On April 9th, 2013, at the invitation of Library Associate Gayle Shonkwiler, Patricia  Briggs, author of the Mercy Thompson shapeshifter series, visited the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center. The presentation was very well received and liked by the 30 inmates in attendance. Patricia read from her newest best seller “Frost Burned” which was just released in March.  After the reading she answered questions about everything from her books, how to write, how to get published and character development. Patricia thoroughly enjoyed her visit and donated the seven book series to the CRCC Branch Library.

Patricia Briggs website gives her perspective of her visit, so check it out.  Spoiler alert, she had a good time.

A newsletter at Washington Corrections Center for Women covers several topics including community, health, and historical figures.  The February 2012 issue of the Village Voice included an article on Leroy Eldridge Cleaver: “By his example we learn that though we have spent our years struggling with the law or addiction, it does not mean that we aren’t someone of importance. WE ARE SOMEBODY!!!”  This article is inspiring and offers the women in WCCW the inspiration they need to know that they can be somebody and move on with their lives after prison.

The author of this piece was able to find everything she needed for the article in the WCCW library. The library has always offered material in demand by patrons, and today the focus seems to be on growth and potential.

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.

Jeannie Remillard has this to share about the new puppy at SCCC: Her name is Athena…and she is the cutest little Beagle puppy you have ever laid your eyes on.  When she first visited the library and came behind the desk to meet me, she was shaking with fright. By the time we filled her tummy with doggy treats and gave her much love we were sure she would remember her first visit to the library.  Talk about cute…she jumped up on my lap and tried to get her puppy treats off the desk.  Everybody in the whole room fell in love with her immediately.  

 Yesterday she came, sopping wet from the rain, and she immediately tried to jump up in my lap for her puppy treats. Jason and Curt, my workers, grabbed towels and dried her off.  She is a real joy and brings smiles to everyone…even those guys who usually don’t smile.  What a terrific wonderful program this is!!! North Beach Paws!!!

 From Wikipedia, Athena means “goddess of wisdom, courage, inspiration, civilization, law and justice, just warfare, mathematics, strength, strategy, the arts, crafts, and skill.”

 A perfect name for a prison library dog!

Joyce Hanna

Joyce Hanna, Library Associate at Airway Heights Corrections Center, received a phone call from an inmate’s mother this week thanking her for helping her son. She did not give his name because he is still at AHCC and she did not want to cause any problems for him. Joyce reports that “I explained that I was only doing my job and she told me that her son said that I did it with kindness and care which he does not get a lot of in prison. It brought tears to my eyes. I thanked her.”

Joyce says that it is moments like this that make everything she goes through worth it. She realizes that even the small things can be important in prison.

Yesterday at the Washington State Reformatory, Library Associate Anna Nash held the first session of the first Institutional Library Services “community reads” program.  A small but enthusiastic group of inmates discussed the book Cannery Row, by John Steinbeck, and are looking forward to the screening next week of the movie version.  There will be one additional book discussion and one additional movie screening for another group of participants. Congratulations on a job well done, Anna.

On Thursday, July 16, District #28 representative Tami Green and the new hospital superintendant toured the Western State Hospital Library.

Washington’s legislators serve the state during legislative sessions. But legislators also have jobs or businesses. Representative Green was, and is, a psychiatric care nurse. She worked the night shift on the forensic wards at Western State Hospital and at the Child Study and Treatment Center at the hospital before accepting the challenge of lawmaker.

Dr. Jess Jamieson formerly held a position with a drug recovery center at the former Northern State Hospital campus. Both briefly toured the WSH Museum and reminisced about their earlier experiences in Washington state health care. Then they joined Laura Sherbo, Elizabeth Jahnke and Kathleen Benoun for a library tour.

Both had many questions about the scope of services provided. Tami Green asked the library staff at one point “what would you consider a critical need of the library?” “To stay in business!” was the prompt response, followed by more discussion about priorities for the institutional libraries.

 We ask inmates in Washington State to tell us how our libraries make a difference in their lives.  Here is a response we just received from an inmate at Clallam Bay Corrections Center:

 I have learned more about politics and history while in prison than any time before in my life.  Because of the library I have been able to pursue my special interests.  I now have a respectable base of general knowledge from which I have formed my opinions.  I can now understand current world events and the motives of political forces; as well as the meaning of the terms used in contemporary social dialogue.  I check out books, I take notes, I use a dictionary, and I reference the encyclopedias.  Because of the knowledge gained, I have a much better self-esteem and I live a more enriched life.  I owe all of that to the library and that is no exaggeration.  Thank you!

Jill accepting her award from Bob

At our Quarterly Meeting last week we honored Jill Merritt as the ILS Employee of the Year 2008.  In addition to working in one of our busiest branches (population 2,000 inmates – average monthly circulation almost 9,000 items), Jill found time to do a lot more.  She worked harder than the rest of us to ensure that this blog represents us well and she has kept it relevant and interesting.  She arranged for a librarian from England, the winner of the Traveling Librarian award, to visit Washington state institutional libraries. She applied for and was accepted into the Pacific Northwest Library Association’s Leadership Institute. As a result, she attended the week long PNLA Leads workshop.  And if that was not enough, she is currently working on her MLS!  We are proud to have Jill as a member of ILS and congraulate her on her award.

“An award jointly sponsored by the English Speaking Union and The Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) is granted each year to a professionally qualified librarian working in British libraries or information centres. The programme is designed to encourage US/UK contacts in the library world and the visit is for two weeks and normally takes place in the autumn.”

We are very excited to be hosting this year’s recipient who works in a privately managed women’s prison in Middlesex. She will arrive next week and we have plans to take her to visit at least four of our institution branches. We are looking forward to learning all about prison libraries in England and will report back after her visit.  If there is anything you want to know about prison libraries in England, send us your questions and we’ll try to get you the answers.