The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, January 25, 1993, Page 8, Image 8

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Librarian pre From Staff Reports It isn't your typical library: Colorful parakeets fly freely overhead and perch on nearby shelves while rabbits .make rustling sounds from their cages in die far corner. Near the door, two patrons are engaged in a lively game of pingpong, and three men in a back section are busy with leather crafts. All are locked inside the library of the Kirkland Correctional Institute, litis state-run maximum security prison in Richland County is just the environment that some jj Bi ring is a wonderful | expression of your p outstanding :rf achievement It p * represents, for years to |M come, the result of |f |j your hard work and || dedication throughout M college. Now your ring || H|| is more affordable than ever. Take advantage of a special t> opportunity by plpptj attending the ring ||?|||| showing at the location Wm <:listed below. |||||^|| Guaran Monday, January 25tl 9a n SC Bookstore (Corn I ISC library students train tor each year. The College of Library and Information Science offers what may be the only prison librarian training program in the nation. "Having a library in a prison is akin to having an oasis in the desert: It's life-sustaining," said Dr. Linda Lucas Walling, the professor who directs the program. Walling teaches students how to provide library services to special populations ? people who are disabled or institutionalized in a prison, hospital or other facility. Being a prison librarian is not | TREASt Friday January 2' Monday January Tuesday January The treasurer's workshop which is currently receivii must attend one of the wo i nave any questions, pieast body Treasurer. Student Government can 1 Russell House. Student Government is ha student support services, [ Please Note: If you would seat, you must file at the 5 )gram trains s thai different from being in charge of a public library, Lucas said. Like a public school librarian, prison librarians arc required to have a master's degree in library and information science and certification as a school media specialist. "A central facility orders and processes the materials, but prison librarians otherwise carry other normal functions of a regular librarian," she said. "They also have the additional responsibilities of coordinating craft activities, video programming and pet therapy " Inmates, in fact, use libraries more frequently and in greater numbers than the general population. Seventy percent of inmates, compared to 30 percent of the general population, use libraries. Because many inmates are not reauers, prison lioraries aiso neip teach literacy through specially designed reading and discussion groups and also provide materials to improve literacy. The high illiteracy rate also explains the need for recreational programming and pet therapy. As one might guess, the kinds of 8HBB5S5^S39El^H9Hlj^Si3Hpj RER'S WORK ' 3:30-5:00pm Russell I 25 3:30-5:00pm Russell 26 3:30-5:00pm Russell I s MANDATORY for every treasi g funding, or would like to begin kshops to receive funding for the contact your staff advisor, or Eric e reached at 777-2654, and is loc; zing special workshops for media, lease contact your staff advisor fo like to run for a Student Govemrr tn/lpnt riAvpmmpnt OtTirv* Tnnimi lUUV^lll VJW VV/illUIV/lll V/IUVV, JUI1UMI ACHIEVEMENTS REMEMBERED Forever with ArtCarved Finest Quality Fastest Delivery Lifetime. Warranty Best Overall Value Guaranteed Lowest Prices \MAKES IT LAST -gg eed Lowes Tuesday, January 26th - 4pm jr of Greene and Main) Payment Plan ;tudents for p books a prison librarian orders are a little different. Inmates tend to enjoy Westerns, adventures and thrillers. They also like poetry books from which they glean romantic phrases to include to letters to their wives and girlfriends, Walling said. Inmates also prefer paperbacks. "I think hardback books remind them of school, which was a nega uve experience ior mosi, sne saiu. "Paperbacks are less ihreatening and easier to carry around." Books generally are not censored, though information on how to escape or make weapons would not be allowed in the library. The prison system also includes legal collections, where inmates have access to law books and materials. Most libraries also have typewriters to ease legal correspondence. Prison libraries are a haven for inmates, and they rarely cause disturbances, Walling said. Guards are on hand, however, to ward off potential problems. "One reason inmates create trouble in prison is that they have a lot of time on their hands," Walling said. "Going to the library occupies SHOPS | louse Room 305 House Theater louse Room 305 n er of an organization receiving funding. You 93-94 fiscal year. If you : Dell, your student ited in room 112 of the , CPU, sports clubs and r these dates. lent Office or a Senate y 25-29. '1^ | ?IS??2 ArtC larvcii t Prices rison work them and provides a respite from the yard." Interestingly, prison librarians in South Carolina are almost always women. According to Walling, however, becoming a prison librarian requires no special personality. "It does help if you like, or at least can tolerate, noise and animals," she said. "You also need to become street-smart and suspicious, but not scared, and you need to become sensitized to the kinds of problems inmates face and enjoy helping and teaching them." Walling, who has cerebral palsy and was briefly instutionalized herself during tut evaluation for rehabilitation potential, has a special empathy for those who are disabled or institutionalized. "Institutional life can be extremely boring, and books can provide an escape, however temporary, from the surroundings," she said. In addition, the potential for learning that libraries and librarians provide may help inmates become L successful citizens once they are released, Walling said. Top Ten NewA 10. Well, guess I could 1< 9. OK, OK, no more vie 8. No more Holderman 7.1 think I'll do somethi 6. Let's try to be more u 5. I'll never inhale again 4.1 think perhaps I shoi 3. I'm gonna take a *@! 2. We're gonna have a r< 1. I'm going to teach sor For more information Con Campus ( Yo it ?ji : a^p|M 01. "Beauty and i 2. "Sister Act" ( 3. "Beethoven" 4. "Cindy Craw (Good times <5. "Batman Rcti 6. "Casablanca: 7 " mi mm 8^ "The Rocky I 9. "Home Alone HV'King Kong 1. "Boomerang" (Parami 2. "Lethal Weapon 3" (V 3. "Patriot Games" (Pare 4. "Hoiusesitter" (MCA-I 5. "Sister Act" (Touchstc 6. "Buffy the Vampire 7. "Honey, I Blew Up th 8. "Universal Soldier" (I 9. "Far and Away" (MG 10. "Basic Instinct" (Liv Chfis Muldrow The Gamecock fear's Resolul 1*1 1 M ft ^arn to nice oroccon. o >lations. (Steve Newto stories. (The Gamecoc ng racy for a change, i nderstanding of one ai i. (Bill Clinton) ild become less family #ing bath. (Axl Rose) ^bellion every year. (S neone to read (YOU) Be Resolved. read. tact The Office of Com Loalition for Literacy c uCan Make A Differe B Ii m. m fwiNDO T! DOS Tl JUDD SYBEX WE OFFER FRi (*21 Lhc Beast" (Disney) Touchstone) ^M^A-univ ersai) ford's Shape Your Body Workout" ) jrns" (Warner) 50th Anniversary" (MGM-UA) ons" (Disney) dorror Picture Show" (Fox) sM (Fox) ' 60th Anniversary" (Turner) imnH munity Service Programs or it 777-5780. nee. >WS MAGIC tICKS & MAGIC tICKS ROBBINS $19.95 EACH ESPECIAL ORDERING ,; u 11 L ) /arner) imount) Jnivcrsal) ^ )ne) ^3 | layer" (Fox) 11 I c Kid" (Disney) p?l vive) 1 \-Universal) m e) l_ tions: Ceorge Bush) n) *) (Madonna) lother. (Sinead O'Connor) oriented. (Woody Allen) parky Woods)