As mentioned in the last post, here is a dream revision of Section 2 of the Library Standards for Juvenile Correctional Facilities.
2. THE ROLE OF THE LIBRARY IN A CORRECTIONAL SETTING
2.1 The library in the juvenile correctional facility shall support, broaden and strengthen the stated goals of the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) for youth and young adults. This shall be done in accord with the stated vision of the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), which states “The Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) envisions a nation where our children are healthy, educated, and free from violence. If they come into contact with the juvenile justice system, the contact should be rare, fair, and beneficial to them.” The library in the juvenile detention center shall offer a variety of services, materials, and programs similar to libraries serving the general public, as well as curricula support materials, services specifically related to the experiences and desires of youth and young adults held in detention, and legal resources. The library shall:
2.1.1 Serve all youth and young adults within the juvenile detention center or other residential center;
2.1.1.2 Provide services to youth and young adult residents who are restricted to their living units (e.g. infirmary, lock-up, maximum security units), including access to technology;
2.1.2 Provide to facility staff program-related services which contribute to their professional development (e.g. reference and research assistance, professional collections, etc. These may include newsletters, journals, books, manuals, curriculum frameworks, and DVDs as well as other applicable technologies);
2.1.2.1 The library will provide materials and services that supplement and support other programs held at the juvenile detention center, including college preparation and GED programs, and programs administered by outside organizations (writing programs, drawing programs, etc.);
2.1.3 Cooperate with other libraries and community organizations to supplement local collections and services.
2.1.3.1 Cooperation may include interlibrary loan, membership in a regional cooperative, sharing of staff experience, connecting youth with community organizations and public libraries to support youth as they are released from the juvenile detention center, participation in organizations specifically focused on youth, juvenile detention, or adult incarceration, and youth access to technology.
2.1.4 Create collection development policies that actively advocate for the representation of incarcerated youth and their experiences and interests
2.1.5 Endorse and uphold the principles espoused by the following American Library Association documents (which may be obtained from the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom):
2.1.5.1 Library Bill of Rights (1939; amended 1944, 1948,1961, 1967, 1980; inclusion of “age” reaffirmed January 23, 1996);
2.1.5.2 Free Access to Libraries for Minors: An Interpretation of the Library Bill of Rights (1972,; amended 1981; 1991, 2004);
2.1.5.3 Resolution on Prisoners’ Right to Read (1982)
2.1.5.4 Policy on Confidentiality of Library Records (1971; revised 1975, 1986)
2.1.5.5 Freedom to Read Statement (1953; amended 1972, 1991, 2000, 2004)
Dr. Jeanie Austin 