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Library wins another award
The Johnson County Library system consistently wins top awards for its outstanding services to our community. Many of them are for overall performance, but a recent one singled out the library’s role in encouraging adult and juvenile offenders to read books as part of their confinement activities.
There are signs that the exposure to literature is more than a reading exercise. Kathy McLellan, youth outreach librarian, said it appears the readers are less likely to get into trouble after they are released. Thus the program is a good investment in public safety.
Like many of the library’s outstanding initiatives, this one is a partnership with county corrections, the district court and a private organization that promotes reading in the criminal justice system. Periodically, librarians here take books to the institutions for reading and discussion sessions.
McLellan said the reading enables inmates to sharpen their reading skills and gain insight, through identifying with characters in literature, into their own behavior. They are able to understand how decisions, good or bad, affect their lives.
One book of interest was written by a former gang member who learned to read while in prison. As a result of that achievement he was motivated to write about his criminal life experiences. The book demonstrates how he helped rehabilitate himself.
The American Library Association presented the prize, called the Marshall Cavendish Excellence in Library Programming, to the library. The winning programs focus on women as well as juveniles and adult males.
The project is a reminder of how the library is providing a much wider range of services. Years ago, it concentrated mainly on offering books and other materials that were available at the library.
As societal needs changed, so has the library. The library has a program that provides information to families in crisis, such as counseling and treatment providers, hotlines and warning signs of teen suicide. Discussion issues at the library focused on tough love measures and help for teenage victims of rape. The library teamed with a medical center to offer information about health problems.
Public forums on a wide range of issues encouraged participation in the public affairs sector.
Summed up, the library, with the help of computers and the Internet, is a most valuable asset to this community.
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There are signs that the exposure to literature is more than a reading exercise. Kathy McLellan, youth outreach librarian, said it appears the readers are less likely to get into trouble after they are released. Thus the program is a good investment in public safety.
Like many of the library’s outstanding initiatives, this one is a partnership with county corrections, the district court and a private organization that promotes reading in the criminal justice system. Periodically, librarians here take books to the institutions for reading and discussion sessions.
McLellan said the reading enables inmates to sharpen their reading skills and gain insight, through identifying with characters in literature, into their own behavior. They are able to understand how decisions, good or bad, affect their lives.
One book of interest was written by a former gang member who learned to read while in prison. As a result of that achievement he was motivated to write about his criminal life experiences. The book demonstrates how he helped rehabilitate himself.
The American Library Association presented the prize, called the Marshall Cavendish Excellence in Library Programming, to the library. The winning programs focus on women as well as juveniles and adult males.
The project is a reminder of how the library is providing a much wider range of services. Years ago, it concentrated mainly on offering books and other materials that were available at the library.
As societal needs changed, so has the library. The library has a program that provides information to families in crisis, such as counseling and treatment providers, hotlines and warning signs of teen suicide. Discussion issues at the library focused on tough love measures and help for teenage victims of rape. The library teamed with a medical center to offer information about health problems.
Public forums on a wide range of issues encouraged participation in the public affairs sector.
Summed up, the library, with the help of computers and the Internet, is a most valuable asset to this community.