WebJunction

Hi Emily:

Thanks for getting this discussion going. I am a Corrections Librarian for Hennepin County Library in Minnesota. In my work, I provide library service to over 600 adults in the Adult Correctional Facilities. I love my work and the residents truely appreciate the service.

Recently, I started a personal project, outside of my work at HCL, to review and promote the street fiction genre. Please check out my blog at:

http://www.streetfiction.org

Thanks,

Dan Marcou

Hey everyone
My name is Devo I work for Austin Public Library on a project called 2nd chance books. http://www.ci.austin.tx.us/library/2ndchance.htm
I run two onsite libraries at our juvenile justice center and bring in special programs-authors etc and bookclubs to the centers.This is not my primary position at the library but it is my favorite part of my job. I would love to listen in on what work is being done in juvie centers around the country. Thanks so much for this opportunity.
Personally-married 20 years 4 kids last one at home is 17. I see a light at the end on the tunnel. Also I am a professional Clown http://devotheclown.tripod.com/
thanks again
devo

Hello group,

My name is Jonathan and I am the librarian at a level four correctional facility in MN for a little over 2 years. I am familiar with Dan already and I am excited to hear about others experiences and thoughts. I work with a part time library tech and serve about 1,000 offenders.

Personal- I play rugby and am a big George RR Martin fan. I also like board games and my wife is teaching me how to knit... apparently knitting is required to be a good librarian and since I have now seen hardened murders knitting teddy bears and hats.... Yes we have a fine collection of well-circulating knitting books.

It's nice to see new names in this forum. I want to say welcome to Ed and Jonathan.

Jonathan, as you are a knitter, I thought you might be interested in a blog one of my colleagues shared with me, Franklin's blog, http://the-panopticon.blogspot.com/. He's a guy who knits, and has a whole sidebar to the right of the blogs of other guys that knit!

Ed, as you are in Phoenix, you probably are serving Spanish speakers in your facility? I hope you check out the resources available on the Services for Spanish Speakers area, http://webjunction.org/do/Navigation?category=7840.

I look forward to reading about what you all are doing in prison libraries.

Emily

Hello!
My name is Bessie....I am a WebJunction Spanish Language Outreach trainer and serve as Reference Librarian at the Payson Public Library in Payson, AZ! I am so very excited about this message board for Prison Libraries, for a very personal reason. The love of my life is a former inmate of the Douglas, Az complex....( I can hear the gasps, even now!).
Long story, short....Benjamin is convinced that the few books that were available to him while incarcerated played a key part in changing the course and direction of his life.
His passion for reading and the life-changing effect it can have in the life of any idividual can be seen today in his service with the ReadOut program in Gila County's Juvenile Court system. Young offenders are paired with mentors who meet with them here at the library on a weekly basis to discuss books they read together. This is in substitute of juvenile detention or community service!
Ben's involvement in the program is one of many ways he seeks to give back to society and have a positive impact on troubled youth in our community.
Now, I want to give back! I want to know how I can contribute to the collection at the Douglas prison complex in Benjamin's name for the Christmas season. Can you help me? How do we as librarians in public libraries contribute to facility collections?
Thank you, Thank you for all of your input!

Hello John Paul,
Welcome to the Prison Libraries Forum. It's exciting to see current MLIS students interested in prison librarianship.

Does your university offer classes in prison librarianship? I'd be curious to learn what you will be doing to prepare yourself for your chosen career.

~Emily

Hi Everyone -

My name is Anne and I work at the Chicopee Public Library in MA. I am currently enrolled at Simmons College for an MLS!

I am preparing a collaboration with the women's jail that recently opened in our city. My plan is to offer a 4-6 week (once per week) computer class at our library geared toward resume writing and online job seeking - with the end result hopefully being a resume and some searching skills.

I am wondering if anyone knows of any sources or research I can turn to for guidance - I am winging it! My plan is to become part of the After Incarceration Services System and be part of the bigger plan for the women.

Any comments/advice/guidance will be much appreciated!

Thanks -
Anne

My name is Kate Fry and I am a Correctional Librarian at Arizona State Prison Complex in Douglas. I have charge of three of the six "Resource Centers" and have worked here for five years. I love my job. I have approximately 1400 inmates to find reading materials for, from level 5 inmates all the way down to level 1.

The work I do is very challenging and fulfilling. I have worked in business, college, university and military library settings and find the correctional library environment to be unique.

Some days I suit up in protective equipment to serve library needs in lock down, and some days I run a small library which resembles in many ways a small rural town facility, the only difference being this facility is inside the razor wire and has a very limited collection and no internet.

Due to immense budget constraints, almost all of our materials are donated.

I am very happy to have found WebJunction and look forward to reading more about prison librarianship and the experiences of other library workers in this field.

Hi Kate ;)
My name is Bessie....I am a WebJunction Spanish Language Outreach trainer and serve as Reference Librarian at the Payson Public Library in Payson, AZ! I am so very excited about this message board for Prison Libraries, for a very personal reason. The love of my life is a former inmate of the Douglas, Az complex....( I can hear the gasps, even now!).
Long story, short....Benjamin is convinced that the few books that were available to him while incarcerated played a key part in changing the course and direction of his life.
His passion for reading and the life-changing effect it can have in the life of any idividual can be seen today in his service with the ReadOut program as a mentor in Gila County's Juvenile Court system. Young offenders are paired with mentors who meet with them here at the library on a weekly basis to discuss books they read together. This is in substitute of juvenile detention or community service!
Ben's involvement in the program is one of many ways he seeks to give back to society and have a positive impact on troubled youth in our community.
Now, I want to give back! I want to know how I can contribute to the collection at the Douglas prison complex in Benjamin's name for the Christmas season. Can you help me? How do we as librarians in public libraries contribute to facility collections?
Thank you, Thank you for all of your input!

Hello everybody,

I am N.Murali sundar, working as a Library Asistant, in Icfai National college, India. Institute of Chartered Financial Analysts Of India, is the leading business school in India. With the passage of time, Icfai National College, was set up
to train the students in Management, Finance, insurance and banking.

I am very delighted to be a member in discussion board.
I would like to know from all of you, the trends in the profession to update myself and implement them in our library
and improve the library.
In this age where libraries are looked down, this forum
inspires me very much in each and every aspect.
thanking you all

murali sundar.

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