1. Becca Sorgert
ExploringPrisonLibrarianship.wordpress.com

2. » 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

3. » 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.

7. » Terminator
˃ Lose all rights
» Church Lady
˃ Distrusts prisoners
» Realist
˃ Fair, patron driven
» People Pleaser
˃ Security Risk
» Crusader
˃ JUSTICE!!!!!!!
» Parabarian
˃ Paralegal + Librarian

8. » 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, creat
ive, 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

9. » 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.

10. » 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.”

11. » 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

12. » 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

13. » Microsoft Access
˃ Patrons do not have access to
computerized database in most cases
» Card Catalog
» Manual Circulation
» Overdue notices sent via
institution mail

14. » 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

15. » Poetry Group
» Book Club
» Banned Book Week
» Displays for Monthly
Themes

16. » Common bans
˃ How to break out of prison
˃ GLBTQ (geographically dependent)
˃ Maps of surrounding area
˃ Wiring (How-to manuals)
˃ Make your own tattoo
˃ Tarot, Palm Reading, etc.
˃ Make your own body armor
˃ Gang Literature
˃ Drugs, liquor
˃ Hard covers
˃ Pornography with penetration or
fluids ˃ Books directly from family & friends
˃ Posters + 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.”

17. » 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

20. » 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

21. » 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

22. » 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

23. » 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/

24. » 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=3
0842
˃ 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=6ff8156ec3e31e
2e2160733786c8d97b&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