Clallam Bay Library

The CBCC Branch Library was given a check this month in the amount of $1000.00 to spend on any and all kinds of books for the library. The check was donated by the CBIT (Clallam Bay Improvement Team) which is made up of offenders serving life without parole. The money comes from them holding fund raisers, such as pizza sales or baked goods made in the bakery by inmates and purchased by inmates through the whole institution. The bakery is run by Peninsula college and is a certified class. The purpose of the team is to improve life in the institution for all inmates. They are always craving new, up-to-date items that have to do with re-entry, medical, jobs and of course popular fiction authors. Due to the size of our budget at this time the library was grateful for the check and we thank them all.

One of my weekends this summer was spent helping with a Wounded Warrior Project event in our tiny towns of Sekiu and Clallam Bay.  Some of the officers at Clallam Bay Corrections Center and their spouses contacted the program and invited 18 wounded military personnel to come to our towns for a salmon derby.

 It was great fun!!  Fifteen were able to make it and thanks to other officers from the prison and members of the community, we were able to put each Warrior on a boat with a captain and a skipper to see to their needs when it was time to fish.

There were pot lucks, BBQ’s, prizes for the biggest fish and for the smallest fish and even for no fish at all!!  The whole community pitched in and it was a great time for everyone. 

More information about the Wounded Warrior Project can be found at this link: http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org/

Clallam Bay Library

The two biggest highlights of 2011 for Clallam Bay Corrections Center were the ILS Library Snapshot Day and the donation of $1,000 to buy library materials.

The ILS Library Snapshot day was a huge hit at the CBCC branch library.  The turnout for each unit was great and many were disappointed when they could not attend due to lack of room.  Stacks of “What library services mean to me” forms were filled out with heartfelt statements, even by those who didn’t make it in for that day.  The guys really felt it was important to let someone – anyone – know how important their library is to them.  Of course the picture taking was a big hit because the pictures were going to be posted on Facebook and their family and friends would be able to see them.  It was a fun filled evening enjoyed by patrons, clerks and staff alike.

The second big event was the donation of $1,000 from the CBIT (Clallam Bay Improvement Team) which is a team of offenders with a staff sponsor.  Their goal is to do things in the institution that improves being incarcerated here. They held a fund raiser, selling pies and chicken purchased at a not so close by store, with a mark up to give the donation.  This is often done by offenders who only make $.34 an hour.  It was touching to me that when they found out that the budget for the library had been cut drastically they were all willing to spend their hard earned money so a good donation could be given and new books and music could be purchased for their library.

Appreciation in action

I’ve worked for Washington State Library at Clallam Bay Corrections Center for 17 years.  I love what I do, but it isn’t always the easiest of jobs.  The mood of the institution can get depressing at times.

I have four library clerks, offenders that I work with on a daily basis. They have varying degrees of education but are all really good workers and for the most part have good attitudes. We laugh, talk books, sports, music, movies and all the time trying to be correctly professional and not be overly friendly.  It is a fine line to walk.

One clerk has worked for me over two years and in the first year it was just the two of us running the library for one reason or another.  After I had hired more clerks I gave him a small paper gold star telling him how much I appreciated his working so hard and professionally with just my help.  Another clerk who has been with me for over a year got a gold star for his willingness to do anything I ask him to do plus the initiative he shows in organizing and keeping the library tidy.  So, now the other two are striving for a gold star.

Today they surprised me by making a gold star for me to tell me how much I was appreciated as their boss.  It nearly brought me to tears and makes me so glad that I work in an institution and can make a difference, even if only for a few.

It snowed and we thought, isn’t that pretty!  And then it snowed again and we thought wow !  And then it snowed some more and we all shouted Enough!!  We are pretty remote out here at Clallam Bay Corrections Center and some of us travel over 60 miles to get to work.  As you can see by the empty parking lot sometimes it is just too far and the roads are just too bad to make it.  I do have to give a plug for the DOT of Clallam Bay, WA.  They did make it possible to get up the one mile of almost straight up-hill road to the prison.