1

Overview

HMP Thameside is a local category B establishment that can currently hold 900 convicted
and remand male prisoners. The establishment opened in 2012 and the main aim of the
library service at HMP Thameside is to provide a library and other outlined facilities, subject
to any directions from the Governor or Secretary of State, for every prisoner in the
establishment. In accordance with The Prison Rules (1999) all prisoners have the right to
use and exchange books and the HMP Thameside LIS and Information Service continues to
not only provide this basic facility but strives to exceed all expectations set out in the
Ministry of Justice guidelines for a Prison LIS Service.
In line with The Prison Rules 1999 all prisoners are allowed a minimum of 30 minutes every
two weeks. In fact the LIS currently operates at more than quadruple this standard,
scheduling sessions of 75 minutes per week for those prisoners that request a session.
Higher frequencies of visits are also arranged on an ad hoc basis for those that demonstrate
a need to use the facilities on a more regular basis.
One of the key aims of the LIS at HMPT is to provide a wide and varied range of source
material for the prisoner population and we feel that we have more than achieved this. We
will also continue to increase the range of material we offer in future stock purchases.
Another core objective for the LIS is for all the requirements of the prisoner population to be
catered for and that the LIS contents reflect the diverse nature of all those in the custody of
the establishment. The HMPT LIS is committed to widening its offerings so that all diversity
and learning levels are supported and that all opportunities are identified early and provided
where possible.

Introduction
The term information retrieval was coined in 1952 and with the introduction of computers
the idea of retrieving information was linked to databases. Internal information may
compromise one or more different types of documents and text as well as multimedia
information (see below).

Users will interact with the retrieval system through an interface. As Chowdury (2010) states
An information retrieval system is designed to retrieve the documents or information
required by the user community. And further, it should make the right information
available to the right user. However, design issues, data base technology, formats, indexing
and language processing all combine on the effectiveness.
Traditionally information retrieval has only been the concern of a select few (i.e. people in
education and research). However, today it is used in almost every aspect of our daily lives,
this is most apparent with the introduction of web 2.0 technologies such as YouTube and
Facebook.
Liston and Schoene (1978) suggest an effective information retrieval system must also
provide for: prompt information dissemination, filtering of information, browsing, receiving
information economically and offering help. Liston and Schoene went on to talk about how a
system should be user-orientated, giving primary emphasis to the convenience of the users.
This all links well to the internal information library catalogue at a HMP Thameside upon
which I will draw some useful references. The case study is of interest due to the restrictions
in place and so recommendations for improvements in this report are restricted to what is
permissible by the The Justice Department. In this sense, aspects of fig 1.1 (web pages,
multimedia) are restricted.
As the PSI 45/2011 (Prison Service Instructions) based on The Prison library service a
document that all operational prisons should follow - states The prison librarian will be
responsible for collecting, collating and analysing management information. The methods of
collection will include the annual library user survey, data provided by the PLA library
management system, information held by the establishment on prisoner population and

manual counts such as staff attendance and actual library opening hours. On a HMCIP
Inspection in August 2014 at HMP Thameside, the library received extremely positive
feedback from inspectors with the only recommendation being that we have more efficient
procedures to retrieve specific data, such as the ethnicities and age groups of the prisoners
who frequent the library. This feedback read A range of data were generated and analysed
to monitor Library usage: the system for generating reports was cumbersome and reports
not yet detailed enough with the recommendation being Managers should implement a
more effective data reports system including more detailed reports.
As our library continues to grow in popularity, it is vital that we find more efficient and
detailed methods of retrieving information of prisoner use in the library and also easier
methods for prisoners to source the information they require in the library. I hope to
explore the benefits of improved information retrieval in this report.
Current Library Management System

Library Orderly logging onto the communal computer to loan titles for prisoners.

Currently used as a form of logging titles in the Library at HMP Thameside is an Excel
spreadsheet which contains a list of books which have been loaned and returned by
offenders. For the orderlies to operate the PC, the spreadsheet is based on a standalone
machine. The formatted lines on the Excel spreadsheet are highlighted in various colours to
represent returned books, overdue and received. To improve the system, cells could be
formatted to update and reveal when books are overdue and the costs that should be
charged to each prisoner. This fulfills the basic considerations set by G. Chowdury (2010) to
run an information retrieval system, however the library requires something more advanced
to accommodate the amount of prisoners who use the library service.

Shelving units in the HMP Thameside Library showing the coloured sticker system.
For centuries, libraries have been organising reading material on shelves to allow for easy
access. In 1876 Melvin Dewey developed a systematic scheme for library classification which
has become unique, famously known as the Dewey Decimal Classification System. What
currently exists on the shelving units of Thameside Library is not a Dewey system but a
series of colour-coded stickers which are a useful tool for prisoners with poor literacy to
locate material. A simple improvement on the current method of searching would be to
design a poster to display all such titles / topics with their corresponding stickers. However,
a major flaw on the current set-up is that there is no fixed place for each book on the
shelves and the format has no current connection with the library management system
making it inconsistent.
Any evaluation of suggestions to improve would be to consider three steps as stated by
Lancaster (1971):
1. How well the system is satisfying the objectives (demands placed on it).
2. How effectively it is satisfying objectives.
3. Whether the system satisfies its existence.
I have listed some other points of why our current procedure for retrieving information is
ineffective below:
1. It allows the prison library worker inputting the data to see confidential information
about each prisoner, e.g. Their prison number and if the prisoner has incurred late
fees.
2. Late fees have to be manually recorded and e-mailed to the Finance department in
the prison to have the fees deducted from individuals accounts.
3. It is a momentous and dated task for the library orderly to input the data required
for each book loan.

