1. What do you see as the library’s role in supporting Providence’s workforce and community?
I see PPL as a changemaker in both the library and education fields, as well as a cornerstone of our community. Our dynamic public spaces, which house our innovative programs, also elevate those of our community partners, particularly in our new workshop/makerspace, which is a bustling community space and hub for education and creative programming.
2. Looking back on nearly 10 years as PPL’s executive director, what changes or initiatives most stand out to you from throughout your tenure?
Our 2014 Think Again strategic plan, in its beginning stages when I arrived, was really a catalyst for a spectrum of innovative education programs for learners of all ages and was only made possible through the strength of our diverse partnerships across education, workforce development, arts and culture, social services, and government agencies.
3. In what ways have local workforce needs evolved during this period, and how has the library adapted to meet these changes?
Workforce needs have increasingly required prospective employees to be skilled in computer use and digital technologies, and the need for digital literacy skills for work and everyday life has skyrocketed since the pandemic. We’ve evolved our traditional literacy and learning initiatives … to focus on a more robust and wide range of adult education and workforce development offerings.
4. What is the concept behind the Culinary Hub of Providence, and what makes the library a fitting location?
It’s incredibly fitting for CHOP [Culinary Hub of Providence] to be located at PPL given our shared education and workforce development missions. CHOP will be staffed by participants from Genesis Center’s culinary training program, providing them with valuable, paid, hands-on work exposure while creating an enjoyable new experience and meeting the high demand for more food and refreshment options in and around the library.
5. How has the library’s funding trended over the past few years?
Despite the fact that PPL provides public library services to Rhode Islanders statewide, we are actually a private 501(c)(3) nonprofit and 80% privately funded, including grants and individual donations. Investing in our development office over the past 10 years has proven fruitful in cultivating almost $3 million in annual grant funding from private, state and federal entities, and growing our base of donor support tremendously.
