Jeannie Remillard

When I started working in a library in a maximum-security prison about 11 years ago, I quickly picked up on the fact that having a sense of humor goes a long way when dealing with convicted felons.

It was a typical day.  The library was busy with activity.  I stepped away from my desk for a few minutes to answer the telephone.  Upon returning to my desk, I noticed that a couple of my pens were missing.  I blurted out so everyone could hear “Who stole the pens off my desk?” 

 Immediately the room grew very quiet.  A young man came up and stood by my desk.  He said, “Jeannie, I’m not a thief, I’m a murderer.”  I replied, “Thank you for sharing that information with me!”  The whole room exploded with laughter and the two pens were soon returned.

Western State Hospital Library

The last few years have been difficult for all due to the state of the economy.  In spite of shrinking budgets and the uncertainty of the future, the staff in Institutional Library Services have lived up to their mission by continuing to serve their customers “with spirit and fortitude”. Over the next few weeks ILS will be sharing what they have been thankful for in the year 2011 and how they look forward to 2012.  Please check out the upcoming posts from the library staff in the prisons and psychiatric hospital libraries across the state.

Lyla Brekke awards Anna Nash with Employee of the Year 2010

The youngest and most energetic member of ILS was awarded with Employee of the year for 2010.  Anna has grown up in the library with a family that loves libraries and books.  Anna continues to look towards her future with her entrance to library school at the University of Washington this fall.  In the last year Anna spear-headed the ILS Library Snapshot Day (the first in Washington), inspiring her coworkers to join her in her advocacy of libraries.  She has brought a breath of fresh air to her co-workers, giving them a chance to see new perspectives on a job they all love.

Kathleen accepting 30 years of Service certificate from Rand Simmons Washington State Librarian

Kathleen is a wonderful storyteller with a patience that has served her well as the Library Associate at Western State Hospital.  On June 15, 2011 Kathleen will become the longest working member of the Institutional Library Service team.  30 years of wonderful service was celebrated with a presentation of a certificate and award by State Librarian Rand Simmons.

ILS Retreat

Each year staff of Institutional Library Service of the Washington State Library meet to discuss strategy, share experiences, and learn from each other.  As budgets have been slashed, co-workers and friends have been lost, but the connection to each other has not.   Our most recent meeting the first week of June was a time of sorrow and celebration.  As we looked around we thought of the people who were missing, but we also had cause for celebration Milestone birthdays for several of the team included ages 25, 35, 60, and 65 to reveal a group of people who may vary in age, but who share a passion for their work in the institution branches.

Volume 6, October 21, 2010 for the WSL Updates mailing list

Topics include:

1) SDL NEEDS ASSESSMENT SURVEYS

2) GO TO THE WEB AND SAY AHH

3) WSL STAFF REMEMBERED

4) BULLYING SURVEY CLOSES THURSDAY AT 11:00 P.M.

5) FREE PRESERVATION WEBINAR SERIES

6) GRANTSTATION SUBSCRIPTION RENEWALS

7) PUBLIC LIBRARY INTERNET USE STUDY DEADLINE

8) FREE CE OPPORTUNITIES NEXT WEEK

Read the rest of this entry »

Do they catalog their pantries,
do they alphabetize the soup,
and make labels for the kitchen shelves
and arrange vegetables into groups?

Or perhaps it’s to the closets,
their attention they might turn…
and transform their wardrobe chaos
using skills they long ago learned.

No shirt will be uncatalogued,
No dress shall lack a space,
their undies, socks and ties will all,
have a Dewey inspired place.

Then of course there is the attic,
with items saved, set aside and hoarded,
the photos, knick-knacks, and sundries,
of course… must all be sorted.

But when these tasks are finished
and to leisure the bibliophile looks
The pot of gold, is their long amassed,
patiently awaited…
greatly anticipated…
glorious stack of unread books!

Lyla Brekke
Sept. 10, 2009

Over the last few weeks I have had a chance to get to know our new employee. Anna is smart and it has been great training her in the procedures for the library. We have the same schedule so we have been carpooling, which is really nice, but we have also been able to talk daily and all day. I no longer only have inmates to interact with and I find that I like having a coworker work the same schedule as me … in some ways it feels like a “real library”. It doesn’t hurt that we like each other and are getting along well. After years of working alone and then with a part time staff member it is really nice to have someone who is here at the same time of day as me. I no longer spend the three nights a week that I work alone with inmates, Anna keeps me company along with the inmates. However, I know this will not last long as soon Anna will be taking her permanent position in Monroe, but for now I will enjoy the company.

For anyone interested in the Institutional Library Services category, I’ll share a link to the Colorado Libraries blog, which has some similar content. You will also see accounts written by people from outside the field who were allowed to go inside some of the prisons and get a sense of what this work environment is like and how offenders use the libraries. It’s inspiring to see how the Colorado Correctional Librarians are networking by communicating their day-to-day experiences in the form of a live tour.

If you type “prison” in the search box, you will get a narrower list of posts that is more specific to the topic.

http://www.coloradolibraries.org/

Most of the time working in a prison library does not feel like a prison. However, this can no longer be said for those working at the Washington State Penitentiary, East Complex Library. For years staff have been asking for an office to be built in the library that will allow staff to have a computer with Internet access readily available to use. Over the years road blocks have jumped up at every turn, this is no longer the case. East Complex Library now has an office in the library, but did they have to make it so prison like? You be the judge.

Office or cell???