The invisible library for invisible people

There's a library in this city you must hope never to see, though it has to be the country's most exclusive. Literally. Even its patrons aren't allowed to visit.

Before you cleverly guess it's a digital library, it's not. It's a concrete location. Concrete, and rather a lot of steel.

The 650-plus inmates at Auckland Prison - or Paremoremo to most - have never seen where their books come from. Never experienced the pleasure of wandering through rows and rows of little worlds, in all shades of the rainbow. And fifty shades of grey, of course. Indeed, they don't even have Fifty Shades of Grey - although they have asked.

A few weeks ago, I was led through a grim maze of locked doors to the wee storerooms that house the Paremoremo collection. There, Barbara, the friendly librarian, showed me the shelves of books, mostly donations from individuals and public libraries, that are the inmates' best chance of escape. It was sobering. The weekly reading is wheeled around on a trolley by the library staff for inmates to pick from, and what they see is what they get.

The stereotype of the prisoner is someone with poor reading ability, which is mostly true. However, the Paremoremo library has become a hugely popular lifeline for those stuck inside, helping them learn psychology, get a driver's licence and re-discover the joy of reading. There's no internet in jail, and as everyone knows, TV isn't always the most satisfying, either. That leaves print. Everything from car magazines to Lee Child novels and cookbooks - yes - goes out like the clappers. Recipes and love poems are hotly-demanded fillers in letters home, to show loved ones their partner is thinking of them.

In fact, one of the most popular programmes run for prisoners last year was Storybook Dads. Inmates were able to record themselves reading bedtime stories aloud on DVDs, which were sent to their children for Christmas. At the women's prison in Wiri, Auckland Libraries staff hold Wriggle and Rhyme sessions for female inmates with babies, so they can enjoy some quality learning time with their little ones.

Although the Department of Corrections is starting to build up collections, especially with useful items like road codes and study guides, donations are still needed to keep collections fresh. Some of you might say they're lucky to be given anything at all - but consider, there's a new Government directive that re-offending be reduced by a quarter within four years. It seems obvious that raising literacy and education levels would be a huge help in this. And getting prisoners into books, of course, is key. Reading opens minds - but for these people, it can quite literally open doors.

If you would like to donate any books to local prisons, please contact:
Barbara Austin barbara.austin@corrections.govt.nz