Escaping into a book is an experience valued by readers everywhere. Inhabiting the stories, being exposed to the knowledge we find in books, and being in the libraries that provide us access to these books are common ways to experience an “escape” from unpleasant or difficult realities. What then is the experience of escapism provided by books and libraries for one specific community, with vastly restricted access to leisure activities, media, and family? Through a phenomenological analysis of data gathered from Australian prisoners, it is found that prisoners are also able to experience a form of escape through reading and using their libraries, and that this is a highly valued experience in their lives. The importance of access to a library and reading for prisoners is discussed with reference to existing knowledge regarding the relationship between libraries, books, reading, and escapism for communities living in difficult circumstances.

中文翻译：

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“几乎像自由”：监狱图书馆和阅读作为逃避者的促进者

逃离一本书是一种被各地读者所珍视的体验。居住在故事中，接触我们在书中发现的知识以及在图书馆中为我们提供对这些书的访问权限，是体验从令人不愉快或困难的现实中“逃脱”的常见方法。那么，书籍和图书馆为一个特定社区提供的逃避现实的体验又是什么，而这些社区极大地限制了休闲活动，媒体和家庭的访问？通过对从澳大利亚囚犯收集的数据进行的现象学分析，发现囚犯还能够通过阅读和使用他们的图书馆来体验逃生的方式，这是他们一生中极有价值的经历。