uiuc ala prison librarianship

Exploring Prison Librarianship

Becca SorgertExploringPrisonLibrarianship.wordpress.com

My Experiences come from…» Champaign County Jails

˃ Library services through Books To Prisoners+ Circulation, Readers’ Advisory, Weeding, Collection Development

of Urban Fiction with Statistics Project˃ Poetry Group

+ Weekly program with 8 poets+ Writing, reading, sharing, learning+ Partnership with JDC and The Beat Within

» Education Justice Project˃ Practicum ˃ Danville Correctional Center

» IDOC˃ Practicum

PIC: Prison Industrial Complex

» a term we use to describe the overlapping interests of government and industry that use surveillance, policing, and imprisonment as solutions to economic, social and political problems.

Types of Prison Librarians» Terminator

˃ Lose all rights

» Church Lady˃ Distrusts prisoners

» Realist˃ Fair, patron driven

» People Pleaser˃ Security Risk

» Crusader˃ JUSTICE!!!!!!!

» Parabarian˃ Paralegal + Librarian

Key Librarians» Glennor Shirley

˃ “She was often asked why taxpayer money should be used to make a prisoner’s life more rewarding. Her standard answer: She wants to help them become taxpayers again. Without an education, she’d say, that’s impossible”

˃ Critique: “conform to institutional rules for an opportunity to be with their families”

˃ PrisonLibrarian.blogspot.com

» Brenda Vogel˃ “it only works under the heroic leadership of a

librarian who is passionate, imaginative, cunning, conniving, creative, and convincing, a librarian who knows the course and stays the course and who keeps the library true to form in sight of the madness, corruption, and cynicism of the environment.”

˃ The Prison Library Primer: A Program for the Twenty-First Century

Patrons as People» ALA’s Prisoners’ Right to Read

˃ “When the prison gates slam behind an inmate, he does not lose his human quality; his mind does not become closed to ideas; his intellect does not cease to feed on a free and open interchange of opinions; his yearning for self-respect does not end; nor is his quest for self-realization concluded. If anything, the needs for identity and self-respect are more compelling in the dehumanizing prison environment.”

» Is treating prisoners with dignity as a radical notion?˃ PIC vs. ALA values˃ We are worthy of dignity, respect, concern, care,

compassion… to be seen as a genuine person.

Children of Incarcerated Patrons» Bill of Rights

˃ I have the right to speak with, see and touch my parent.˃ I have the right to support as I struggle with my parent’s

incarceration.˃ I have the right to a lifelong relationship with my parent.

» Special Collections˃ Children’s books (on incarceration)˃ Located within visiting areas

» Special Programs˃ Read-To-Me, Indiana˃ “My child watched the video several times over and over.

She was rubbing my face on the TV screen and hugged the TV.”

Call Lists & Photocopies» Librarians feel these two tasks take up a lot of time» Open Library vs. Call Lists (Permission Slips)

˃ Allow patrons movement within the institution to visit the library˃ Patrons request a visit & librarian responds with a time fitting both schedules˃ Allows librarian to have a manageable amount of patrons at one time

+ Reduce chaos, burnout for librarian and clerks+ Schedule an even number of law and leisure patrons

» Photocopies˃ Done by librarians˃ 2,000 per month vs. 8,000 when clerks were photocopying˃ Only place for patrons to make photocopies

+ Also only place to get papers notarized

Collection Development» No Budget (IL)

˃ Librarians˃ Books˃ Supplies

+ Budge through Education

» Inmate Benefit Fund˃ From commissary˃ Magazines

+ Not National Inquirer, MAD Magazine

» Community Support˃ 3 R’s (Reading Reduces Recidivism)˃ Project READ˃ Books To Prisoners˃ Patron donations

+ Books to Prisoners, Family & Friends

Cataloging» Microsoft Access

˃ Patrons do not have access to computerized database in most cases

» Card Catalog» Manual Circulation» Overdue notices sent via

institution mail

On-line Legal Resources» Minnesota

˃ LexisNexis˃ Must request printing

+ 50 page limit per week˃ 2 hour limit per Law Library visit

» California˃ Premise database from Thomson West

+ Updated quarterly˃ Librarians have access to LexisNexis˃ 1 – 2 hour limit per Law Library visit dependent on demand˃ Printing is available only to patrons who do not have access to physical law books due to their

work schedule or lockdown+ Printouts have circulation period and must be returned+ Unless, print material does not have the case they are looking for

– One designated librarians retrieves information, prints case; can be kept by patron

» Nebraska˃ LexisNexis

+ Also have terminals in segregation units (satellite law libraries)+ 1 hour limit every day or every other day

˃ No printing

Programming» Poetry Group» Book Club» Banned Book Week» Displays for Monthly

Themes

Censorship» Common bans

˃ How to break out of prison˃ Maps of surrounding area˃ Make your own tattoo˃ Make your own body armor˃ Drugs, liquor˃ Pornography with penetration or

fluids˃ Posters

˃ GLBTQ (geographically dependent)˃ Wiring (How-to manuals)˃ Tarot, Palm Reading, etc.˃ Gang Literature˃ Hard covers˃ Books directly from family & friends

+ Must be directly from publisher

» Publication Review Board˃ Reviews all challenged items˃ Up to 5 pages can be banned before whole item is banned˃ Challenges

+ English only staff+ Values of guards

˃ “I haven’t had the chance to read this month’s Playgirl yet.”