4. As the document is on a standalone computer, retrieving user information onto a

staff computer for statistical purposes (e.g. to present at meetings and such)
requires the assistance of the IT department who would transport information via
USB stick from different servers which can take a considerable amount of time.
5. Searching for particular information using the Excel functions provides many
irrelevant results which can take time assessing.
6. The layout of the Excel spreadsheet is clunky and not user friendly.
7. You can only retrieve information from titles that have been loaned in the library
previously, recent or not loaned copies will not be listed and will not allow the
library orderly to advise library users on certain titles stocked within the library.
8. It does not provide the librarian with the number of titles currently in the library.
9. The format is basic and, if used by many prison workers, is open to having mistakes
and errors inputted on the system.

The series of options available to the library manager when opening the CMS facility.
While the Excel spreadsheet may provide basic information of how many books have been
loaned, it does not provide the manager information on how many prisoners attended the
library to pursue the many initiatives on offer (such as book club, Rosetta Stone languagelearning and general sessions). Currently such information is held on a staff computer-based
system called Custodial Management System (CMS). The system is regarded as being a
useful information management tool in prisons as it electronically records prisoner
attendance, amongst other things. The Custodial Management System module represents
the first integrated custodial management tool in prisons and is view by many as an
advanced technological system. The tool can be used to efficiently manage custodial staff
and work-flow processes while capturing all your facility management costs in a single
integrated database. Other benefits of the CMS system include:
-

The ability to communicate with each prisoner via the CMS Apps system.
The ability to notify prisoners of their late fees, personal orders arriving into the
establishment.

The ability to advertise initiatives currently run in the library via the Noticeboard
application on CMS.
The ability to create schedules with pay structures.
The ability to assess the costs that have been committed to prisoners through
library-based initiatives.
The ability to commit attendances which provides an electronic record.
The ability to conduct electronic surveys which can then be sent to the prisoners of
your choice, the results can then be recorded electronically.
The ability to conduct a series of reports for the credentials you require (e.g. The age
categories or ethnic origins of prisoners who utilise library facilities) which can run
daily, weekly, monthly or quarterly.
The ability to convert the reports listed on the CMS system to Excel files via the
Export feature.
Evaluation of services such as feedback for creative writing.

A flaw in this system is that the information currently held on the Excel spreadsheet is not
available on the CMS system meaning that the library manager has to retrieve information
from various sources to create monthly reports for QUIGG and Reducing Reoffending
meetings. This is a time consuming and dated method of retrieving information. As stated in
the HMCIP feedback, library management will need to find an efficient method of sourcing
more advanced reports. While CMS reports provides basic attendance information, it does
not delve further into sub categories.

The CMS interface when the library manager is retrieving a report on the CMS system.

Updated Library Management System Eclipse

The library at the HMP does have a Library Management System and whilst operative is not
fully deployed. As Chowdury (2010) reminds, we expect the best possible performance at
the least cost, however the prison environment cost tends to be an overriding consideration.
Retailing at 8,000 with yearly maintenance fees of 1,000, the LMS we purchased from
company MLS (Micro Librarian Systems) is an expensive purchase but I feel will be a
worthwhile investment once in operation.

An example of the Eclipse software interface.

MLS recommended that we purchase software called Eclipse. Eclipse prides itself as being
the leading supplier of Library Management Systems to Education in the UK. Their
advertising claims to revolutionise the way our library system works. Although their services
specialise mainly in primary schools and colleges, testimonials on their website show that
their products are used in other areas, including hospices and prisons.
A case study from Warren Hill Prison which use their Eclipse software tells us why their
librarian believes the software is a worthwhile investment:
When I started as Library Manager at HMP & YOI Warren Hill just over a year ago, the
library system in place was a manual system of book logs and brown tickets! The system was
time consuming, very open to human error and difficult to monitor.

