Little Rhode Island Ranks 5th (Tied With Kansas, apparently)

In the midst of some searches for Gene Debs and Rhode Island, I found a sweet ranking for Rhode Island.

Although not in first place, we are very well ranked for Library Visits.

Education Statistics > Public Libraries > Library Visits per Capita (most recent) by state
VIEW DATA: Totals
Definition Source Printable version
Bar Graph Map Correlations

Showing latest available data.
Rank States Amount
# 1 Ohio: 6.9
# 2 Colorado: 6.3
= 3 Indiana: 6.1
= 3 Connecticut: 6.1
= 5 Kansas: 5.9
= 5 Rhode Island: 5.9
# 7 Wyoming: 5.8
# 8 Wisconsin: 5.7

South Dakota, New York and Illinois are all ranked 9th !


I am not familiar with this site, and rarely concerned with rankings (except in matters of baseball), but I Love Libraries, and think that library visits are a good thing.

How exactly a visit is defined, and how reputable these numbers are, I have no idea.

The Providence Community Library has a facebook page, and there is no requirement that you live in Providence or any part of RI for you to "like" it.

The Library Reform Group link is below.

Alas, the Providence Public Library is not handing over the buildings to the Providence Community Library, nor is it making vital repairs.

When buildings are closed due to heat ( no air conditioning ), falling roof, et al., our library visits per capita decrease.

Perhaps the RI Nonviolence Institute will mediate this conflict.

Hurray for the Providence Community Library!

Independence has reached the nine neighborhood branches of Providence, Rhode Island.

Two days ago, Providence Community Library was officially launched with rainstorms and parties, and many celebrations.


The Providence Public Library (PPL) is now solely responsible for the Main (downtown) building and all of its contents, and oddly, still owns most of the buildings.

Not long ago, they (the PPL) proposed eliminating 5 of the branches...

I am enormously grateful to the many, many people who have worked diligently and creatively to maintain all of the neighborhood services.

Washington Park Library ReOpening Party

This blog has been rather grim lately. Here's something to celebrate:

Washington Park Community Celebrates Opening of Neighborhood Library

Join us at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 26, to celebrate the opening of Washington Park Neighborhood Library, which has been closed for the past three years.

Community members will present the Washington Park library with books donated at last year's Read In and saved for the reopening of the facility, they will introduce Providence Community Library (which has pledged to keep all the neighborhood libraries open), and they will encourage patrons to join a new Washington Park Friends of the Library group to protect and support their local library.

Music and refreshments will be provided.

Sponsored by Open Table of Christ Church.

And here's a cheerful email from Patricia:

Dear library advocates,

We are delighted to report that Library Friends groups are forming all over the city! While Smith Hill, Mount Pleasant, Rochambeau and Wanskuck have active and long-standing Library Friends groups, the other neighborhood libraries do not currently have such groups.

Friends of the Library serve three important purposes:

* They support their neighborhood library--They hold bake and book sales and bazaars to raise money for library books and equipment, they volunteer to work on specific projects designated by the library staff, and they sponsor programs designed to contribute to the cultural life of the neighborhood.
* They protect their neighborhood library. Their strong neighborhood presence and authority to speak on behalf of neighborhood patrons gives the Friends groups added clout when campaigning for library legislation or appropriations. In the darkest days, when PPL has attempted to reduce staff and/or close neighborhood libraries in years past (and this year), the Library Friends groups write letters in protest to PPL trustees and to City officials, organize petition drives, and participate in rallies.
* They help to govern the library system. Assuming that the City decides that Providence Community Library is the best steward of the neighborhood library system, PCL has proposed a system of governance whereby representatives from all neighborhood libraries participate in policy decision-making as part of the PCL's board of trustees. We anticipate that these representatives will be selected by the neighborhood Friends groups.

Knight Memorial has already held an organizational meeting to establish a Friends group and is planning a second meeting soon.

Meanwhile, both Fox Point and South Providence have scheduled organizational meetings for March 31. Those interested in joining the Fox Point Friends of the Library should meet in their neighborhood library that Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. South Providence's meeting is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. on the same night. http://friendsofsouthprovidencelibrary.wordpress.com/

Olneyville is holding an organizational meeting on the following night--April 1--at 6:30 p.m. Meet at the Olneyville Library.



