Washington State Library

Washington State Library

Institutional Library Services (ILS)

The Washington State Library partners with the Department of Corrections (DOC), the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), and the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) to provide library services to incarcerated individuals in adult correctional facilities, patients in adult psychiatric hospitals, and youth in juvenile detention facilities.
 
 Mission

• Expand, update, and improve collections to meet the recreational, educational, and informational needs of incarcerated and hospitalized patrons in DOC, DSHS, and DCYF branch libraries.
• Purchase resources to improve the quality and scope of ILS services, including reentry and recovery, digital literacy, and outreach.
• Support programming including book discussions, author visits, reentry workshops, reading challenges, writing programs and more.
   

Description

Institutional Library Services (ILS) serves a unique and vital purpose: providing knowledge and hope to a community that needs it most. Our program supports over 14,000 patients and incarcerated adults and youth through access to over 116,000 physical books, and nearly 400 newspapers and magazines. 

The newspapers and magazines in our branch libraries are often the only readily available connection patrons have to current events, breaking news and other important information that can aid in our patron’s educational pursuits and personal growth. 

Institutional Library Services (ILS) provides periodicals’ and local newspaper subscriptions to the twelve correctional institutions and hospitals. This helps promote the residents’ connection to the outside world through informed access to current events improve pathways to literacy, minimize culture shock upon release, and ideally, contribute to a decrease in recidivism (the likelihood of re-incarceration). 
 

Call to Action
In 2022, a generous funding stream was granted to ILS for materials and 558 subscriptions to 12 correctional facilities and hospitals were purchased. In late 2025, this funding source has been depleted and the subscriptions are expiring. 

The average subscription renewal cost is $62. There are currently over 550 magazines and newspaper in circulation so the ALL Foundation of Washington is looking to help ILS raise $40,000. Will you help us raise the funds to continue these library lifelines today?