When you picture a book club, what do you see?
A spread of snacks? Cozy living room furniture?
For residents at the Hennepin County Adult Corrections Facility, things look a bit different.
Yet, even in the context of a jail, the outcomes remain the same. Shared experiences, new perspectives, healing, and connection.
That’s why your library provides books and thought-provoking events during some of the most challenging times in a person’s life.
One night, a group of facility residents gather to discuss the memoir of Gordon Parks, an acclaimed Minnesota photographer. The book is part of a series of stories about people who have experienced hardship and found strength through creativity.
Copies of each book club selection are specially distributed throughout the jail, thanks to the support of library friends. As residents assemble for the beloved book club, the room is full of laughter and conversation, and some eager readers page through their copies, bookmarking favorite passages.
Library Director Scott Duimstra opens the conversation and then welcomes Minnesota Star Tribune columnist Myron Medcalf.
Gordon Parks’ memoir begins with a scene between Parks and his late mother. “Put something into it, and you’ll get something out of it,” his mother says, words that shaped Parks’ choices and mindset for life. Medcalf poses the question to the group: why start the story here?
“We all have a page one. A moment that defined the trajectory of our life. People can’t always see it or choose not to see it. So, what’s yours?”
Residents listen with grace and empathy as individuals bravely share key moments from their lives. Often, these moments are filled with tremendous pain and loss.
Just as Parks shared his truth through his camera lens, one reader notes, we can shape our own narratives. “When you see an image, you get to decide what it means. No one can tell you. There’s power in that.”
By the end of the night, every person in the room has spoken. The librarians share details about upcoming programs, and book club members shake hands with Medcalf on their way out.
“Myron makes everyone feel included. You see people walking out as more of a community than when they walked in,” says Outreach Librarian Dan Marcou.
Of his kind-hearted approach, Medcalf shares, “In order to get vulnerability from people, you have to give it. These folks are more than what they’ve done. They are more than their current circumstances. I’m glad they’re willing to talk.”
"My goal is to make people aware of everything the library has to offer, and how it can bring about positive changes in all of us.”
~ Dan Marcou
Delivering Joy and Opportunity to All Corners of Your Community
Since 1970, your library has offered service to adult and juvenile correctional facilities in Hennepin County. While programming has evolved throughout the years, the focus remains on literacy—for the individual and for any children in their lives—as well as support for after their sentence is complete.
Library staff Dan Marcou, Heather Fisch, and Katie Wahl lead these efforts with enthusiasm and commitment. The small but mighty team manages an extensive collection of books and materials, answers questions, and offers a variety of engaging programs and activities.
“There's a reason that I've been doing this job for 18 years, you know. I feel like it's an opportunity to make a difference for the facility residents, their families and the community. My goal is to make people aware of everything the library has to offer, and how it can bring about positive changes in all of us,” shares Dan.
Discovering a Love of Reading
Every day, facility residents can access a library in the jail, staffed and curated by the Outreach team.
On average, residents request more than 1,000 books per month. Again and again, the book drop bins fill to the brim. Topics of interest range from history, to starting a business, to parenting. Folks seek out self-help materials, comics, urban fiction and more.
“We hear all the time about people who haven't read in years and years who now love reading and can't get enough of it. Once people get the taste for reading, they just devour books. It’s always meaningful to see someone who wasn't a reader before coming to the facility leaving as one,” shares Heather.
The Power of Storytelling
A highly anticipated program among residents involves visits from a retired librarian named Denis, a natural performer who tells stories from memory.
Denis speaks animatedly, and by the end of the hour, a hush falls over the crowd. Residents who entered the space with boundless energy are enraptured completely. “It really is a testament to the power of storytelling,” shared Dan.
Since 2019, local authors Shannon Gibney and Kao Kalia Yang lead a workshop series called Writing Your Story at the women’s facility. At each session, the authors demonstrate the power of writing as a way of processing and expressing emotions.
The authors speak to their writing journeys and lead the group in a series of prompts, where participants write in handcrafted journals made by a local book artist for the program. In the end, patrons proudly share what they’ve written.
Investing in Family Success
Research shows that reading to a child is the single most important factor in promoting literacy. When parents and other family members are away from the children in their lives for months at a time, who is there to read them stories?
Your library meets this unique need by offering the Read to Me program, which uses books to build bridges between young children and their incarcerated parents.
At each session, adults learn the benefits of reading in the lives of children, and the power the library holds as a source of support. They practice selecting age-appropriate books and reading aloud. Then, they record themselves reading a story. Both the recording and physical book are sent to the child at home to enjoy.
The Gift of a Library Card
Encouraging folks to use the library once they leave the corrections facility is a major goal of this work. Dan and Heather offer library cards at every program, and let people know that the library is there for them. When they need to search for jobs, want to grow their skills, have a question, or need a new book, they’ll know where to turn.
And our librarians say that it works! They frequently run into these patrons at various libraries, which makes their day.
Recently, one formerly incarcerated patron visited Ridgedale Library and left a note for the Outreach team. It said: “Hi, Dan and Heather. See, I'm finally at the library! I haven't gone to the library since I was a kid and now, I'm out and I'm at the library using my card.”
Library friends fund 100% of outreach programs to incarcerated patrons.
In 2025, $765,000 of Friends of HCL’s $2.5 million annual funding commitment will directly support outreach and engagement programs in communities served by all 41 libraries, engaging youth, families, the homebound, the incarcerated, and more.