Library Developments

Washington Park is reopening next Monday, March 23. Open Table of Christ will be conducting a Friends Sign-Up next week, and we hope to be able to announce an organizational meeting at Washington Park by early in April. If you live in the Washington Park area and would like to join a Friends Group there, please send me an email.

Providence Community Library is continuing to have productive meetings with the Mayor's staff. We feel encouraged by these sessions, but the Mayor still has not firmly committed himself to PCL. We have another meeting scheduled in about 10 days, and we are hoping for a decision soon after this meeting is held.

Patricia

Sign a Petition! Support The Providence Community Library

Providence Community Library Petition

For more information about recent community meetings, visit the Library Reform Group blog

Thank You, Providence Journal Editorial Writer(s)!

This editorial which I learned about thanks to Karen McAninch (hope I spelled that correctly) and facebook, is remarkably positive.

It's title is "A Library Lifeline?" and below is its first paragraph.

An intriguing idea has arisen that would put the Providence Public Library’s nine branches into the hands of a newly created nonprofit, leaving the PPL (also a nonprofit) in charge of the central branch — its heart and soul — on Empire Street.

By my lights the Providence Public Library is an atypical nonprofit by virtue of its endowment, its opacity and its history of unresponsiveness to the communities it serves.

The editorial is not the one I would have written, but it is part of the dialogue and presents questions.

Thank You, editorial writer or writers! Thank you also for publishing this on a weekday and not a Saturday...

Exercise the "Escape Clause": Build a Community Library in Providence, Rhode Island

Marcus Mitchell: No need to close any library branches

Providence Journal
01:00 AM EST on Thursday, January 15, 2009

MARCUS MITCHELL

FOR THE LAST TWO decades, the citizens of Providence have endured a series of threats by the Providence Public Library to close one or more of its nine neighborhood libraries. Last year the PPL announced that the library system was no longer financially sustainable. Its board set up a “Sustainability Committee” mandated to find a creative solution to the library’s persistent deficit problems — to develop a plan to provide meaningful, substantive library services for patrons throughout the city in a different, more economical form.

Unfortunately, the plan that was approved by the PPL Board on Dec. 18 is neither creative nor economical. After all the time and energy that the trustees have expended on resolving the PPL’s long-term problems, the library has ended up with its usual answer to solving its money woes: Close branches. The PPL is planning to “sustain” its library system by closing five branches, leaving the people of Providence with only the central branch and four neighborhood branches, starting this July. (See “New library plan would close 5 branches,” news, Dec. 19.) The library’s solution is neither necessary nor acceptable.

We urge the city to refuse to provide the present level of library funding to the PPL to support greatly reduced library services after June 30.

Concerned that as early as next summer the PPL might not provide Providence residents throughout the city with full access to library services, the Library Reform Group established by concerned citizens incorporated a new nonprofit organization, the Providence Community Library, which is prepared to raise funds for and operate a nine-branch library system that will continue to provide Providence neighborhood patrons with at least the level of library services and programs they now receive. We call upon the city to dissolve its failed alliance with the PPL and enter into partnership with the Providence Community Library.

How can we claim to be able to run all nine branches when the PPL says it can’t be done? Our budget is based on the real costs of running the nine branches, not a budget based upon inflated costs, as has long characterized PPL projected budgets. Our branch system would hire fewer administrators rather than maintain the current top-heavy PPL administration. We would hire capable administrators and pay them salaries comparable with those of public library directors around America, rather than continue the PPL’s practice of paying exorbitant wages to an ineffectual administration that has lost the confidence of the public. Our branch system would engage in robust fundraising. Not being burdened with the PPL’s troubled history that has alienated both the donor community and library users, we expect, even in these troubled financial times, that we could successfully engage in fundraising that would allow us to expand neighborhood library services beyond the current level within the next two or three years.

Most important, the Providence Community Library would be governed by a board that puts the patrons first. Our board would include representatives of all nine library branches, some publicly appointed members, and some members elected by the board itself. No longer would policy for our city libraries be determined by people living in Barrington and South County!

We call upon the city to exercise the “escape clause” in the Library Agreement and end its relationship with PPL. It is time for a branch library system that will be truly a Providence Community Library! The people of Providence deserve a better library service and they can have it if the city breaks with its tradition of supporting the PPL and supports a community library organization instead.

