What to Donate for Correctional Services

At Correctional Services we find the reading interests of inmates reflect those of patrons in our branch libraries. The following is a breakdown of some of the most requested genres, titles, and authors by inmates at Rikers Island.

Dictionaries
Paperback dictionaries remain the most requested items at the jail. We can never have enough.

Classics
Hamlet, Thucydides, Dante, etc.

Urban Lit
Push: A Novel by Sapphire, Triple Crown, anything by Zane, Noire, or Donald Goines

Education
Recent computer books, Microsoft Office, World Almanacs, E-Z Series (Math, Geometry, Algebra), current GED workbooks, paperback dictionaries, handwriting books

Vampire Books
Twilight series, Anne Rice, Sookie Stackhouse novels, Vampire Huntress

Popular Fiction
James Patterson, John Grisham, Jeff Deaver, Dean Koontz, Stephen King

Young Adult for Women
Sharon Flake, Angela Johnson

Hi-Lo Books
Orca Soundings Press (Juice, Snitch, Back)

Other subjects/genres of interest:

• Graphic Novels
• Black Panthers
• Dream Interpretation/Astrology
• Biographies: Sports/Music
• Conspiracy Theories: Illuminati/Masons
• Starting small businesses
• African-American History
• Investment/Personal Finance

Items not needed at this time:
Any hardcover books, Romance novels

Remember to send only paperback books.

If you are interested in donating materials, please call Nick Higgins at 212-340-0971, or send books directly to:

Correctional Services
Mid-Manhattan Library, NYPL
attn: Nick Higgins
455 Fifth Avenue
New York, NY 10016

Please include a brief note with your name so we can properly thank you for the donation. Thank you for your support.