Welcome to the 2026 Tennessee Library Association Conference! #tnla26 We’re glad you’re here. Build your schedule below, and be sure to check the various pages for additional conference details.
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As of 2025, there are over 1.8 million people incarcerated in the United States, but only 6% hold an associate degree or higher. Yet research shows that earning even an associate's degree can reduce recidivism by 85%. With over 400 college and university programs nationwide, higher education in prison has the power to transform lives. These programs, however, must work around restrictions set by a state's department of corrections, which can often lead to disparities between their experience and those of students on campus. These restrictions impact research and other programs supported by academic librarians. This presentation will show how librarians at one institution designed a model of the information literacy framework to address these student needs. The librarians will show how designing this framework in turn shaped the way they modified services to not only provide equitable access, but in work to develop research skills in a student population with limited access to resources. An emphasis on the practicalities the logistical challenges of implementing these services will also be noted. Finally, the librarians will provide tips for how to identify and design research services to meet certain population needs.
