The Danville Public Library Spreads Literacy, Reading, and Opportunity to Ex-Offenders

M any ex-offenders feel that “the system” has little to offer them except a strong likelihood that they will return to prison. The high rate of recidivism among former offenders would seem to bear out this fear. However, the Danville Public Library (DPL) is doing all that it can to assist exoffenders in reconnecting to their communities by spreading literacy, encouraging reading, and offering referrals to the many services that are available to help them. This is the primary reason that DPL has set up the Institute of Informa­ tion Literacy: not just to benefit ex-offenders, but also to help the underserved community in gen­ eral. It is the moral duty of the public library to ensure that all of its customers are afforded the best and most accurate information for their advancement.