Prison Librarianship Policy and Practice

Download or read book Prison Librarianship Policy and Practice written by Suzanna Conrad and published by McFarland. This book was released on 2016-11-23 with total page 225 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Prisoners are in a grey area regarding library services. Prison libraries violate many tenets of librarianship, with the justification of maintaining order. The field is de-professionalized--many positions are filled by persons without degrees in library science, and corrections administrators often write policy for services. Critics cite the need to implement public library service models despite practical difficulties. This book investigates state, national and international policies on prison libraries, reviews literature on the topic and describes partnerships between prisons and public libraries. Results from a national survey and follow-up interviews are included, providing a full narrative of policy outcomes in U.S. prisons.