Thesis (M.S.)--Drexel Institute of Technology, 1955. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 55-58).

No description available.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 2004. / Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves. 224-264).

The purpose of this study was to determine if there was a difference in the resources and library services in men's and women's state prison facility libraries, and to determine to what extent the librarians who administer services to inmates in prisons believe the resources available are adequate in giving library service to the inmates. A questionnaire was sent to the librarians in charge of the library in all women's institutions in the United States and to a random sample of men's institutions. A total of seventy-three questionnaires were completed and returned; thirty-nine from male institutions, twenty-three from female institutions, and eleven from co-ed institutions. The data from the questionnaires were tabulateds-using the Statistical Package of the Social Sciences (SPSS-PC). Major comparisons between the male and female institutions included: 1) the size of the institutions with the size of the library collection, 2) the size of the institutions with the resources available to inmates, and 3) the comparison of resources and services between the men's and women's institutions. Based on the results of the study, the following conclusions were reached: 1) men's institutions had much larger inmate populations than women's institutions, 2) men's institutions had only slightly more books and journals than women's institutions, and 3) because there were fewer females per institution, females had many more resources available per inmate than men. A second analysis was performed to compare male and female institutions within categories of similar size to determine whether or not the differences in the materials and services which were found to be outstanding or significantly different in the first analysis would remain valid. Data from both analyses indicated that women's institutions, in most cases, had more resources and services available than men's institutions regardless of the size of the institution. The majority of librarians in both men's and women's institutions believed they were able to support their goals and objectives, and most were satisfied with the services they were able to provide. A review of the literature indicated that similar problems have existed in prisons from the early 1800's to the present. Those problems, still recurrent, are theft, insufficient funding, overcrowding, and lack of administrative support for prison libraries. / Graduation date: 1991

This thesis introduces the study of inmate marginalia as a method for understanding inmates’ uses of texts in prison libraries and for understanding the motivations for these uses. Marginalia are the notes, drawings, underlining, and other markings left by readers in the texts with which they interact. I use the examples of the Talmudic projects to set a precedent for the integration of marginal discourses into the central discourse of society. Next, I discuss the arguments surrounding the use of texts in prison libraries, including an outline for an ideal study of inmate marginalia. Finally, I discuss the findings of my on-site research at four prison libraries in Washington State. After scanning evidence of marginalia from forty-eight texts, a relatively small sample, I divided the marginalia by gender of facility, genre of text, address of the marginalia, and type of marginalia and found statistically significant correlations (p < 0.05) between gender and genre, gender and address, gender and type, and genre and type. However, while these correlations are statistically weak and require further investigation, the statistically significant correlations indicate the potential for integrating inmate marginalia studies into the scholarly discussions regarding inmates’ interactions with texts in prison.

This is a phenomenological study on the experience prison inmates at Sweden's largest prison, Kumla, have of their prison library. Conversations in five focus groups with a total of 26 inmates, that took place in the last two months of 2023, form the foundation of the findings in this study. A qualitative thematic analysis shows that the inmates' experience of the prison library consist of four separate, but equally important, parts. The first part is the librarian, who the inmates see as someone neutral and willing to help. The second part is the usage of the prison library’s services, which manifests in reading books and magazines borrowed from the library, an activity that allows for feelings of cognitive escape. The third part is the visit to the physical library, which functions as a grativational pull away from a life of crime and towards a better life. The fourth part is comprised of the benefits the prison library have in terms of rehabilitation, the value the library brings for the future of the inmates. This study concludes that a prison library can have positive impacts on the inmates' lives, during incarceration and after release. This is a two years master's thesis in Library and Information Science.

In this two-years masters thesis the information practices of former interns are examined in relation to a possible lack of certain kinds of information in the prison environment. The essay is positioned in the research field of information practices which means its looking at all kinds of information, formal and informal. Since the essay is in the field of information practices it means the focus lies in how information is taught whithin contexts and groups. Information is not looked at solely as an individual process but is seen as a collective experience. The method of the essay is that of the qualitative research interview. Besides taking an interest in information practices i investigate whether access of information in prisons could be improved and whether the library organisations could be a part of those improvements. The result of my research shows that information in the prison coming from the correctional institution is not perceived as well functioning. Some exceptions where found but these where described by the informants as instances where staff had been extra helpful, as opposed to there being a functioning system of information practices in place in the organisation of the prison. Several of the informants thought information within groups of inmates could be motivating. A reason for this could be that groups of inmates are in the same situation, the power differences of the situated identities inmate and prison guard does not exist among inmates. In order of accessing relevant information from prison staff the inmates had to be driven and determined. The result of this essay further shows that it is too late to plan the release after the release has taken place. Several of the informants recounted increased difficulties in adjustment to the new social situation, having gone through psychological breakdown subsequent to their release. Many practical problems like for example homelessness also occurred. The research points to the prison libraries as a place where steps in coping with the release could successfully have been taken. This being so because the libraries are a place where the situated prisoner identity can be dissolved. Where one can remember ones interests and which books one used to read. in which sense there is already in the library room, an opening to the outside world. During the prison stay many find it difficult thinking about the world outside. It can be explained in terms of an adjustment to the social practices in the institution having taken place and in that the contrasts between the correctional institution and the world outside being to wide.

