Books Behind Bars: A Small Idea Making a Big Difference for Families

Walking into a jail for a family visit can feel cold and tense. The lights, the noise, and the long security steps can overwhelm anyone—especially children clinging to a parent, struggling to make sense of the moment.

In Berks County, a simple idea helps ease that stress. A book vending machine, created through a partnership between the county library system and the local jail, lets children choose a free book to keep.

It gives families something warm to share and turns a difficult visit into a small moment of connection.

Open the Door to Your Imagination with a Token 

To make visits feel a little easier, the program offers children a simple token they can use at a special book vending machine. Installed at the Berks County Jail, the machine helps children feel more at ease during a stressful moment.

Here’s how it works:

• Each child receives a token when they arrive for a visit.
• They use it to choose from more than 230 titles, including The World According to Humphrey, and bright, cheerful Trolls books.
• The book is theirs to keep, not borrow.

This small step often brings immediate comfort, giving children something positive to hold onto and shifting the room’s mood toward something calmer and more welcoming.

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Building Bridges Through Books

This effort does more than hand out books. It helps families feel closer during a visit that can otherwise feel tense. Warden Jeffrey Smith and System Administrator Stephanie Williams have spoken about wanting the visitation room to feel calmer, and this program supports that goal.

Books become a simple tool that helps parents and children connect:

• Giving families something to read together instead of sitting in silence
• Supporting the library’s 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten program, encouraging early reading habits
• Offering comfort for children coping with the stress of separation

By offering a shared activity and easing the emotional weight of the visit, the program makes visits feel more human and supports stronger ties that can help long after the visit ends.

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A Three-Pillar Partnership

The book vending machine is only one part of a larger effort between the jail and the county library system. Together, they’ve created a broader plan to bring reading and learning into a place where they are often limited.

The partnership includes three main pieces:

• • Book Clubs. Monthly discussions that help inmates think, share, and build a sense of community.
  • Donated Collections. Withdrawn library books are sent to the jail’s internal library, giving inmates steady access to meaningful reading material.
  • Family-Focused Book Vending. The vending machine program, described earlier, supports family connection by giving visiting children a free book to keep. 

This demonstrates how libraries extend far beyond their buildings, offering support and connection to people who need it most.

Support Second Chances at Your Library

The Berks County project shows how a simple vending machine can bring comfort to children, encourage reading, and make the jail environment feel more human. It also highlights how libraries play a vital part in offering second chances and opening doors to learning, even in places many people overlook.

Libraries serve everyone, everywhere, and keeping programs like this alive depends on community support. You can sign the pledge to support your local library, speak up for library funding, or share your own story on our Facebook page about how a library shaped your life. Your voice helps keep these efforts moving forward.

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries. 

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