Marcus Mitchell is president of Providence Community Library.

A Library Is Announced: http://ProvidenceCommunityLibrary.org/index.html

The press conference at City Hall was splendid. I am just too sleepy-headed to contrive anything other than cliches and misspellings. And this blog has seen a lot of posts the last few days...

( thank you, democommie, Dex and Tom Kalinowski!!! )

Here's the link:
http://providencecommunitylibrary.org/index.html

Mayor Cicilline Supports The Five Endangered Branches

Well this is good news:

Mayor Cicilline expressed his opposition last Friday, December 19th to plans by the Providence Public Library to reduce the number of neighborhood library branches from nine to four. The City of Providence is the largest donor to the Providence Public Library, a privately-endowed, not-for-profit institution, giving approximately $3.4 million last year.

“As I have made clear for many years, I am opposed to any plan that reduces the presence of library services in our neighborhoods,” said Mayor Cicilline. “I understand the financial difficulty of administering a large, public institution, especially in these times, but it is critical that we uphold the 100-year-old mission of the Providence Public Library for today and for the future.”

Library trustees cited as critical to their decision a proposal to obligate the City to incur the costs of administering a number of neighborhood branches as “Neighborhood Learning Centers.” Such a proposal was presented to the City the previous day, Wednesday, December 17th, with no discussion on the matter by Library and City officials.

News outlets incorrectly reported last week that there was support from the City administration for the Library plan.

Providence Community Library, a Public Library For All

I missed the board meeting yesterday, but am grateful to Pat Crowley for his "liveblogging" it on behalf of RIFuture.
http://www.rifuture.org/showDiary.do?diaryId=4948

Here is the text of an email from Patricia of the Library Reform Group

Dear library advocates,

At yesterday's PPL board meeting, the board voted to continue library operations only at Central and four branches after June 30, 2009. The Governor's representative on the board, Mark McKenney, voted against the plan, while the Mayor's representative (Kas DeCarvalho) abstained. All ten non-public board members who were present at yesterday's meeting voted in favor of the proposal.

The Library Reform Group emphatically rejects PPL's plan. We have formed a new non-profit organization called Providence Community Library. We have drafted a budget, worked out staffing projections, and planned for a community-based governing body. We have shown our proposal to urban library directors in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island, who have concluded that our plan is feasible. We call upon the City to transfer its funding from PPL to the Providence Community Library in order to protect library services for city residents in ALL our neighborhoods.

During the Public Response period, Elaine Heeber of the Library Reform Group quoted a 2006 ProJo editorial that recommended PPL should "seriously consider giving the City of Providence any or all of its branches, while keeping its flagship facitlity on Empire Street. Then the library. . .would be able to better serve the public, and protect and even expand the major collections." Marcus Mitchell, one of the organizers of the Providence Community Library, followed up on Elaine's comment by reading a statement announcing the formation of the Providence Community Library and urging the City to turn the branches over to the PCL (see below).

We will need your support in the weeks ahead as we work to convince the City that it is time to transfer the stewardship of our branches to a new community-based organization that will run them efficiently and responsibly--and will put the welfare of library patrons first.

Patricia

Marcus Mitchell's statement:


The dilemma facing us today is the culmination of several years of processing. Unfortunately, the Providence Public Library Board appears to have assumed a position that will dramatically reduce library services to the communities of Providence.



A severe reduction of library services to neighborhoods throughout Providence will greatly affect the quality of life and social fabric of our city. Our children, our seniors, job seekers, our students and the administration of scores of programs will be adversely affected. Especially during these economic troubling times, a reduction of library services in our neighborhoods is unacceptable and not seen by the citizens as a “sustainable system”.



In anticipation of an “unacceptable reduction of services” model proposal, several community leaders, concerned citizens and community-based organizations have formed a coalition: The Providence Community Library. This entity has examined the issues of our library management and budgetary challenges: and is prepared to assume the management & administration of all 9 branches of the public library system. We will be presenting a full budget and proposal to the Mayor & City Council, and actively pursuing the City’s full support of the Providence Community Library. We disagree with PPL’s “sustainable model”, their budget projections and several management decisions.



