The inmates of the Minnesota State Prison have a fine library of about
6,000 volumes at their disposal, and it is well patronized. The books have
been carefully selected, and all those of a suggestive nature or of the
“Dead‐Eye‐Dick” variety have been excluded. Here are many volumes
pertaining to history, biography, science, art and fiction, bound
magazines, poetry, reference books, etc. However, the intellectual pabulum
mostly preferred by the inmates is fiction and bound magazines. The state
subscribes for all the best magazines, and, after they have been withdrawn
from circulation, they are sent to the bindery, bound and later listed in
the catalogue ready for reissue among the prisoners.
There are two prisoners employed in the library who circulate the books
and papers among the inmates. The prison has what is known as an “exchange
box.” All papers and magazines subscribed for by inmates are permitted to
be exchanged for others. Papers circulate ten days from date of issue, and
magazines thirty days. For instance, a prisoner subscribes for the Weekly
Dial; after he has read it he can place five or six of his friends’
numbers on the margin thereof and then drop it in the exchange box in the
morning as he comes down the main stairway to work. It is the duty of the
librarian to see that such papers and magazines are delivered to the room
numbers indicated. When the first man has finished the paper he erases his
number and again places it in the exchange box. This procedure is
continued until the last number has been reached or until the prescribed
limit that it has to circulate has expired.
Every inmate in the institution is given a library catalogue and permitted
to draw out two books a week. He is his own free agent in the selection of
books, receiving just what he has ordered on his library slips. These
slips contain the numbers of the books selected by him and are gathered up
by the night guards. If an inmate mutilates a book he is denied the
privilege of the library.