Libraries – a divine influence on the mind and soul
Tai chi. Image credit: Leigh Gleeson
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Retiring after 10 years as kaitiaki pukapuka at Waikeria Prison, Leigh Gleeson says seeing the men gain a love of books and reading will be a lasting memory for her. She shares her experience at Waikeria Prison over the last decade.
Waikeria Prison is near Te Awamutu, in the Waikato. The prison library is a ‘closed’ resource situated outside the wire, and the men are efficient in selecting books from bound unit catalogues. They love attending noisy unit book displays and the infamous Literati Guild book club, which was originally created by a prisoner at Hawkes Bay Regional Prison. Run by prisoners for prisoners, who relish the opportunity to speak on their favourite author, subject or tell their own life story, the humble book club gives the men an opportunity to contribute, take ownership, plan an event, and in the case of the Hawkes Bay prisoner, leave a legacy. |
“Libraries can have a divine influence direct and immediate on the mind and soul,” says Leigh. “This could never be truer than for the prison library.Up to 100 men were employed over Leigh’s time and she believes it has fostered a lifelong appreciation of books for them, arming them with the ‘know how’ and courage to rumble in any public or tertiary library, research whakapapa or sit, think, dream, reflect and grow.
A poor cousin to dazzling collections found at your local library, prison books, many rehomed from book fairs and now ‘doing time’ must be resilient and adaptable. The prison librarian must be prepared for the odd book to be used creatively; as chopping boards, TV stands, or coasters.
A poor cousin to dazzling collections found at your local library, prison books, many rehomed from book fairs and now ‘doing time’ must be resilient and adaptable. The prison librarian must be prepared for the odd book to be used creatively; as chopping boards, TV stands, or coasters.
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The entrepreneurial start their own ‘book rental service’ with popular titles never seeing the library again. That said, the majority of books issued are read and returned to unit library boxes. The Waikeria Prison library collection reflects the diverse prison population, including talking books from the National Library of New Zealand for the print challenged. A multicultural collection complete with dictionaries, teaching resources such as language guides, atlases, and Geographics foster connection and learning opportunities. Many men remember reading R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps series, part of the Dad & Me Read Talk Learn Together outreach programme encouraging their tamariki to borrow the same title from the school or public library. |
Librarian with prisoner. Image credit: Leigh Gleeson
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“A public librarian based in Sydney contacted me having watched online Seven Sharp’s Good Sorts feature on Waikeria Prison Library as she wanted advice as to how she could become a prison librarian,” says Leigh. “As I visited Brush Farm Corrective Services Academy and Silverwater Prison Library in Sydney, I was only too happy to advise her. I also suggested her library work with probation to create meaningful opportunities for the recently released and their families.”
Leigh was the instigator of Librarians Behind the Wire page on Tatou for prison librarians, developed in 2019.
Leigh was the instigator of Librarians Behind the Wire page on Tatou for prison librarians, developed in 2019.
I do not have the sufficient words to express my gratitude for the library services provided and my admiration for the tireless efforts of the staff that tend them.
The books gave me peace while reading the many adventures and worlds laid out within their pages. They became friends, and teachers, an escape when needed.
Tane G. Waikeria Prison