Banned Books: Texas

» Texas Civil Rights Project ˃ http://www.texascivilrightsproject.org/?p=2803˃ “In violation of prisoners’ First Amendment rights, TDCJ prohibits the simple

pleasure of reading important books.”˃ “Though the Constitution allows TDCJ to censor books that could legitimately

threaten prison security, TDCJ is censoring even extremely innocuous material. This censorship violates long-established constitutional law.”

˃ Can view 11,850 banned books+ 2011 Human Rights Report+ Books patrons are allowed to read+ Depositions from lawsuits - Prison Legal News vs. TDCJ

Banned Books Examples» 101 Best Family Card Games by Alfred Sheinwold

˃ Reason: Gambling˃ “NTIRE BOOK ADVOCATES VIOLATION OF DISCIPLINARY RULE 19.0 GAMBLING”

» 20th Century Art Book˃ Reason: Sexual Content˃ “PAGE: 126 PIC NUDE CHL”˃ Denied appeal

» 12 Million Black Voices by Richard Wright˃ Reason: Racial Content˃ “PAGE: 43, 45, 48, 87, 99 & 118 RCL”˃ Denied appeal

» 47th Street Black: A Novel by Bayo Ojikutu˃ Reason: Racial Content˃ “PAGES: 1-10 & 15 RCL”

» 2nd Chance by James Patterson˃ Reason: Racial Content˃ “PAGE: 203 RCL” / “PAGE: 206 RCL” ˃ Denied appeal

Public & Academic Libraries – Partnership» Used books

˃ Some libraries weed at 20 years old & no circulation˃ Old supplies (cardboard magazine holders)

» Programming ˃ Video record to allow incarcerated patrons to watch˃ Be allowed to ask their Q & A

» Inter-Library Loan» Re-entry of patrons

˃ Library cards˃ Services & Programming

+ Computer 101˃ Stable relationship with society agency

Prison Library Resources» ALA’s Prison Libraries

˃ http://www.ala.org/tools/prison-libraries

» ALA’s Prison Libraries Listserv˃ http://lists.ala.org/sympa/info/prison-l

» ALA’s Prisoners’ Right to Read˃ http://www.ala.org/advocacy/prisoners-right-read

» ALA’s YALSA Lockdown Listerv˃ http://lists.ala.org/sympa/info/yalsa-lockdown

» Colorado State Library’s Prison Libraries˃ http://www.cde.state.co.us/cdelib/prisonlibraries/

» Exploring Prison Librarianship Blog’s Prison Library Resources˃ www.ExploringPrisonLibrarianship.wordpress.com

» Library Trends˃ Winter 2011, Vol. 59 No. 3, “Library and Information Services to Incarcerated Persons: Global Perspectives˃ Summer 1977, Vol. 26 No. 1, “Prison Libraries”

» Library Services for the Imprisoned Wiki˃ http://www.libsuccess.org/index.php?title=Services_for_the_Imprisoned

» Prisoners’ Rights Law Resources˃ http://libraryguides.law.pace.edu/content.php?pid=108934&sid=819627

PIC Resources» Cornell University Library’s Angela Davis Resource Guide

˃ http://guides.library.cornell.edu/content.php?pid=374295&sid=3070014

» Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

» NIC: National Institute of Corrections’ Library˃ http://nicic.gov/

» Prison Culture: How the PIC Structures Our World (blog)˃ http://www.usprisonculture.com/blog/

» Prison Industrial Complex Chart˃ http://correctionsproject.com/prisonmaps/pic4.htm

» Prison Policy Initiative˃ http://www.prisonpolicy.org/˃ http://www.prisonersofthecensus.org/illinois.html

» Women + Prison: A Site For Resistance˃ http://womenandprison.org/

WORKS CITED» Key Librarians

˃ Vogel, Brenda. The Prison Library Primer: A Program for the Twenty-First Century. Lanham: Scarecrow Press, 2009.˃ http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=preconferences&Template=/ContentManagement/

ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=30842˃ Rosenwald, Michael. “Maryland’s beloved prison librarian retires.” Washington Post 9 Sept. 2011.˃ http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/prison-library-weathering-another-deficit/2011/03/25/AFmL57YB_gallery.html#photo=2˃ Smallwood, Carol. Libraries as Community Partners: An Outreach Handbook. Amer Library Assn Editions, 2010.

» Censorship & Following Banned Book Slides˃ http://i.imgur.com/nHZCj.jpg˃ http://www.texascivilrightsproject.org/?p=2803˃ http://reports.zoho.com/ZDBDataSheetView.cc?

OBJID=218053000000015004&STANDALONE=true&privatelink=6ff8156ec3e31e2e2160733786c8d97b&ZDB_THEME_NAME=brown

» Children of Incarcerated Patrons˃ http://www.ala.org/alsc/compubs/booklists/childreninmates˃ http://www.fcnetwork.org/Bill%20of%20Rights/billofrights.pdf˃ http://www.amazon.com/Nine-Candles-First-Person-Series/dp/0876149409˃ http://library.sc.edu/zellatest/woodson/picture.html

» Patrons as People˃ http://www.ala.org/advocacy/prisoners-right-read˃ http://vufind.carli.illinois.edu/vf-uiu/Record/uiu_6174238

» Prison Industrial Complex Chart˃ http://correctionsproject.com/prisonmaps/pic4.htm

» Public & Academic Libraries – Partnership˃ http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/12/26/escape_route/

» Programming˃ http://beatwithin.org/

» Cataloging˃ http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Oct07/NoMoreCards.ws.html