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Purpose: This paper serves to test the validity of Chatman's theory of "Life Lived in the Round" within a modern prison context. In particular, it examines Propositions Five and Six of her theory. Design/methodology/approach: Data regarding the information-seeking practices of Australian adult female and male prisoners from maximum-, medium- and minimum-security facilities was gathered through 106 surveys and 27 semi-structured interviews. Participants' information-seeking from sources internal and external to the "small world" of the prison was described. The information behaviours of the participants were examined against Chatman's theory of "Life in the Round" to determine its applicability in the prison context. Findings: The data gathered does not support Chatman's theory of "Life Lived in the Round", despite that theory being developed in a prison context. Neither Proposition Five nor Proposition Six of Chatman's theory can be supported when examined in the light of the current data. Research limitations/implications: The inability of the data to support Chatman's theory requires a reassessment of the applicability of the theory, at least to the prison context. As the theory was generated in part from a prison study, the foundational understandings of the theory could be questioned as a result of this current research. Originality/value: Although Chatman's theory has been examined against the information behaviours of other "Small World" communities, none of these studies have taken the theory back to the prison context from which the theory was developed. This study is also novel as its findings do not support Chatman's theory, in contrast to other previously published examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to explore the influence of books, libraries and reading on the experience of time within the prison environment. Design/methodology/approach: Using semi-structured interviews with Australian adult prisoners, and a phenomenological data analysis method, the researcher has been able to identify lived experiences that explain how books, libraries and reading influence the experience of time, within a prison environment. Findings: Prisoners' experience of time differs from the experience of time outside prison. Unlike readers and library users outside prison, prisoners are motivated to use books, libraries and reading to pass time. They are using books, libraries and reading to assist in their struggle to manage the negative effects of excessive quantities of unstructured time. Research limitations/implications: Research regarding the motivation to read and use libraries in the general population does not identify the desire to pass time as a factor. In contrast, the current study identifies readers and library users in prisons are strongly motivated to read and visit libraries as a means of passing time. This study adds a new understanding of the motivation to read and visit libraries within prison environments and provides insight into the beneficial influence of prison libraries on prisoner wellbeing. Originality/value: This research contributes valuable new knowledge regarding the experience of time in prison, and the influence of books, libraries and reading on this experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]