Alcatraz Library, Prison library in Alcatraz Island, San Francisco, US.
The Alcatraz Library is a room inside the former maximum-security prison on Alcatraz Island, in the middle of San Francisco Bay. The room held shelves of books across different genres, from fiction to nonfiction, made available to the inmates held there.
The library opened when the prison began operating in 1934 and was part of the facility from the start. It closed in 1963 when Alcatraz stopped functioning as a federal penitentiary.
The library was one of the few places in the prison where inmates could spend time away from the daily routine of their cells. Books on fiction, history, and science were available, and some prisoners became regular readers during their time on the island.
The library can only be seen as part of a guided tour of the island, which departs from Pier 33 at Fisherman's Wharf in San Francisco. Allow enough time for your visit, as the tour takes you through several buildings and rooms spread across the site.
Each book was searched before being handed to an inmate to make sure nothing was hidden inside. This also applied to books sent from outside, since family members were allowed to mail reading materials to those held on the island.
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