Providence Community Library will be holding public forums and press conferences in the very near future to unveil our plans to maintain the current level of services to the neighborhoods of the city of Providence.



(Note: to contact the Providence Community Library directly, write to providencecommunitylibrary@isp.com )

Rhode Island Braces For Impending Snow Storm.

The Providence Schools will be closed tomorrow. ! The Providence Libraries will be closed. ( Well, on Fridays they are not open until after Noon...)

See the RI Future post on this topic.
http://www.rifuture.org/showDiary.do?diaryId=4952

Five Library Branches In Providence Are In Jeopardy

Below is a letter from Patricia of the Library Reform Group:
Dear library advocates,

The PPL Board of Trustees is meeting tomorrow (Thursday) at 12 noon in the Central Library's Barnard Room, 3rd floor.

By contract, PPL has only until December 31 to approve a plan for a "sustainable system," to be put into effect by July 1 of next year. It appears that the plan most likely to be approved by the full board would be keeping Central open, as well as four branches. The other five branches would be closed. The four branches to be maintained would be Rochambeau, Mount Pleasant, Knight Memorial and South Providence. The closed branches would be Smith Hill, Olneyville, Fox Point, Wanskuck and Washington Park--should it ever reopen in the first place.

While some on the Sustainability Committee are recommending that PPL donate the threatened buildings--with their books and computers--to community groups to operate as community centers, it is unclear where the funding for such a proposal would come from. If the City helped with the funding, then the City Council would probably want to cut its funding for the four "real" library branches proportionately, since the City has no extra money in these troubled financial times for EXTRA library funding.

We believe that it is possible to run all nine branches--with more aggressive fund-raising and more efficient adminstration--and we are opposed to PPL's Central Plus Four plan. Many of the City's neighborhoods that most need support will be hurt by the closing of their branch libraries. In this economic climate ESPECIALLY, Providence Public Library should have come up with a more creative solution to its own economic problems.

If PPL persists in adopting Central Plus Four, we will call upon the City to reject this proposal.

Please attend tomorrow's Board meeting, if you can, and stand up for ALL of the City's branch libraries.

Patricia

These branches are vital to the neighborhoods. I cannot understand why the mayor has done so little to support them. The Providence Public Library functions with less and less transparency...


http://libraryreformgroup.wordpress.com/
http://notaboutthebuildings.com/

Washington Park Branch Library: "Guarded Good News"

Washington Park library branch, shuttered 2 years, to reopen

01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, December 9, 2008

By Philip Marcelo

Journal Staff Writer



A new lease will pave the way for reopening the refurbished Washington Park library branch, which was closed in 2006.

The Providence Journal / Mary Murphy

PROVIDENCE -- A lease between the city and the nonprofit Providence Public Library Foundation, which runs the public library system, will be in place this week, paving the way for the reopening of the Washington Park branch, according to Mayor David N. Cicilline.

But community groups, who have been vocal in the two years since the building, owned by the city, was closed due to structural deficiencies, say they are holding off on celebrating just yet.

"It remains to be seen," said Duane Clinker, pastor of Open Table of Christ Church. "It has been a very long time and we have not had the courtesy of a reply from either the mayor or the library. … We hope that the doors do open."

Clinker and church members protested in front of the Central Library, on Empire Street, and staged a "read-in" in front of the Washington Park branch, on Broad Street, on Saturday.

About 30 people holding banners or drumming red plastic pails stood outside the Central Library, before entering the library and checking out dozens of books to bring back to Washington Park. Outside the library branch, about 80 people gathered, some reading to children from books that were checked out earlier.

Clinker said that the actions were meant to draw attention to the apparent inaction from the city and library since renovation work was completed at the end of the summer.

Cicilline says that the city spent $225,000 renovating the branch building, which is in a former firehouse.

Work included a new roof, repointing of exterior brickwork, a new entrance, upgraded electrical systems, a new fire alarm system, new carpeting and a fresh coat of paint for interior walls and a renovated bathroom.

The city has identified needed improvements for the second floor and allocated an additional $175,000 for the work, but the building is ready for use, according to Cicilline.

A proposed lease for the city-owned space is currently under review by the city law department. Cicilline says that the two sides are still negotiating min! or detai ls of the contract language.

