The library was located at the end of D-Block. Upon entering Alcatraz, every inmate was given a library card and a catalog of the near 10,000 – 15,000 books available for reading (although most were left over from the army days).
Inmates were allowed a maximum of three books in addition to up to 12 text books, a Bible, and a dictionary. The library was governed by a chaplain who regulated the censorship and the nature of the reading material to ensure that the material was wholesome.