The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has announced a $2 million grant in support of a collaboration between the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) and the American Library Association (ALA) to expand library services for incarcerated individuals both locally and nationally.

The Expanding Information Access for Incarcerated People initiative will create three new positions at SFPL: an administrative position for grant fund distribution, a research analyst, and a librarian to provide support for the Jail and Reentry Services team. The initiative will survey existing library service models and collaborate with librarians and formerly incarcerated people to re-envision the current standards. Through the project, an interactive map will be developed to locate library services for incarcerated individuals nationwide, a yearlong virtual training series will be created, and the project will pilot digital literacy trainings to assist people in the process of reentry.

As envisioned, the project will have national visibility and share models for providing resources to people in jails and prisons across the country. For example, SFPL will convene librarians and library staff for a half-day meeting prior to the ALA 2022 conference in Washington, D.C. In addition, at its conference, ALA will host a hearing on the standards for library services in jails and prisons.

“Little information is publicly available about the types of library services available to incarcerated people,” said SFPL librarian Michael Lambert. “This project will allow us to see where library services exist, where they can be better supported, and to provide that support through collaborations and training that will ultimately increase the amount of library services inside of jails, juvenile detention centers, and prisons. Our justice-involved patrons deserve more equitable access to the full spectrum of library programs and collections.”

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