Prison Librarianship Policy and Practice

<p> Prisoners are in a grey area regarding library services. Prison libraries violate many tenets of librarianship with the justification of maintaining order. The field is de-professionalized--many positions are filled by persons without degrees in library science and corrections administrators often write policy for services.</p><p> Critics cite the need to implement public library service models despite practical difficulties.</p><p> This book investigates state national and international policies on prison libraries reviews literature on the topic and describes partnerships between prisons and public libraries. Results from a national survey and follow-up interviews are included providing a full narrative of policy outcomes in U.S. prisons.</p>