With April 16 being National Librarian Day, we reached out to our librarians and librarian assistants and asked them these questions:
- How did you become a librarian/prison librarian/librarian assistant?
- How long have you been a prison librarian/librarian assistant?
- What do your friends/family say when they learn you work inside a prison?
- What do you like most about your job?
Here are their responses:
Maria Suhadolnik, Corrections Librarian, SCI Waymart
I became a librarian the roundabout way… I graduated in 1989 from Penn State with a Master's in Education – Rehabilitation Counseling. I worked in the field and carried the Certified Rehabilitation Counselor designation for 15 years. I had children and wanted to be home most of the time, so started working several mornings a week in a public library - I have always loved to read. As my children got older I started working more hours and returned to school with the library paying tuition. I was interested in better health care and heard about this opening and applied. I was very, very lucky as I was hired and trained by Terri Fazio who is now the DOC's director of Correction Education. I've not been a corrections librarian for 12 years!
Because by dad and brother work as corrections officers and my other brother is in probation and parole, my family and friends were fine with my working in corrections. The biggest skeptics were other public librarians; I think they were frightened by the setting, and I believe this is a big reason why outreach should be done -- to educate and recruit the best candidates to the institutional library positions.
Maria says the thing she likes most about her job is the pace of the library, "We are constantly busy with diversified questions, concerns and tasks."
Maria said the most popular book in her library is the Guinness Book of World Records.
Ling Shan, Corrections Librarian, SCI Phoenix West Library
I changed my major after I found out that the programing is too hard for me and library science is more interesting. There weren't many openings around where I lived, so I jumped in when this one opened up and became a prison librarian. I've been a corrections librarian since February 2005, and most of my friends were surprised and worried when they first learned where I worked.
The thing I like best about my job is that I am running a small library all by myself, and that that job involves budgeting, shopping, etc.
Ling says the most read genera is fantasy.
Robin Nyberg, Corrections Librarian, SCI Albion
I accidentally became a librarian. I got a job in a library as an assistant, discovered an affinity and went back for my masters' in library and information science. I came to prison four years ago -- about 10 years after working in public and academic libraries – and I love my job and being able to provide library services and reentry resources to an underserved population.
Nyberg also reports that fantasy and urban fiction are the most popular genera.
JeriLynne Stewart, Corrections Librarian, SCI Mahanoy
I became a librarian/prison librarian through perseverance. I saw an article about special libraries in Cosmopolitan magazine, and was in library school by the end of the month. That was over 25 years ago. I did a bunch of other things before becoming a corrections librarian. Once I got over the irrational fear of being killed at work, I spent a year going to interviews – this was during the big hiring freeze – before I was hired. I've now been a librarian for almost three years, and it's the best library job I've ever had.
When her friends and family learned that she worked inside a prison, most told her not to fall in love, not to help anyone escape, and that she's often asked if its like "Orange is the New Black."
JeriLynn said she loves that her job is filled with variety, "It's a public library, school library, academic library, law library and special library all rolled into one! That, and the fantastic support I get from SCI Mahanoy to do extra things to boost reading and library usage."
JeriLynn reports that the most popular non-fiction book is the PA Driver's Manual.
Finally, JeriLynn adds, "I have no statistics to back it up, but I can say I seldom see regular library users going to the restricted housing unit. Library usage seems to promote good behavior!"