books behind bars lis 598

Books Behind Bars: Community Development Librarianship in Prison Libraries

"Mommy, can you read me some more music?"

GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration Project

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Today’s Session• Backgrounder• Our current projects and initiatives • Community Librarianship / Public Library

perspective • Responding to challenges and successes• Film • Questions?

2GELA Women's Prison

Library & Reintegration Project

Background - Our Motivation

Prisoner's Right to Read Statement (ALA 2010)

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Unfettered access to information is essential [to] those who wish to prosper within a democratic society [...] Suppression of ideas does not prepare the incarcerated for transition to freedom.

Background - How We Got Started

• Tours• Relationship Building• Weeding• Building Relationships• Book drive• More Relationship Building• Training

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Background - Building the Committee

• We recognize we are not "expert" librarians - rather we are learners in an unfamiliar space

• We are careful about making assumptions and are conscious of our own (potential) biases

• Service and project planning for the prison library has been community-led and collaborative

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Background - About the EIFW

• Opened in 1995 • Federal correctional

facility for federally sentenced women

• Houses minimum, medium and maximum security female inmates

• Built to house 123 women

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Background - About the Women

• 82% have a history of sexual or physical abuse • Aboriginal women represent over 30% of

women behind bars • Over 80% of incarcerated women are serving

time for poverty-related offences• 2/3 of the women are mothers• 66% do not have a high school diploma

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Background - The Library

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The prison librarian was my first job and a title I was very proud to hold [...] I have always believed the women who are within the prison system are those who are in the most need of all the resources a library and community can and should provide.

- Susanne, former inmate librarianEIFW Fireweed Library

GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Background – Inmate Librarian

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Book Club

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

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Blog [gelaprison.wordpress.com]GELA Women's Prison

Library & Reintegration Project

Our Approach: Community Development Librarianship

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

In a library context Community Development means building relationships with people that allow the library to go beyond a simple consultation and support process and expand into meaningful and inclusive collaborations.

Community Development also emphasizes learning from the community and adapting library programs, services, and policies to meet the community's stated need.

The Working Together Project, "Community Development"

Collaboration with Edmonton Public Library

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Collaboration with Edmonton Public Library

• Providing EPL corporate card to expand EIFW book club kit borrowing• Exploring support for reintegration• EPL-EIFW Book Borrowing Pilot Project

Institutional borrowing privileges and monthly EPL Community Librarian visits in place at EIFW Emerging outcomes

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Supporting Reintegration

• Technology literacy identified as one of the key challenges facing women post-release

• Volunteer group formed to explore projects that support technology literacy• E.g. survey, instruction sessions post-release

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Rising to the ChallengesSecurity

• Streamlining the entry process

• Constantly evolving security standards

• Consultation with CSC staff

• Communication and debriefing

• Volunteering in pairs

• Mitigating emotional challenges

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Rising to the Challenges

Bureaucracy • Frequent staff changes and rule changes

• Negotiating the constraints of the prison organization • Communication strategies

• Relationship building

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Rising to the Challenges

Prison Policy• At odds with core values of librarianship

• Policies cannot be challenged so we need to compromise

• The mandate and mission of Correctional Service Canada may differ from ours, but as individuals we all care about these women

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Rising to the Challenges

Funding

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Next Steps

• What role can libraries in our community play? • Mentor the newly released• Provide technology/bibliographic instruction • Advocate for libraries and librarians in prisons• Provide funding assistance for this project• Embark on similar projects in your community • Student volunteers, Future Librarians for Intellectual Freedom

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Toda

y's

Pres

ente

rsKirsten Wurmann, Librarian, Legal Resource Centre

Masha Ribich, Community Librarian, Abbottsfield Penny Mckee Branch, Edmonton Public Library

Moyra Lang, Researcher & Consultant, University of Alberta

Tara Forman, Early Literacy Librarian, Strathcona County Library

Tanya Driechel, Librarian, St Joe’s College, University of Alberta

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Questions

Some issues to think about:

• Are there other way for library workers and community partnerships to support this type of outreach service?

• Can you suggest other initiatives for the GELA Women's Prison Library and Reintegration Committee to pursue?

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GELA Women's PrisonLibrary & Reintegration

Project

Many thanks to our partners and supporters:

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Future Librarians for Intellectual Freedom (FLIF)

University of Alberta Bookstores

Upper Crust Café & Caterers

For more information, check out our blog:http://gelaprison.wordpress.com

Email: gelaprisonproject@gmail.comGELA Women's Prison

Library & Reintegration Project