Your Name and Title: John Mahofski, Librarian, speaking in his personal capacity

Library, School, or Organization Name: Undisclosed Library

Co-Presenter Name(s): Anjali Phukan Chatelle, Student at University of Dayton School of Law

Area of the World from Which You Will Present: USA

Language in Which You Will Present: English

Target Audience(s): Libraries in Alternative (Prisons, Rehabs, etc.) Settings

Short Session Description (one line): Covid19 limitations in library programming can lead to learning opportunities and skills improvement in other areas for the library patron.

Full Session Description (as long as you would like): Covid19 led to reduced direct contact in library programming around the world, but even more so for prison populations due to custody considerations. This reduced direct contact and immediate dialogue in activities like book discussion programs. Since spontaneous discussion could no longer happen, written correspondence increased as the only option of communication reflection, and dialogue. Moving from immediate oral dialog to delayed writing, may have decreased some library activity attraction. However, it also led to increased writing skills development, the ability to research before response, and opportunity to identify gaps in logic and discourse to fill in before response. This resulted in higher level thinking and more thoughtful discussions. Hence while oral contacts decreased, writing increased as well as the quality of the content.

Websites / URLs Associated with Your Session: 

• Ala on Prison Libraries: Https://Libguides.Ala.Org/Prisonlibraries

• Special Libraries Association: https://www.sla.org