Libraries serve as academic services for those seeking knowledge, foster a love of reading, and encourage lifelong learning. They also serve as a repository of various information resources. Providing training for librarian assistants and organising activities to promote reading and understanding are crucial missions for libraries in communities at all levels. Recognising this importance, the Burapha University Library has launched the Librarian Assistant Project and organised activities to promote reading and learning for inmates at the Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution. This program aims to provide academic services to female inmates. The goal is to raise awareness of the importance of reading and learning through various forms of information media, enabling them to contribute to library work while in prison. This knowledge can be applied appropriately to their lives. Furthermore, it fosters a love of reading, fostering creative thinking, and fostering the spirit of inmates. Despite the lack of access to external libraries, these individuals possess the strength, knowledge, and abilities to contribute to their families, society, and nation.
Project Coordinator: Mrs. Wongduen Charoen
Objectives:
- To enable inmates to learn about information resource management processes before advancing to the next level of service, book maintenance, and the ability to serve as assistant librarians in prison libraries.
- To encourage inmates in women’s correctional institutions to recognise the importance of reading and learning through various forms of information media, including print, audiovisual, and electronic media.
- To foster a love of reading and learning among inmates in women’s correctional institutions, enabling them to learn independently throughout their lives.
Program Activities:
Operations: 1. The project committee contacted and coordinated with the Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution in Chonburi Province to assess and analyse operational needs and set a project date. 2. Publicised book donations and purchased books for the Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution’s library. The “Opening a New World Through Reading” project at the Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution was held on August 5, 2025. Activities included: 1) purchasing books and accepting book donations for the Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution’s library; 2) training in book maintenance and repair using hardcover reinforcement; 3) promoting reading and displaying new books; 4) quizzes with prizes for reading; 5) charades and riddles; and 6) recreation and music performances. The overall satisfaction assessment of the participants indicated the highest level of satisfaction (x̄ = 4.80). When considering the activities, ranked from highest to lowest, the following activities were organised: recreational music performances (x̄ = 4.80); reading promotion; New book display, word guessing game, riddle game (x̄ = 4.69), and reading quiz with prizes (x̄ = 4.65)
Expected Outcomes (Impacts):
Inmates can apply the knowledge gained from the training and reading promotion activities to their daily lives, correctly and appropriately, benefiting their families, society, and the nation in the future. The benefits are categorized as follows: 1. Benefits received by the Library include: 1) disseminating the skills and knowledge of library staff, using them to organize activities such as book maintenance and exhibitions; 2) building relationships with the community, recognizing the importance of the library; and 3) enhancing the library’s image, increasing its recognition and importance in the eyes of the community. 2. Benefits received by participants include: 1) access to new, up-to-date books for research every year; 2) gaining knowledge from book maintenance training, enabling them to repair damaged books in the library; 3) receiving entertainment and relaxation from the activities; and 4) applying the knowledge gained from reading to daily life, such as selling desserts, making flowers from various materials, and sewing clothes: souvenir and gift-making career 3. The benefits received by Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution include the following: 1) The Chonburi Women’s Correctional Institution has a library for inmates to study and gain knowledge. 2) Activities allow inmates to participate in and demonstrate their reading skills.
Date of Implementation: Aug 5, 2025
