From the body prison to the spirit prison
From the body prison to the spirit prison

Special services in public libraries destined to detainees and persons with intellectual disabilities (Down syndrome, autism)

Summary/Abstract: This paper makes a summary on the library services granted by the Romanian public libraries to incarcerated populations and persons with intellectual disabilities. The public libraries cooperate with jail staff and prisoners in different forms - book donations and mobile libraries for the imprisoned, educational and cultural activities, including poetic workshops, even IT classes, support in order to re-integrate into society and fight against prejudice. Regarding the library services to people with autism and Down syndrome, the public libraries have supported them offering a space for information campaigns of those active NGOs in the field, applying bibliotherapy techniques and trying to implement projects, based on the co-operation with different institutional partners, in a whole exhaustive approach. The involvement of the Romanian public libraries toward these disadvantaged user groups clearly indicates a more and more important role in their social inclusion in the last years, offering access to information, education and support.

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