听
ETB: I鈥檓 currently involved with the Latinx Caucus鈥檚 Interactive Map of Partnerships project. The goal of the project is to help law libraries reconnect with and develop relationships with organizations that serve Latino communities across the country, with a focus on outreach, collaboration, and access to information. The project builds on earlier work connected to the American Bar Foundation鈥檚 鈥淔uture of Latinos in the United States: Law, Mobility, and Opportunity鈥 initiative. A large part of the work involves research and information gathering, which aligns closely with the skills librarians use every day. Volunteers help identify organizations through advanced research methods, organizational directories, nonprofit databases, government resources, and other materials that may not appear in a simple web search. We also work on organizing and updating information so it can eventually be incorporated into a larger interactive map. What I appreciate most about the project is its collaborative nature. I hope to involve colleagues from different institutions and regions so we can share strategies, divide the work, and build a stronger and more useful resource together.听
What is your proudest career accomplishment so far?听
ETB: One of the most meaningful parts of my career has been hearing from students who tell me they are using the legal research skills they learned in my classes during internships, externships, and other professional experiences. It is rewarding to know that the work we do in the classroom helps students feel more confident and prepared in practice. I鈥檓 also proud to have been elected chair of the Latinx Caucus. That opportunity has allowed me to work with colleagues across the profession on projects related to outreach, representation, and professional development.听
What inspired you to pursue a legal career?听
ETB:听 I have always enjoyed reading and writing, so pursuing a career connected to the law felt like a natural fit. Over time, I became especially interested in the role legal information plays in helping people understand their rights and make informed decisions. What drew me to law librarianship in particular was the opportunity to combine research, teaching, and public service. Legal information can have a real impact on people鈥檚 lives, and law librarians play an important role in helping students, attorneys, and communities access reliable information. I enjoy being part of a profession that focuses on problem-solving, education, and supporting the legal system in a practical way.听
Can you share more about your literary work? How have you balanced this kind of writing with your career as a law librarian?听
ETB: Writing has always been an important creative outlet for me. So far, I have completed around 52 short fiction stories covering a wide variety of topics, including politics, economics, and social issues, and I hope to publish them in the future. Balancing creative writing with my work as a law librarian mainly comes down to discipline and consistency. When I鈥檓 focused on a writing project, I set aside dedicated time to work on it regularly, even if it is just an hour each day. I also try to maintain a routine so I always know where I want to continue the next time I sit down to write. Fortunately, I find that my work as a law librarian and my writing complement each other well. Both involve research, observation, analysis, and storytelling in different ways. Many of the experiences and ideas I encounter professionally inspire my creative work, so the two pursuits often strengthen one another rather than compete for my attention.听
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