On June 29th, the American Library Association adopted the Prisoners’ Right to Read: an Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights. This important action by the association asserts basic information access rights to all incarcerated individuals. Diane Walden, senior consultant in the Institutional Library Development unit of the Colorado State Library, was the primary drafter of this exceptional document. A year-and-a-half in the making, she guided the document through its many drafts and the ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee’s approval process. Diane crafted a powerful document that will support those working in libraries serving the incarcerated for years to come.
Erica MacCreaigh, also a senior consultant in the Institutional Library Development unit, states, “I think The Prisoner’s Right to Read will prove itself the single most powerful document in the English language for correctional librarians. It carries a weight of authority not found in other writings about correctional libraries. As such, it should prove a substantial asset to anyone striving to uphold the fundamental principles of librarianship in an environment designed to oppose them.”
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