Expanding Services Together: Modeling Library Services for People Negatively Impacted by Incarceration
San Francisco Public Library’s Expanding Information Access for Incarcerated People initiative welcomes applications to join an early career cohort of co-learners focused on developing professional skills and advocacy related to library services for currently and formerly incarcerated people.
Purpose of the cohort
The cohort is structured like an intensive project-based library and information science course, with a rich reading/materials syllabus, guest speakers, and group discussions. Cohort members will create proposals for services over the cohort period. Cohort members will meet virtually six times between August and December 2026 and will engage in small-group discussion and collaborations throughout that time.
Members of the cohort will share perspectives, offer professional support, and collectively strategize to create or increase library services for people who are or have been incarcerated.
Focus areas
- Reviewing models of library services
- Responding to information needs created by incarceration
- Responding to information needs created by reentry
- Creating cultural- and gender-responsive services
- Locating community resources
- Supporting digital literacy
As possible, sessions will feature guests who have been impacted by incarceration, including formerly incarcerated people, information providers, and advocates.
The 2026 cohort will take place in the fall of 2026. The cohort will be composed of approximately 20 members.
Eligibility
The cohort is intended to be a professional development space for early career librarians and information professionals.
Applicants should be one of the following:
- In the first three years of their library or information career OR
- In the first three years of providing library services specifically for people negatively impacted by incarceration OR
- current LIS students OR
- have a documented history of providing information to incarcerated people in community-based settings AND a goal of creating new library services or forming partnerships with a local or prison library (Please briefly describe this experience in "Other" responses to questions 5 & 6 in the linked survey below.)
Applicants can be:
- Working or planning to work in academic, public, or prison libraries (or other relevant area of librarianship)
- Developing or planning to develop services for people in the process of reentry
- Providing library programs and services that they would like to tailor to better support people negatively impacted by incarceration
- LIS students with a demonstrated interest in services to people who are negatively impacted by incarceration
- Advocates or activists involved in projects providing information to incarcerated people
- Future or early-career LIS educators
Applicants with lived experience of incarceration, including the incarceration of a loved one/family member, are encouraged to apply.
Cohort participant stipend
Each selected cohort member will be eligible to receive a $2,000 stipend for their participation. Payments for the 2026 cohort will be issued in winter of 2026, upon completion of the program.
More details, including additional eligibility requirements to receive payment, will be provided to individuals invited to submit a full application. Cohort members are not required to accept compensation in order to participate.
Application timeline
- Preliminary survey opens: January 7, 2026
- Preliminary survey deadline: February 9, 2026, 5:00 PM Pacific Time
- Invitation for full application: End of February 2026
- Deadline for full application: March 25, 2026, 5:00 PM Pacific Time
- Application Notification: End of April 2026
Application process
Applying for the 2026 cohort is a two-step process. To be considered to submit a full application, please complete the short preliminary survey (estimated time to complete is less than 10 minutes) by February 9, 2026, 5:00PM PT.
Expectations of cohort members
Cohort members are expected to commit to:
- six 2-3 hour virtual meetings between August and December of 2026 (most likely on weekends, length and dates to be determined prior to March 2026)
- approximately one hour per week in asynchronous communication with other cohort members
- approximately five hours of assigned asynchronous activities (including reading, listening, and watching assigned materials and drafting proposals or similar materials) every two weeks
- submitting a proposal draft and making a brief presentation at the final virtual meeting
Cohort members are encouraged to attend the in-person June 2026 Expanding Information Access for Incarcerated People convening. This convening will take place in Chicago, IL in coordination with the ALA Annual Conference. Details on what financial support is available to attend the convening will be included with notice of acceptance.
Please email jailandreentryservices@sfpl.org with any questions or other feedback.