Blogs and news articles

Maryland Humanities Council's blogs about our participation in the One Maryland One Book on their web site. We had Warren St. John visiting Jessup Correctional Instit. It was a lively discussion.

Prison libraries have been in the news lately.  I did an interview with Bob Edwards on the Bob Edwards  Show, Serius XM radio earlier this month.  The show aired on October 17.    Avi Steinberg , was featured on an NPR program.  He got rave reviews for his memoir, Running The Books: Adventures of an Accidental Prison Librarian.

We have our challenges as some states aggressively try to censor what inmates read.  US & World News.
The battle continues.  Fortunately we have organizations like the American Library Association and ACLU to help fight for prisoners rights to read.

Library Snapshot Day



JCI inmates use legal and general databases

Photographs are the property of the Division of Correction.

MCTC inmates browse library shelves

Three of the Maryland Correctional Prison Libraries participated in Library Snapshot Day.  Jessup Correctional Institution (JCI), Maryland Correctional Education Training Center (MCTC), and Eastern Correctional Institution-West(ECIW).  Statistics for that day:

MCTC with 1 full time librarian and 8 inmate clerks, had  162 patrons in the library, processed 75 items for inmates on segregation, checked out 83 magazines,  and 86 books,  answered 78 general and 60 legal reference questions.  8 inmates used the career center, 74 used computer databases.  48 students participated in the 2 education classes on library/reference instruction. 35 viewed CNN.(Total population- approx. 2,500)

ECIW-  1 full time librarian and 8 inmate clerks had 108 visitors, checked out 29 magazines and 101 books, answered 55 general and 71 legal reference questions,18 inmates used the career center, 54 used computer databases, 48 books were repaired.  There was1 book discussion with 11 patricipants and 1 facilitator.( Inmate population approx. 1200)


Shirley Smith MCTC Librarian, assists library users



Grace Schroder, Librarian, at JCI library information desk



  
 

Author visits JCI

Warren St. John, author of Outcast United,  Maryland's  One Maryland One Book  selection for 2010, had a great discussion with the inmates when he visited Jessup Correctional Institution on Sept. 27.  The inmates asked questions about his choice of title, and his motivation for writing the book,  They discussed the  pararel in their prison environment and that of the refugees and thanked Warren for the visit.  Warren was accompanied by  MHC's staff members, Andrea Lewis  and Phoebe Stein Davis, who introduced  him. Special guest was Margaret Carty, Executive Director, Maryland Library Association. Grace Schroeder, Librarian, worked with the DOC to make the visit a smooth one.  SeriusXM radio taped the conversations.
Me?  I am always proud to show the benefits  of inmates who read.

At table, Andrea Lewis, Margaret Carty, Warren St John, Phoebe Stein Davis, Glennor Shirley