Eldon Ray James Oral History, September 2023 | The American Library Association Archives

Eldon Ray James was born and raised in Texas and is a retired librarian and researcher, ALA member, and formerly incarerated person. He previously attended college, served in the US military, worked in radio and journalism, and ran for political office in Colorado. In 1996, James was arrested and then sentenced to 70 months in a minimum security Federal correctional camp. While incarcerated, James started taking classes and decided to become a librarian. After his release, James earned his BA in English (2005) and MSIS (2007) at the University of Texas at Austin. He attended his first ALA conference at the urging of his professor, Dr. Loriene Roy, then the ALA President. Since then, James has been highly involved in advocacy for library services to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated people, working on the Prisoners' Right to Read and international standards in IFLA. In 2022, he received the Freedom to Read Foundation Roll of Honor award. His professional service includes, but not limited to, membership and work with the Intellectual Freedom Committee, Intellectual Freedom Round Table, Freedom to Read Foundation, International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Association of Specialized Government, and Cooperative Library Agencies, and Library Services to the Justice Involved.Sources:
1. Eldon Ray James Oral History, September 2023, series 97/1/87, American Library Association Archives. 2. Freedom to Read Foundation, "Freedom to Read Foundation Celebrates 2022 Roll of Honor Recipient Eldon Ray James," https://www.ftrf.org/news/609301/Freedom-to-Read-Foundation-Celebrates-2022-Roll-of-Honor-Recipient-Eldon-Ray-James.htm

Freedom to Read Foundation
Incarceration
Intellectual Freedom
Library services to prisons
Oral History
Prison Libraries
Roy, Loriene