Tania Mason, a spokeswoman for the library foundation, said it anticipates moving back into the building once the city signs off on the lease. Mason says that once open, the branch library would have the same three- to four-member staff as before and will operate Monday to Friday for a total of 31 hours a week, like other branches.

The building has been maintained by the city since the foundation was forced to close the branch in 2006.

At the time, it was reported that building contractors found serious structural problems and considerable water damage from a leaking roof.

After the closing, the foundation relocated its after-school program to the home of the Washington Park Foundation, a local nonprofit organization housed in a former Benny's auto parts store at 1380 Broad St. That temporary library site closed earlier this year.

The news of the branch library's likely reopening comes about a month after the city and the library foundation reached an agreement to have the foundation operate the library system as is -- with the Central Library downtown and nine neighborhood branches -- until July 1, 2009 -- even if it means running an operating deficit.

The city, under the agreement, will contribute $3.4 million to the library system this fiscal year, about the same as in previous years.

pmarcelo@projo.com

Below is the foreword from Patricia Raub:

Dear library supporters,
It's too soon to celebrate, but there's guarded good news about the Washington Park Branch Library! Thanks to the hard work of the Open Table of Christ youth group, the City Councilors, and everyone else who exerted pressure to get things moving.
(See photos of Dec. 6 branch library events, including Washington Park Read-In here:

http://media.umb.edu/december6/

Patricia

Washington Park Read-In on Sat. 12/06/08

From Patricia Raub comes the reminder:

Before you go to the Washington Park Read-In at 12:15 p.m. this Saturday, stop by the Smith Hill Branch Library for the 2nd Annual Christmas Bazaar sponsored by the Smith Hill Library Friends' Group. This family event will feature a book and bake sale, presents and games for kids and informational booths from area community organizations. It starts at 10:00 AM and continues until 2:00 PM.

For more information, consult the Smith Hill Community Development Corporation's Library page at http://www.smithhillcdc.org/sh-library (And check out the rest of the Smith Hill CDC's new website while you're at it.)

Here is some background information also from Patricia:

Washington Park

Washington Park is STILL closed! It seems that the City and PPL both are willing to reopen the branch, but the City is requiring that PPL sign a lease before it moves back in, and the lease seems to be stuck in the office of the City's lawyer. The Washington Park community is way beyond feeling impatient. They have decided to hold another Read-In in front of the closed library building on Saturday at 12:15. I hope you can attend and help support people in Washington Park, who have been without a full branch library for nearly three years and who have been without ANY branch library at all since the end of the summer.

Library Rally Today: Location Change Due To Rain.

Today at 5:00 p.m., the Library Reform Group will hold a press conference in the former Benny’s building at 1380 Broad Street.

Rally for the Libraries of Providence, 7/24/08

The following is from Patricia Raub of the Library Reform Group (link is on the list at the bottom of this blog). RI prides itself on tourism and so any call or email or letter to any of the decision makers is valuable.

Jul 21 (23 hours ago)
Dear library advocates,

The Library Reform Group, (LRG), has spent the weekend reviewing the terms of the Agreement for Library Services recently negotiated by the Mayor’s Office and PPL and ratified by the PPL Board of Trustees last Thursday. We are relieved that the 2008 proposed Agreement provides for maintaining the existing level of library services and the current number of branches through June of 2009, providing most library staff with job security for another year and suggesting that library patrons will not experience any reduction in services or branch closures for eleven more months. However, LRG is deeply concerned about what could occur after June 30, 2009.

The provisions of the 2008 Agreement cover a four-year period from 2008 through 2012. However, after one year, PPL can make the transition into a library system which operates with drastically fewer branches and a lower level of service and programs. BECAUSE THE 2008 PPL AGREEMENT OBLIGATES THE CITY TO CONTINUE TO PAY $3.5 MILLION annually over the term of the Agreement, the City and Patrons of the Library will have no recourse but to accept less in library services and branch locations for the same amount of City funding.


DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? WE DON’T THINK SO.

Currently, the 2008 Agreement does not provide for the City to terminate or to re-negotiate the Agreement, should PPL decide to drastically reduce branches, staff and/or library services.

CALL THE MAYOR at (401) 421-7740 and demand that he add an escape clause to the Agreement for Library Services BEFORE the City Council votes on this agreement next week.

