Bibliograph

Reading behind bars, a true story of literature, law, and life as a prison librarian, Jill Grunenwald

Type

Label

Reading behind bars, a true story of literature, law, and life as a prison librarian, Jill Grunenwald

Language

eng

resource.biographical

autobiography

Index

no index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Reading behind bars

Oclc number

1048948819

Responsibility statement

Jill Grunenwald

Sub title

a true story of literature, law, and life as a prison librarian

Summary

In December 2008, Jill Grunenwald graduated with her master's degree in library science, but as the Great Recession reared its ugly head, jobs were scarce. After some searching, however, Jill was lucky enough to snag one of the few librarian gigs left in her home state of Ohio. The catch? The job was behind bars as the prison librarian at a men's minimum-security prison. She was forced to adapt on the spot, speedily learning to take the metal detectors, hulking security guards, and colorful inmates in stride. Over the course of a little less than two years, Jill came to see past the bleak surroundings and the orange jumpsuits and recognize the humanity of the men stuck behind bars. They were just like every other library patron--persons who simply wanted to read, to be educated and entertained through the written word. By helping these inmates, Jill simultaneously began to recognize the humanity in everyone and to discover inner strength that she never knew she had.

Classification