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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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Stor
yboo
k Ki
ts
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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: [email protected] Women's Prison
Library & Reintegration Project