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What’s It Like To Be
a Prison Librarian?
(It has its prose and cons…)
Big Talk From Small Libraries
Nebraska Library Commission
Mary Rayme * February 24, 2017
Huttonsville Correctional Center, Huttonsville, WV
Hi! My name is Mary Rayme and I live and work in rural
West Virginia at the Huttonsville Correctional Center as
one of two Librarians. I have worked as a prison librarian
since November 2015 and I really enjoy my job.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 2
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 3
For security reasons,
I can’t show you a
photograph of my library.
I did find this one
small snapshot of
the Huttonsville
Correctional Center
in West Virginia.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 4
A little bit about my background…
• BFA in General Fine Arts
• M.S. in Information Technology
• Teacher, graphic designer, and grant writer
• Academic library, a museum library, and a public library
• I have about 8 years of professional library experience
Huttonsville Correctional Center
• Houses around 1,100 male inmates
• Classified as a Medium-Maximum security prison
• A state run correctional facility built in 1939
• Education available: GED, cabinetry, auto repair, building maintenance, HVAC
• A.A. and B.S. degrees in Business and Land Management via the Pell Grant and Glenville State College
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 5
Huttonsville Correctional Center
Library Statistics
• 11,000 books, magazines, and newspapers
• Law library with computers (No Internet)
• Photocopier and printers
• 2 full-time Librarians
• 20 part-time library workers including legal clerks and janitors
• Interlibrary loans processed every year: 912 books
• Circulation stats 2016: 50,471 books
• Serves about 1,100 all-male inmates
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 6
The big difference between correctional
libraries and other libraries is…
SECURITYBig Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 7
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 8
Because I work in a medium-maximum security prison I work
with inmates who have committed:
• Sex offenses/abuse
• Rape
• Repeat drunk driving offenses
• Thieves and robbers
• Murderers
• Kidnappers
My personal
safety, those of
my co-workers,
and the
neighboring
community is
my number one
goal everyday.
10
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme
To qualify for my job I had to pass a drug test and a
background check. I also had 4 weeks of orientation to
familiarize myself with the rules and procedures of the
prison. The policy and procedure manual alone is over
1,000 pages!
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 11
I was in orientation with about 15 other new employees, mostly
young correctional officers. Some of what we learned includes:
• CPR/First aid
• People managing
• Emergency management
• Policy and procedure
• Self defense
• Handcuffing
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 12
Inmates are big library users. Typically, they come to the
HCC Library to:
• Do legal work/research
• Check out books
• Read newspapers/magazines
• Work on schoolwork
• Hang out & socialize
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 13
Staying Safe in the Library
• Correctional Officers
• Cameras
• Radios
• Policy & procedure
• Positioning
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 14
The Daily Routine
• The hallmark of Huttonsville Correctional Center is
controlled movement
• This means that inmates have to sign out when leaving
to go to the library
• There are typically 2-3 library calls per day
• Every inmate has the opportunity to come to the library
at least once per day unless they are in segregation
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 15
So what do I do all day?
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 16
In a typical day…• Make photocopies of
legal work
• Answer reference
questions
• Order books
• Keep an eye on my
workers
• Keep an eye on the
inmates in the library
• Recommend books
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 17
In many ways, working in a prison library
is a lot like working in a library anywhere.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 18
I have some high maintenance patrons.
I need
it now!
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 19
I have many happy readers.
I love
Jane Austen!
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme
I have many interesting and thought
provoking conversations with patrons.
20
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 21
There are some big differences
between a prison library and other libraries…
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 22
• Keep your personal life to yourself.
• Some inmates are professional con
men and manipulators.
• It can be dangerous to reveal any
information about your personal life
that can be used against you.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 23
“You are not here to
make friends with inmates.”
~ Often repeated quote from orientation
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 24
• No personal phones at work
• Bring only what you can fit in a lunch box
• No wallet or identifying information
• Only plastic utensils
• No wi-fi
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 25
No fundraising! Yay!Funding for the library comes from the
state and the Inmate Benefit Fund.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 26
• I do not even have an
outside phone line in my
office.
• In my year and a half as a
prison librarian I have
received two personal
phone calls.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 27
Just to get to the ladies restroom I have to use
my keys to:
• Lock my office
• Unlock and then lock the library
• Unlock the restroom and lock it behind me.
Repeat in reverse to get back to the library
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 28
There are many groups and
factions within the prison to be
aware of including…
• Gang members (mostly DMI)
• White supremacists
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 29
Many of our books are graffiti-ed with:
• DMI pyramid and dog paws
• 14/88 (white supremacist)
• Obscenities
• Book reviews
Sadly, racism is alive and well in
America, especially in prisons.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 30
Working in
a prison
has changed
me mostly
for the better.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 31
I am less judgmental
and more tolerant.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 32
I have become a great lie detector.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 33
I can tell when
someone, or a
group of people,
is up to no good.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 34
There are two important skillsets
I came to prison with that help
me be a good prison librarian.
• Being a parent
• Having street smarts
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 35
My boundaries are tested everyday
and I have to say NO a lot!
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 36
BUT…
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 37
As rural librarians do we not value working
with an underserved population?
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 38
The rewards I receive as a
prison librarian are sometimes
better than a paycheck.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 39
• Many inmates have never used a
library on the outside before.
• Many inmates never read regularly
until they come to prison.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 40
While I hope that the
right book (or books)
may change an inmate’s
life, I am just happy if a
book helps someone get
through the night.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 41
The gratitude and respect that I receive from some
inmates is incredibly rewarding.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 42
The opportunity to create positive change in
an individual just through healthy and polite
interactions is abundant.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 43
Working in a prison is not for everyone.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 44
I see a lot of men with
wounds, stitches, and
black eyes.
There is a lot of violence in prison, most of
it inmate-on-inmate.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 45
Prison can be Very Depressing.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 46
Prison can also make you feel
very grateful for what you have.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 47
While some librarians may consider a prison job as
a profession of last resort I can only recommend it.
Big Talk From Small Libraries, February 2017, Mary Rayme 48
I would like to give a thank you and a
sincere shout out to all rural librarians
‘cause you rock!
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