Getting started with the Eclipse package was very straightforward. The instruction manual is
comprehensive and the helpline sorted out any little problems that I had. The big test for
Eclipse 2 would be how quickly the library staff (there are ten Operational Support Grades
[OSGs] that can be assigned to the library) could understand and feel confident using the
new system, especially as I am not in the library all week. It soon became apparent that this
was not going to be a problem. The most frequent comment from library staff was that the
system was common sense and straightforward.
In my research, I have spoken to the librarian at HMP Lowdham Grange in Nottingham who
also uses the Eclipse model. He too praises its features and claims that the system will be an
invaluable resource for retrieving information in our library at Thameside.
Many of the specifications of the Eclipse are reliant on the internet because Eclipse is webbased software which allows the user to access and add to the catalogue from any browserbased location. The customisable record cards allow the user the freedom to catalogue a
variety of resource types, including books, CDs, websites, equipment, hardware, documents
and eBooks. The prison is greatly restricted in what can be offered at present due to the fact
that the prisoner workers who operate the system cannot legally access the internet. As the
system in HMP Thameside library would predominately be operated by prison workers to
provide services for other prisoners, a procedure with the IT department will be devised to
ensure that system updates (e.g. Placing the latest releases on the system) would be
regularly synced on staff computers which have internet capabilities. This information would
then updated on the prison workers computer to ensure that when orderlies are operating
the software it is up-to-date. This would allow Thameside to operate on the basic features
offered by the Eclipse system, however additional bonuses boasted on Eclipses website
such as the possibility of using eBooks and downloading apps onto electronical devices
would not be possible due to rules stated by the Justice Department.
A campus model to support offender education was proposed by Ministers in 2006. A
system called Virtual Campus was developed in test bed areas and a national rollout was
agreed in 2010. The system is described as a carefully controlled special version of the
Internet and is soon to be implemented into HMP Thameside. Its main purpose is to offer
offenders the opportunity to use interactive and engaging learning materials which should
help to improve employment opportunities on release from prison. Although Virtual Campus
is yet to be implemented into HMP Thameside, I feel it would help assist Thameside Library
as it would allow prisoner workers operating the Eclipse software to use internet
technology. However, until VC is fully operative, we will not be able to determine its
effectiveness in assisting the LMS in aiding easier information retrieval at Thameside library.
Eclipses promotional tools show the system is designed to deliver an intuitive and easily
customisable interface, providing a logical layout and toolset. Catalogue codes such as
AACR2, OPACs and new generation OPACs discussed in the Information Retrieval book by
G. Chowdury (2010) use similar simple interfaces which are interactive and some have
features that you would find on technologies like Google. These layouts are far more
attractive and user-friendly than the current Excel spreadsheet we have in operation. Search
results on the Eclipse system can be categorised by topic, library, language, date, creator
and would benefit HMP by making searches faster. The use of tags is also available on our
Eclipse model we have purchased - this will allow users to select specific research topics
from display to help modify queries easily. Another advantage of the Eclipse software is that
it will provide a detailed analysis of each title on the system, including ratings and its
popularity in the charts. Prisoners will have the ability to reserve titles which are currently
on loan, their name will automatically be placed on a priority list which can be added to
depending on if several prisoners wish to loan the same title.

As previously stated, our HMCIP Inspection (which occurs every eighteen months) stated
that we needed to find a more efficient way of sourcing statistical information on prisoners
who are attending the library. Eclipse will allow the flexibility to customise and prepare
prisoner statistics and boasts eighty ready-to-use report templates, including standard
inspections, circulation figures, audits and statistic dashboard. This would be a far more
efficient method at collating information than the current formats in place. It will also
eradicate the issue of having to use separate sources in this case, the Excel spreadsheet
and CMS system to retrieve all information required for monthly meetings. It is thought
that Eclipse will also have the capabilities to capture more statistical information than those
offered on CMS. This includes:
- Providing information on stock retentions including lost stock and how much the stock
will cost to replace.
- The most popular titles from each category within the library.
- The most popular foreign national titles within the prison library.
- More advanced statistical data (e.g. How much of the prison population utilise the
Thameside library and generating reports such as the top ten most popular books
borrowed from the Library over a given period of time).
- Monitoring and identifying trends and target readers interests.
- Stock taking / auditing down to the level of identifying individual copies including
copies on loan.
- Providing information on stock retentions including lost stock and how much the stock
will cost to replace.
- The ability for prisoners to make reservations on titles currently on loan.

Generating these reports will be invaluable to our research in developing the library as it will
allow us to examine if our stock is fit for purpose and where there is a requirement for
further literature.
Using Eclipse means that each book scanned into the database is automatically categorised
with the Dewey Decimal Classification System I mentioned earlier in this proposal. This
means we can change the format of shelves to correspond with this system. We feel this
would be improvement over the current method of colour-coding titles as it would ensure
that each book has an exact place in the library and it would correspond with the format of
the Library Management System, allowing ease of selection if the LMS suggests a title which
a prison worker is then expected to retrieve from the shelves. This stabilizes more continuity
with library orderly. Another bonus of this method is that it will assist prisoners with
learning difficulties and mental health issues to navigate books easily.

10

Conclusion
All in all I believe the Eclipse software is fit for purpose because it fulfills all criterias required
for a successful information retrieval system, this including user friendly interfaces and easy
retrieval for data managing. As stated previously, the current methods we use to retrieve
our data is dated and the Eclipse software will contribute towards a more efficient and
modernised library. It will also allow ease of use with day-to-day tasks expected from library
orderlies. I believe that once the Eclipse model is implemented into our library we will be
able to monitor our resources and better analyse our requirements to build a thriving
learning resource center.

Parts from the third edition title of Introduction to Modern Information Retrieval by G.
Chowdury (2010) were used to support this proposal.

11