MLA 2024 Conference

Skip the background check and metal detector and go behind the Sally Port to look at libraries in the State of Minnesota’s Correctional Facilities, where incarcerated people (IPs) are urgently in need of good information and desperate for the latest James Patterson novel. Meet a few intrepid librarians who are changing lives through aiding incarcerated individuals in constructive usage of time, bringing the joys of access, offering legal research materials, connecting with families, and so much more!

A panel of Minnesota Department of Corrections (MN DOC) librarians will present an overview of the MNDOC libraries and their general services, defying common stereotypes and clarifying what make makes these public libraries special. The panel will share what it means to “C.A.R.E.” within their particular library and how library services contribute to the MN DOC’s mission of “Transforming lives for a safer Minnesota.” The discussion will focus on past successes, future directions, best practices, and the unique challenges of providing professional, thoughtful library service in carceral spaces.