Walking through the wooden atrium of the Claremont Packing House, past the famed Iron and Kin coffee shop, you’ll find a quaint used bookshop tucked in the back corner. Beneath the quaint exterior — exposed ceilings, tall bookshelves and an eclectic array of books — lies an important mission.
The bookshop is a part of the Claremont Forum, a local nonprofit that seeks to support wellness, education and arts. In an interview with TSL, bookshop manager Eva Lopez explained that the bookshop is essential to supporting the Claremont Forum’s Prison Library Project (PLP), one of the nation’s largest books-to-prisoners initiatives. Since being taken over by the Claremont Forum in 1985, the PLP has mailed almost a million books to incarcerated people throughout the country.
“The prison library project sends books and educational resources out to incarcerated individuals across 400 prisons in the United States,” Lopez said. “We receive over 1000 letters a month requesting books and educational resources, and we do our best to fulfill every single letter.”
The PLP granted TSL access to thank-you letters incarcerated people have written to the project, some of which are displayed on the bookshop’s shelves. One unnamed incarcerated person discussed how for him, reading became a treasured escape.
“ Imagine being locked in a 8×10 box for months with little to occupy your time,” he wrote. “Imagine how slowly the hours pass as the monotony of your mere existence drives you closer to the edge of the abyss of insanity. ”
Not only does the PLP provide incarcerated people with practical tools like dictionaries or legal books, it also provides access to novels or other creative works.
“Yet there exists a respite[e] that allows us to travel to distant lands, to experience the world through the eyes of another, real or fantastical, to escape the oppression we find ourselves in,” the unnamed thank-you letter writes. “The Prison Library Project provides more than just books. It provides a lifeline to a world physically beyond reach.”
While the bookshop is the physical base of operations for the PLP, Lopez explained how the weekly farmers market, a 5C student staple, plays a key role in the program’s operations.
“The Claremont Farmers Market is the sister project of the Claremont Prison Library Project,” Lopez said. “We really do depend on the Claremont Farmers Market for a lot of the financial support that goes into the program.”
While the funds raised through the Bookshop and the Farmer’s market are important, the PLP would not function without a strong volunteer network and community donations.
Volunteers at the bookshop come from all different walks of life. Many are 5C students, but others get involved through their local churches or community groups, such as The Pilgrim Place retirement community. Lopez emphasized that volunteers are integral to every step of the process of getting books to incarcerated people.
Their procedure begins as the bookshop takes in donations from people in the community. Then, volunteers sort through the donated books, identifying which ones are fit to send out to prisons. At this point, volunteers also reference letters they receive to see how they can fulfill specific requests. After pairing books with their future recipients, volunteers fill out the paperwork for packages, place postage stamps and mail out the books.
The process of approving books for shipment, however, can be very strenuous. Most prisons have very strict standards for what books they allow incarcerated individuals to receive. At many facilities, any damaged books, hardcovers or texts dealing with certain topics may be turned away. Working with limited resources, the PLP tries to be very strict in following this standard, as any books that are rejected represent a loss of time and money.
“It’s really difficult to train new volunteers to make sure that the parcels we’re sending out are in perfect condition in order to be received and not rejected,” Lopez said.
Despite the challenges, the letters PLP receives illustrate the impact of each book and its ability to plant seeds of hope in the prisons it serves.
“Dear Library Project; I am a 63-year-old [Pennsylvania] prisoner who is dying of cancer … Your books are vital and my last link to a peaceful and pain-free outside world. All of my old friends are either deceased or gone,” one letter from Ryan read. “When I am too sick to do anything else, I can still open a book and lose myself for a little while. Thank you so much for your service.”
In addition to the evident impact on incarcerated individuals, working with the PLP often leaves volunteers with many important takeaways. After volunteering with them during her freshman year Orientation Adventure (OA), Aria Zhang PO ’29 reflected on her preconceived notions about incarcerated people.
“For me, [working with the PLP] dismantled the idea of thinking of someone who is incarcerated, as a prisoner, as that being their entire personality,” Zhang said. “You get to see a little bit more of the actual person underneath.”
Traditionally, OA trips have involved outdoorsy or touristy activities, such as surfing or touring Los Angeles. This year, however, the Pomona OA team pioneered a new program — for their first three days on campus, the Draper Center for Community Partnerships connected freshmen with community organisations like the PLP.
In addition to student partnerships through the Draper Center, Lopez highlighted the many ways the Claremont community can get involved and support the PLP’s mission.
Community members can donate books, provide charitable donations or volunteer directly with the program. Supporters can also help out by purchasing from the Forum Bookshop, open Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., stopping by their pop-up stand at Claremont Forum Farmer’s Market open every Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m., or by volunteering from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Mondays and Wednesdays.
“All of the proceeds of our shop go directly back into our wonderful project,” Lopez said. “[Tell] friends by word of mouth that we are here, [and] that this space is an exciting [place] where people can come browse new books every single week.”
Students can find opportunities to get involved with the PLP on their Instagram page @prisonlibraryproject and at www.claremontforum.org/prisonlibraryproject.
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