Major Issues in Prison Librarianship: A Case Study of Three Libraries.

Three prison librarians were interviewed about the ways they handle major issues in their libraries. Two of the three librarians were females and one was male; one was Caucasian, one was Afro-American, and one was of Asian descent. A case study approach was used to examine their methods. Issues examined included: (1) materials selection and acquisition, including the matter of censorship; (2) the use of inmate staff in the libraries, including selection, training, and evaluation; and (3) the provision of library service to inmates, including access to the library, library-based programs for inmates, and outreach services for inmates unable to go to the library. Results indicate that librarians vary in the ways they handle these matters; and that many things influence them, such as the impact of the prison administration and staff, the physical space available for the library, civilian staffing availability, the type and number of prisoners in the institution, and even the personality of the librarian. The questionnaire for librarians and a 44-item bibliography are included. (Contains 21 references.) (SLD)