“A library is not a trolley of books”. A scoping review of prison library research and the implications of its management
(2025) ABMM54 20251Division of ALM, Digital Cultures and Publishing Studies
- Abstract
- An often-forgotten group in the discussion of information access is inmates. This group often lack access to internet and other forms of technology. This is a task that libraries are equipped to handle, but collaboration between libraries and prisons is lacking. In order to deepen the knowledge about prison libraries, this paper thoroughly describes research on their services to open up for improvement and development through usage of the scoping review method. The paper uses a theoretical background of Foucault’s analyses of power, Chatman’s information poverty and Life in the Round theories, plus theories about professional identity to provide a critical discussion of prison library implementation.
This paper concludes that inmates... (More) - An often-forgotten group in the discussion of information access is inmates. This group often lack access to internet and other forms of technology. This is a task that libraries are equipped to handle, but collaboration between libraries and prisons is lacking. In order to deepen the knowledge about prison libraries, this paper thoroughly describes research on their services to open up for improvement and development through usage of the scoping review method. The paper uses a theoretical background of Foucault’s analyses of power, Chatman’s information poverty and Life in the Round theories, plus theories about professional identity to provide a critical discussion of prison library implementation.
This paper concludes that inmates have great information needs and behaviors which are largely unfulfilled and that prison libraries in their current states are unequipped to deal with those needs due to underfunding, understaffing, and lacking knowledge. The prison and library institutions differ greatly, resulting in consequences for both professional librarians operating in a prison environment and their patrons. Books and library services are frequently cherished by inmates, despite their low quality. The prison also suffers from issues with unexplained censorship and a view of information as dangerous. Finally, this paper concludes that the treatment of prison libraries within the prison system brings to question the supposedly more humane view of penalty that penal systems claim to work for. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
http://lup.lub.lu.se/student-papers/record/9191727
- author
- Paulson, Ella LU
- supervisor
- organization
- alternative title
- “A library is not a trolley of books”. A scoping review of prison library research and the implications of its management
- course
- ABMM54 20251
- year
- 2025
- type
- H2 - Master's Degree (Two Years)
- subject
- keywords
- Prison library, information behavior, information poverty, professional identity, penal system, information access
- language
- English
- id
- 9191727
- date added to LUP
- 2025-06-24 10:49:41
- date last changed
- 2025-06-24 10:49:41
@misc{9191727,
abstract = {{An often-forgotten group in the discussion of information access is inmates. This group often lack access to internet and other forms of technology. This is a task that libraries are equipped to handle, but collaboration between libraries and prisons is lacking. In order to deepen the knowledge about prison libraries, this paper thoroughly describes research on their services to open up for improvement and development through usage of the scoping review method. The paper uses a theoretical background of Foucault’s analyses of power, Chatman’s information poverty and Life in the Round theories, plus theories about professional identity to provide a critical discussion of prison library implementation.
This paper concludes that inmates have great information needs and behaviors which are largely unfulfilled and that prison libraries in their current states are unequipped to deal with those needs due to underfunding, understaffing, and lacking knowledge. The prison and library institutions differ greatly, resulting in consequences for both professional librarians operating in a prison environment and their patrons. Books and library services are frequently cherished by inmates, despite their low quality. The prison also suffers from issues with unexplained censorship and a view of information as dangerous. Finally, this paper concludes that the treatment of prison libraries within the prison system brings to question the supposedly more humane view of penalty that penal systems claim to work for.}},
author = {{Paulson, Ella}},
language = {{eng}},
note = {{Student Paper}},
title = {{“A library is not a trolley of books”. A scoping review of prison library research and the implications of its management}},
year = {{2025}},
}