Demand, as well, that he and PPL commit to re-opening the Washington Park Branch Library in its original location NOW. The City has spent taxpayer dollars to repair and renovate the structure and the Library has failed to resume operations in the Washington Park building.

We invite you to attend our press conference at 5:00 p.m. this Thursday, July 24, at the former Washington Park branch library (1316 Broad Street) to call upon the Mayor and PPL to FIX THIS FLAWED AGREEMENT.

Friends of Rochambeau sponsor Writing Contest for Kids, ages 10 to 17

It's the METAMORPHOSIS Writing Contest based on Franz Kafka's story of that name. Here is the link.:

http://www.provlib.org/happening/news/pressreleases/pr060208.html

"All entries will be judged by author Ryder Windham".

I'm encouraging my son and his schoolmates to participate, and as far as I can tell there's no residency requirements. If informed otherwise, I'll certainly clarify that.

There may be a website for the Friends of Rochambeau. Rochambeau is one of the larger branches of the PPL. It is less endangered than many as it experienced a costly renovation not many years ago. They hold some major book sales and other wonderful events. Please visit the link below for the Library Reform Group.

Libraries that will lend fishing gear |

Three public libraries in Rhode Island will lend fishing equipment to patrons. This is especially good news for young anglers. I imagine that through the Cooperating Libraries Automated Network(CLAN) which the PPL (Prov. Public Library) is part of, folks here could borrow some of the items.

read more | digg story

Grace Paley Would Understand

I arrived at the Smith Hill Branch of the Providence Public Library today at a few minutes before 10:00 a.m. On Thursday's it is supposed to open at 9:00 a.m. There was a sign on the door explaining that because of lack of staff, the branch would open at 10:00. Already there were two other people waiting. Fifteen minutes after ten, the door was not unlocked. We soon learned that the branch would open at an "indeterminate" time.

The Library Reform Group of Providence (Rhode Island) has been struggling, on behalf of all patrons, to defend the "Public" elements of the system. The smaller branches have lost funding and experienced decreases in hours. One branch literally experienced the loss of its roof. (Washington Park Branch). Please check out the link below for detailed history and analysis.

I am the daughter and granddaughter of library workers.

Because I have encountered the unexpected temporary closings of many of the branches, I decided to make a few phone calls. I phoned the "Central" Branch downtown, but the recording reminded me that they were closed. I succeeded in speaking with Derek Puerta who works for Senator Whitehouse ( Mazel Tov, Derek, on your recent graduation!) and with Serena Conley, who works for Providence's Mayor, David Cicilline. By sheer luck, I reached Ed Fitzpatrick from the Providence Journal. I told him the numbers outside the door were growing--a mother with a young child, an elder or two...He told me he'd speak to an editor. I left a message for John Lombardi, my city councilman.

Andy Dickerman, writer and photographer, arrived. He took pictures, got my name and that of another person waiting...

Just as John called me back, a lovely woman arrived with a key. She had received an email from KathyEllen Bullard, who oversees all of the branches. Kathyellen's direct # is (401) 455-8022.
Her email address is kbullard@provlib.org.

My issue is not with the librarian on vacation or the worker with a sick child. My issue is with a Board of Trustees who would rather fight with City Hall than support needs of the "outlying" communities.

I type this from inside the Smith Hill Branch which will alas close in 8 minutes for lunch; with one more staff person present, it could remain open. Thanks for reading this!

Providence Public Library Plans to Slash Children's Services

Please visit the site below for The Library Reform Group to read about the proposed elimination of 7 Child Life Specialists who work in the neighborhood branches.

There is an unpleasant saga of the increasing privatization of this "public" library and the lack of consensus on the management of resources and provision of services.

What is amazing is that people all over the state have united to advocate for the library itself & the rights of the workers to unionize (they did).

I have attended meetings where children, elders and middle-aged folks (myself on good days) sat, listened and agreed with each other. This library, in its entirety, is loved by many people. People from many other corners of the state are comfortable with and use the branches. We attend story hours, borrow books, use the computers, learn English...

No matter where you live, your opinions are important. Please contact the Providence Public Library and Mayor David Cicilline to let them know that these workers are not a luxury item. Funds must be raised and allocated for these branches.

I will post more links and respond to any emails or comments about this. Thank you in advance, my dear handful of visitors.