Expanding Information Access for Incarcerated People Initiative

Expanding Information Access for Incarcerated People is based in SFPL’s Jail and Reentry Services program. In coordination with the American Library Association (ALA), this project will identify existing library services for incarcerated people, support professionals in the field in building out or creating new services, solidify library services to incarcerated people as a focused area of concern within librarianship, develop digital literacy programming for people who are formerly incarcerated, and provide guidance for librarians working in juvenile detention centers, jails, and prisons nationwide.

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CONVENING 
In June of 2022, SFPL’s Jail and Reentry Services staff held an invitation-only convening of librarians to strengthen professional networks and provide best practices. Following this, they have collaborated with the Colorado State Library’s Library Research Service to identify where library services exist in juvenile detention centers, jails, and prisons and how to better support these services. SFPL's Jail and Reentry Services staff held a second convening of librarians in June of 2023.

THE MAP 
During the two-year grant period, Jail and Reentry Services staff is building and refining an online map that shows where and what types of services are available to incarcerated people and includes other information resources that are available to incarcerated people. It will help librarians find one another and identify models that fit their library systems and locations and act as a tool that advocates, families, and friends of incarcerated people can utilize to find free books and information services for their loved ones inside.

TRAINING SERIES 
Jail and Reentry Services staff are drawing on their professional network to create a virtual training series for librarians, library staff, and information providers who provide library services to people negatively impacted by incarceration. Trainings are currently being released and are available on the Jail and Reentry Services YouTube playlist at Jail and Reentry Services YouTube playlist (titles begin with "Training"). Librarians and library staff can receive a free certificate for viewing these trainings through ALA's learning platform.

STANDARDS 
The American Library Association is currently rewriting the Standards on library services for incarcerated people. The new version of the Standards will be submitted for ALA Council approval at the Annual Conference in June 2023. See information about the new version of the Standards.  
Following the completion of a new set of Standards, ALA will distribute the Standards to librarians working in prison libraries across the country.

REENTRY 
ALA will also research and prototype how libraries can support people who are formerly incarcerated develop their digital literacy skills.

PRESENTATIONS 
Jail and Reentry Services staff were joined by Blythe Balestrieri, a colleague with background in legal librarianship, to share more information about the upcoming grant-related work. Access the recording on Expanding Library Services to People in Jails and Prisons.

Training Series Videos

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All video transcripts are available to download and print here.

Mapping Library Services

 

If your library provides library services to incarcerated people that aren’t represented on the map, please let us know!

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Meet the Jail & Reentry Services Team

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Headshot of Rachel Kinnon “Libraries are a vital community resource perfectly positioned to engage our patrons during and after incarceration."

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Headshot of Dr. Jeanie Austin “I believe that libraries have the opportunity to provide information, books, and resources to our incarcerated patrons. We can collaborate with one another to build this needed resource."

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Headshot of Nili Ness “I believe that library services to people who are incarcerated is an impactful way to deliver on public librarianship’s core value of access.”

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Headshot of Bee Okelo“Libraries are great because knowledge is power, and libraries offer free power to everyone!”

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Headshot of Sally Durgan“I believe in the power of collaboration and look forward to supporting this project’s partners to advance our shared goals of expanding information access for incarcerated people.”

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Estelle Yim, ALA Digital Literacy Fellow"Libraries are generative spaces for knowledge production and sharing; I believe that knowledge becomes power when the people can reach it!"

Advisory Committee

Jail and Reentry Services staff are especially grateful for our advisory committee, which helps to guide our grant-related work. This committee consists of individuals who have been incarcerated or have incarcerated and previously incarcerated loved ones, groups that consist of currently and formerly incarcerated members, and experts on the types of information that people who are incarcerated most need and desire. The Advisory Committee members are:

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