Special Libraries: Prison Libraries

Ann Semler and Cindy Sickendick

LI 813Summer, 2007

Terri Summey, Instructor

A Special Library is:

• A library maintained by an organization, as a business, association, or government agency, to collect materials and provide information of special relevance to the work of the organization.

• An Information Professional ("IP") strategically uses information in his/her job to advance the mission of the organization.

Prison Libraries• Serve the special population

of incarcerated individuals.

• This population encompasses a vast spectrum of ages, ethnicity, gender, languages and special needs.

What is the special population?

The latest Bureau of Justice statistics indicate that there are over 2million prisoners in Federal, state prisons and jails, and that at least95% of all state prisoners will be released to parole supervision. In2001, 592,000 prisoners were released to the community afterserving time in prison. [i] When ex offenders return to society, theyface the digital divide because while incarcerated, they have noaccess to the Internet.

User Needs:

• Education, • Career training• Literacy development• Access to legal materials• Recreational Reading

Materials.

…among many others

Establishment of Prison Libraries

• 1977 Supreme Ct. ruling– “The fundamental constitutional

right of access to the courts requires prison authorities to assist inmates in the preparation and filing of meaningful legal papers by providing prisoners with adequate law libraries or adequate assistance from persons trained in the law.”

- This quote is taken from Bounds v. Smith (430 U.S. 817), the 1977 landmark Supreme Court decision, which led to the establishment of law libraries in most major U.S. prisons.

• ALA Guidelines– Library Standards for Adult Correctional Institutions– http://www.ala.org/ala/ascla/asclaissues/librarystandards.cfm

• IFLA– Guidelines for Library Services to Prisoners– http://www.ifla.org/VII/s9/nd1/iflapr-92.pdf

• Maryland Correctional Library

website – excellent example: http://ce.msde.state.md.us/library/library.htm

Outreach• Local, State, National

– Private, Government, NGO

• Correctional Education Association (CEA) – founded in 1945, a non-profit, professional

association serving educators and administrators who provide services to students in correctional settings

• National Institute for Correctional Education (NICE) – established at Indiana  University of

Pennsylvania (IUP) in 2002 to provide support and service to the community of correctional educators in order to enhance their ability to create positive and effective learning environments 

Prison Library Resources:

• Legal resources

• Ready-Reference resources

• Educational resources

• Recreational reading materials

References• American Library Association website:

http://www.ala.org/ .• Correctional Education Association website:

http://www.ceanational.org/• Geary, M. Trends in Prison Library Service.

Bookmobiles and Outreach Services 6, no 179-90, 91. 2003. Retrieved 07/24/07 Wilson Web.

• International Federation of Library Associations website: http://www.ifla.org/

• Lehmann, V. Prison librarians needed: a challenging career for those with the right professional and human skills. 65th IFLA Council and General Conference, Bangkok, Thailand, August 20-28, 1999. IFLAnet. Retrieved 07/24/07 Wilson Web.

• National Institute for Correctional Education website: http://www.iup.edu/nice/

• Planning and Implementing Prison Libraries: strategies and resources. IFLA Journal 29 no4 301-7 2003. Retrieved 07/24/07 Wilson Web.

• Wade, A. Resources on the Net: Professional Development. Education Libraries 24, no 134-6, 2000. Retrieved 07/24/07 Wilson Web.