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SLO 1, ARTIFACT 2:
Summary of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ (IFLA) Guidelines for Library Services to Prisoners Link to the complete guidelines: https://www.ifla.org/files/assets/hq/publications/professional-report/92.pdf This assignment was my first experience reviewing international library policy guidelines pertaining to imprisoned people. It was one of several assignments and readings that deepened my interest in the topic of library services to the incarcerated, an interest which later led me to produce a multipart podcast on the topic of literacy among incarcerated women. It also reminded me of how important it is to think beyond U.S. policies when searching for ideas on how to provide and improve library service to the marginalized. Doing this assignment made me think about aspects of prison library service that I had not considered, such as the number of books needed per prisoner and the frequency with which the collection should be updated. I was struck by the very specific recommendations for the size and space of the collections, since library guidelines are often quite vague. The suggestion that prisoners be allowed to have a say in what materials are purchased was one that I found very significant, since prisoners have limited opportunities to exercise agency in the prison environment. Many of the issues faced by the incarcerated are issues in poor communities as well - the stigma, the lack of access to resources, the limited say over policies that directly impact them. The IFLA guidelines will be useful to me when I am thinking about service enhancements for both incarcerated people and economically marginalized individuals. Having a content summary on hand will be helpful during times when I need to zero in on a specific section of the 26-page policy document. It is also a document that is easily shareable by email with colleagues who may want a brief overview of the guidelines. |