This website is intended to be a source of information, resources and support for prison library staff, whether you have been working in your role for many years or you’re only starting out on this career path. Prison libraries are a crucial service and space for people in prison, and prison library staff are key to the effective provision of these services. We know that the impact of prison libraries is not always fully understood beyond the library door and the role of the prison librarian can often be an isolating one. We hope this website provides opportunities for improved connections among people working to provide better access to library services in prison.
The website will also be useful for others helping to support prison library provision, including public libraries, voluntary sector organisations, prison educators and others working within prisons, researchers and future prison library professionals (and anyone else interested in learning more about and advocating for prison libraries!)
Currently, much of the information on this website focuses on prisons in England and Wales but we will continue to develop the website and add information and resources for those working in all jurisdictions in the UK and Ireland.
Where did the idea come from?
The website was born out of discussions with prison library staff at an online symposium at Ulster University in June 2022. Library staff were asked what kind of things might help them with professional engagement and development, and many of the responses related to opportunities for sharing practice with other library staff and accessing information and resources to support them in their delivery of library services.
The post-it notes below show some of the ideas suggested by library staff:
As well as a resource to support the provision of library services, this website is also intended to be a place to acknowledge and celebrate the important work carried out by library staff and to advocate for increased funding and support for prison library services.
Who is behind the website?
Researchers in School of Information, Communication and Journalism at the University of Sheffield have worked closely alongside CILIP’s Prison Libraries Group and prison library professionals to inform the design and content of this site, and we’ll continue to do so as the site develops. It is managed mostly by Dr Jayne Finlay who teaches Librarianship at the University of Sheffield and carries out research related to prison libraries.
Funding to help develop the site was provided by the University of Sheffield.
Have your say!
We are still developing this website and we’d like to get your feedback. Please get in touch and let us know what other information and resources would be useful for you!
“The importance of the prison library, that lo-fi, old-school means of broadening our horizons, cannot be overstated. Government policy makers, prison governors and staff, but also we prisoners ourselves, we forget this at our peril” Library user, HMP Wormwood Scrubs (CILIP Excellence Framework for Prison Libraries)