Browsed by
Tag: Washington Corrections Center

A National Library Week look at institutional libraries

A National Library Week look at institutional libraries

This week, April 8-14, is National Library Week. Through a partnership between the Washington State Library and the state Department of Corrections, we operate nine institutional libraries for inmates and state hospital patients across the state. Institutional libraries are located inside Airway Heights Corrections Center, Clallam Bay Corrections Center, Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, Stafford Creek Corrections Center, Washington Corrections Center, Washington Corrections Center for Women, and Washington State Penitentiary. There are also libraries located in the Twin Rivers Unit and Washington State Reformatory at the Monroe Correctional Complex. Additionally, interlibrary loan services…

Read More Read More

Sharon Brewer Receives her 30 year pin

Sharon Brewer Receives her 30 year pin

Rand giving Sharon her 30 year pin 2012 Sharon has worked for Washington State Library for 30 years.  She has been shuffled around several times as lay offs impacted her positions, but she has never lost heart.  She contines to do her best work now at  the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton.

Trial, error, and success was the name of the game at WCC in 2011

Trial, error, and success was the name of the game at WCC in 2011

When I first came to the Washington Corrections Center Library in 2010 I went through a little bit of a culture shock.  I had worked in other facilities, but nothing like WCC.  This library serves a small population of inmates who are housed here on a long term basis, but the institution has the unique aspect of being the receiving center for all male inmates in the state of Washington.  In 2011 I asked if the library could provide service to…

Read More Read More

Donation from Muckleshoot Tribe is greatly appreciated in these tough times

Donation from Muckleshoot Tribe is greatly appreciated in these tough times

 In these tough times it can be hard to stay positive. We wait for budget cuts to decide our fates and hope that book budgets will not disappear and libraries will not close.  However, there are encouraging things that are happening.  Not only did the inmates from Washington Corrections Center for Women (WCCW) donate $1000 to their library, we received a $3000 donation from the Muckleshoot Native American Tribe for the library at Washington Corrections Center (WCC).  This donation has…

Read More Read More

Virtual Reference in Prison

Virtual Reference in Prison

Librarians at Coyote Ridge Corrections Center, Washington Corrections Center Shelton, and Washington State Penitentiary, have started using kiosks at their local institutions to send overdue notices and hold pickup notices to offenders. We are also answering questions submitted by offenders.  The result has been even better than expected!  At Coyote Ridge, we have drastically reduced our paper usage by sending the notices over the kiosk.  The new system is a win-win for staff and offenders alike; correctional officers don’t have…

Read More Read More