Oakland Post

Library, Sheriff Unlock Literary Choices at Jail

OAKLAND POST — Inmates at the Marin County Jail have had access to a modest selection of books for many years. What was missing was a catalog or database to show the incarcerated patrons what else was available if it wasn’t on the shelves. A collaboration between employees of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office and the Marin County Free Library (MCFL) recently solved the situation, and it’s a page-turner of a story to tell.

Published

7 years ago

July 10, 2019

Oakland Post

By The Oakland Post

Ideas and collaboration lead to expansion and new catalog

Inmates at the Marin County Jail have had access to a modest selection of books for many years. What was missing was a catalog or database to show the incarcerated patrons what else was available if it wasn’t on the shelves.

A collaboration between employees of the Marin County Sheriff’s Office and the Marin County Free Library (MCFL) recently solved the situation, and it’s a page-turner of a story to tell.

America Velasco, a program coordinator for the Sheriff’s Custody Division team who was hired in November 2018, was eager to improve the selection of materials and create a catalog for the inmates. There were about 2,000 books and a selection of educational DVDs within the jail. With a few ideas in mind, she first talked with Custody Division Reentry Sgt. Michael Dobbins. With his encouragement, Velasco walked up to the information desk at the Civic Center library branch one day in January 2019.

“There are inmates in our custody who escape their reality by reading books, and I wanted to provide them with books from various genres to choose from,” Velasco said. “It’s important for me to know what type of books we have and how many available copies we have to better assist the inmates, so a catalog was needed.”

Elmer Jan, one of the branch’s librarians, remembers the first exchange with Velasco. They both realized it was going to be a tedious and extensive project to catalog each item.

“I expressed an interest in working with America to explore what projects we could address together and so began researching how other public libraries provide service to county jails,” he said.

“I was surprised by their excitement, but I was excited to have Elmer and the rest of his peers on board,” Velasco said.

Jan’s research connected him to the San Francisco Public Library Jail and Reentry Services division staffed by library program manager Rachel Kinnon and librarian Jeanie Austin, who generously shared their resources and experiences.

In May, Jan started visiting the jail on Monday mornings to spend two hours organizing the library materials into genres. He is creating a survey to find out what type of books the inmates would like to read, and Velasco is proactively “weeding” books in poor shape from the jail archive and has initiated a subscription to the Libib cataloging website. MCFL has begun donating new books in direct response to specific inmate requests.

What’s popular? Books on World War II, astronomy, other nonfiction, historical fiction and works by author James Patterson.

“With the library taking patron requests and our response to those requests with Sara Jones’ support, I feel extremely gratified that we have begun providing library service to an underserved population,” said Jan, who is in his 19th year working for MCFL.

At the jail, Velasco normally oversees educational programs, religious services, community resources presentations, training programs and the volunteer program. She evaluates program effectiveness and creates and maintains the program scheduling in all the housing units. With that much interaction with inmates, she already knows the library upgrades are being received well.

“Once we explain to the inmates that we are creating a library catalog and expanding the selection, they are excited about having access to more books than the ones in their housing unit,” she said.

MCFL Director Sara Jones said the departmental collaboration with the Sheriff’s Office represents the County’s commitment to equity measures. “It demonstrates how we can tailor services to create access to information and provide reading materials to those who have limited options,” she said. “It’s rewarding whenever we use the skills of library staff to meet our mission for inclusion for all people in Marin.”

To learn more about supporting the jail library, call (415) 473-3203. The nonprofit Friends of the Marin County Free Library supports many other MCFL programs.

This article originally appeared in the Oakland Post.

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Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of March 18 – 24, 2026

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2 weeks ago

March 22, 2026

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Financial Wellness and Mental Health: Managing Money Stress in College 

While everyone’s financial situation is unique, several common sources of stress have the potential to strain your financial health. These include financial and economic uncertainty, existing debts, unexpected expenses, and mental or physical health changes. Financial stress may differ from situation to situation, but understanding the factors contributing to yours may help you begin to craft a plan for your unique circumstances.

Published

2 weeks ago

March 17, 2026

Oakland Post

Sponsored by JPMorganChase

As a college student, managing financial responsibilities can be stressful.

If you’ve found yourself staying up late thinking about your finances or just feeling anxious overall about your financial future, you’re not alone. In one survey, 78% of college students who reported financial stress had negative impacts on their mental health, and 59% considered dropping out. While finances can impact overall stress, taking steps to manage your finances can support your mental, emotional and physical well-being.

When it comes to money, the sources of stress may look different for each student, but identifying the underlying causes and setting goals accordingly may help you feel more confident about your financial future.

Consider these strategies to help improve your financial wellness and reduce stress.

Understand what causes financial stress

2. Determine your financial priorities

Start by reflecting on your financial priorities. For students this often includes paying for school or paying off student loans, studying abroad, saving for spring break, building an emergency fund, paying down credit card debt or buying a car. Name the milestones that are most important to you, and plan accordingly.

3. Create a plan and stick to it

While setting actionable goals starts you on the journey to better financial health, it’s essential to craft a plan to follow through. Identifying and committing to a savings plan may give you a greater sense of control over your finances, which may help reduce your stress. Creating and sticking to a budget allows you to better track where your money is going so you may spend less and save more.

4. Pay down debt

Many students have some form of debt and want to make progress toward reducing their debt obligations. One option is the debt avalanche method, which focuses on paying off your debt with the highest interest rate first, then moving on to the debt with the next-highest interest rate. Another is the debt snowball method, which builds momentum by paying off your smallest debt balance, and then working your way up to the largest amounts.

5. Build your financial resilience

Some financial stress may be inevitable, but building financial resilience may allow you to overcome obstacles more easily. The more you learn about managing your money, for instance, the more prepared you’ll feel if the unexpected happens. Growing your emergency savings also may increase resilience since you’ll be more financially prepared to cover unexpected expenses or pay your living expenses.

6. Seek help and support

Many colleges have resources to help students experiencing financial stress, like financial literacy courses or funds that provide some assistance for students in need. Talk to your admissions counselor or advisor about your concerns, and they can direct you to sources of support. Your school’s counseling center can also be a great resource for mental health assistance if you’re struggling with financial stress.

The bottom line

Financial stress can affect college students’ health and wellbeing, but it doesn’t have to derail your dreams. Setting smart financial goals and developing simple plans to achieve them may help ease your stress. Revisit and adjust your plan as needed to ensure it continues to work for you, and seek additional support on campus as needed to help keep you on track.

 JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. Member FDIC