Books Inside is the creation and work of Toby Lafferty and Susan Raycraft.
The project began in 2008 when Toby was volunteering at the Utah State Prison library and discovered the importance of books to inmates. Prison books are in high demand and heavily used: self-help books for personal change, novels to broaden experience, poetry to inspire, skills-based books to learn . . . books to simply pass the hours. One inmate library worker has the sole job of making repairs: re-gluing spines, taping and re-taping torn pages. “Outside” are an abundance of homeless books; “Inside,” a limited number of books are read until their pages are worn and fragile.
Books Inside began simply as a way to find more books for the libraries; to bring unwanted outside books inside. The response was immediate. The local Assistance League began to set aside boxes of donated books, and the growing number of volumes provided freedom to be more selective. The prison librarian put together a list of frequently requested titles, while we culled those rarely read. Soon SuRay, a lifelong friend living in California, added her energy to the project by utilizing the Internet site Paperback Swap. Now we search, purchase, take donations, and swap. The libraries grow!
Our thanks to Jarvis Jay Masters for inspiring and supporting Books Inside. His first book, Finding Freedom: Writings From Death Row and his new autobiography That Bird Has My Wings, reveal a myriad of possibilities that can shift perspectives and transform life experiences.
