The Massachusetts Library System is pleased to announce that we have contracted with PCI Webinars to provide our members with access to their live webinars.  These webinars are free to MLS members who register through our calendar. Please do not register directly with PCI. Members who register directly with PCI are responsible for paying their registration fee. 

Please help us keep MLS sponsored training free for all members. If you are unable to attend the live webinar, please cancel your registration. A cancellation link can be found in your confirmation email, or you may contact Sarah Donnelly at sdonnelly@masslibsystem.org to cancel. 

Because we are working with an outside vendor, it is important that you cancel your registration in the event that you are unable to attend the live webinar.  A recording of the webinar will be available on the PCI Webinars Niche Academy website about a week after the live webinar.  If you have any issues registering or signing into the PCI Webinars Niche Academy website, please let us know.  Please do not contact PCI Webinars or Niche Academy directly about their live webinars or webinar recordings.

Description

Incarceration in the United States affects all members of society whether directly or indirectly. Prison libraries, like their public counterparts, are uniquely positioned to provide a safe environment for individuals to access the resources needed to enhance their knowledge and skills to further their education to prepare for their future. 

Statistically, those who are incarcerated have much lower literacy rates than those who are not incarcerated. Frequently, libraries are left out of the equation when implementing literacy programs in carceral environments. Prison libraries, partnering with other library types, can be the catalyst to increasing literacy in preparation for further education and successful reintegration post-incarceration.

This webinar will provide insights into prison literacy programs, offer ideas of how libraries can and should take the lead in improving their incarcerated patrons’ literacy skills, and challenge participants to take part in creating or enhancing literacy programs with library support.

Learning Outcomes

Attendees will be able to: 

• Create a plan to start a literacy program within their organization.
• Identify and create partnerships with outside organizations for programming.
• Identify impactful resources, data, and support for literacy programs in carceral facilities

Presenter

Aaron Blumberg is a degree-holding librarian and Justice-impacted advocate, consultant, and trainer. He advocates for the rights of the incarcerated and other marginalized groups, specifically uncensored access to information and the need for digital literacy. Aaron was a member of the working group which updated the American Library Association’s “Standards for Library Services for the Incarcerated or Detained” and has served as an advisor and consultant on IMLS grant-funded projects. 
 

His current research and advocacy endeavors include prison literacy programs; access and accessibility; partnerships between carceral, public, and academic libraries; and breaking down barriers to education during and after incarceration.
 

He has presented webinars on topics such as censorship in prisons, advocating for incarcerated and formerly incarcerated populations, and library services to the incarcerated for the American Library Association, Ithaka S+R, OCLC, and the California Library Association. Most recently, Aaron co-presented two sessions at the 2025 ALA Annual Conference on related topics.

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