Institutional Library Services

Davidson, R., & Kerwin, J. (2005). Macbeth for murderers. [Philadelphia]: Xlibris. Cardozo-Freeman, I., & Delorme, E. P. (1984). The joint: Language and culture in a maximum security prison. Springfield, Ill., U.S.A.: Thomas. Affolter, D. R. (2005). Gangsters behind bars: An in-depth inquiry into prison gangs in the Washington State Penitentiary. Thesis (B.A.)--Whitman College, 2005. Walker, J. (2004). Dancing to the concertina's tune: A prison teacher's memoir. Boston: Northeastern University Press. Keve, P. W. (1984).

By the late 1990’s Western State Hospital began to admit a number of Russian patients with limited English language skills. At the time the Library, a branch of the Washington State Library, had no Russian print material. When discussing this problem with one of the recreation therapists, the 2 of us suddenly realized that the Internet was an entirely new universe for Russian web sites as well as for other countries and in many languages. One day, probably around 2000 or 2001, a Russian patient with some English language ability and I sat in front of one of our computers.

I have two great joys when it comes to working at the library. Well maybe one, since they are tied together. I love to go shopping for new books, whether it is online or in the store, looking over all the books, deciding what to buy can be the most fun. It isn't even necessarily the actual shopping, but hoping that I am choosing books that the inmates will want to read, which ties into my second joy....unpacking the boxes. When the boxes arrive in the library, I usually have my library clerks breathing down my neck to open them so they can see what is there.

[caption id="attachment_295" align="aligncenter" width="116" caption="Prison slang book found on one MICC shelf"][/caption] Working in a prison I find that there are times I need an interpreter because in some cases the words used are like listening to a foreign language.

Not all jobs are rewarding, but I have to say that working in a prison library is one of the good ones. It is not all fun and games, but there can be simple pleasure found working in the library. Not everyone will find the same pleasures, but we all have our simple joys in our jobs. Stay tuned....stories on the way.

The following is a story told to me by a fellow prison librarian. Since I liked it so much I decided to share it. Two of the best library patrons I ever had were two older men I called the library angels. I can’t tell you they had always been angels. Obviously, they had both committed crimes that led to a prison sentence. But after many years of incarceration, they presented themselves as polite and respectful human beings. One night these men started coming to the library every night, where they would sit quietly on the floor among the library shelves and put the books back in order.