La présence d'une bibliothèque en milieu carcéral apporte des bienfaits aux personnes incarcérées. Elle est source de loisir, d’éducation et d'accès à l'information dans un environnement hautement sécurisé et limitatif. La bibliothèque de prison est soutenue par les déclarations des Nations Unies pour le traitement des détenus, le Manifeste de l'UNESCO sur la bibliothèque publique et par la Fédération internationale des associations et institutions des bibliothèques (International Federation of Library Association and Institutions (IFLA)) qui en soulignent les avantages. Des études ont été menées dans différents pays sur la présence, la gestion et les rôles de la bibliothèque de prison dans différents types d'établissements correctionnels. Cependant, très peu d'études ont été publiées au Canada et, au Québec, aucune depuis 1973. Ainsi, cette recherche vise à dresser un portrait des services de bibliothèque offerts dans les établissements de détention de juridiction provinciale du Québec. Cette recherche descriptive repose sur une recherche documentaire et une enquête auprès des responsables de la bibliothèque par le biais d'un questionnaire en ligne. Les résultats montrent que tous les établissements ayant répondu à l'enquête offrent des services de bibliothèque, et que presque toutes les bibliothèques possèdent un local dédié et une collection assez riche. On observe toutefois que plusieurs cibles notamment celles de l'IFLA ne sont pas atteintes (accessibilité physique, diversification des supports, activités, ressources technologiques). Ces résultats enrichissent un volet de la bibliothéconomie qui est peu traité en apportant des données actuelles sur la situation dans les établissements de détention de la province. Ils mettent en lumière une tranche de la population souvent invisible pour qui la bibliothèque est importante et ouvrent la voie à de futures recherches sur le sujet. / The presence of a library in a prison environment brings benefits to prisoners. It is a source of leisure, education and access to information in a highly secure and limiting environment. The prison library is supported by the statements of the United Nations for the treatment of prisoners, the UNESCO Public Library Manifesto and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) which highlight its benefits. Studies have been conducted in different countries in the presence, management and roles of the prison library in different types of correctional institutions. However, very few studies have been published in Canada and none in Quebec since 1973. Thus, the research aims to draw a portrait of the library services offered in detention facilities under Quebec's jurisdiction. The realization of this descriptive research has been done through a documentary research and a survey with the people managing the libraries using an online questionnaire. The results of this study show that all establishments offer library services in detention centres under provincial jurisdiction in Quebec. The results show that prisoners cannot use services on site or directly access documents in almost all establishments. In addition, there is a lack of diversity in the document supports, few activities are proposed, and no technological resources are accessible. These results enrich a section of librarianship that is little treated by providing current data on the situation in the province’s detention facilities. They shed light on an often invisible segment of the population for whom the library is important and pave the way for future research on the subject.

A need to correct the behaviour and deeds of people who have been incarcerated has been in the plans of the South African Government for a number of years now. Shifting from being punishment to rehabilitation centres, the correctional places have the aim to rehabilitate and prepare inmates to be included in and accepted by the society beyond their incarceration period. Qualitative and quantitative approaches were adopted. The case study design was employed to provide the researcher with the flexibility to gather data after an in-depth study of the LIS in Leeuwkop and Johannesburg correctional centres. The targeted population was the Department of Correctional Services (DCS) officials in charge of the LIS, Gauteng Department of Arts and Culture (DAC), City of Johannesburg (CoJ) municipality LIS Department and offenders from the Leeuwkop and Johannesburg correctional services. The purposive sampling technique was used to select the sample for the study. Interviews were held with six Leeuwkop and Johannesburg DCS officials, one official from the City of Johannesburg LIS Department responsible for project management, and two officials from the Department of Arts and Culture. Questionnaires were administered to Leeuwkop and Johannesburg offenders. Triangulation was used to provide different views and opinions during the data analysis. The qualitative data was analysed thematically while the quantitative data was analysed numerically with tables and graphs. Ethical considerations were taken into account by acknowledging authors and providing consent forms to the participants. The study established that there was a provisional policy for correctional services libraries in Gauteng. However, most libraries did not utilise it as they rather used other policies. This is due to the fact that libraries are not autonomous but are under the formal authority of the Department of Education and Sport, Recreation, Arts and Culture (SRAC). Most inmates knew about the LIS facilities in their centres. However, the study found out that the materials stored in the libraries were out-dated and limited. Additionally, most centres did not have programmes to rehabilitate offenders while they are within the correctional facilities and to reintegrate them back into the society after their release. The study recommends that another study be done pertaining to the mandate and development of policies for the DCS libraries. / Information Science / M. Inf.