PPL board approves 1-year contract with city

THE BRANCH LIBRARY system in Providence will receive $4.05 million in city and state funding - nearly $1 million less than needed to maintain current services, the PPL said - under the proposal approved last night by city officials and the library board of trustees. /
THE BRANCH LIBRARY system in Providence will receive $4.05 million in city and state funding - nearly $1 million less than needed to maintain current services, the PPL said - under the proposal approved last night by city officials and the library board of trustees. /

PROVIDENCE – The Providence Public Library Trustees last night announced they have voted to accept a one-year contract with the City of Providence to continue managing and operating the city’s branch library system.
At a special meeting yesterday evening, the trustees reviewed the contract proposal delivered to them last week by Mayor David N. Cicilline (READ MORE), then approved it “with minor adjustment,” the board said. The library’s revisions were accepted last night by city officials, the mayor’s office said.

“I am pleased that the Providence Public Library board has accepted the compromise agreement that I proposed,” Cicilline said. “The agreement strengthens the public-private partnership that has existed for more a century and protects the future of our library system for the residents and children of Providence.”

“This is a very positive step,” said Lisa Churchville, who chairs the PPL board. “This agreement is indicative of an ongoing stable predictable relationship between the city and the PPL.”

Among other changes, the trustees opted to shorten the contract proposal to one year from the original three.

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“The contract reflects the city’s appropriation of $3.3 million in taxpayer dollars to fund the branch operations in FY 2008,” the library trustees said in a statement. “In addition, the branches would receive $750,000 in state aid. The total for FY 2008 municipal library funding would be $4.05 million.”
But the PPL previously has estimated it would require $5 million – excluding the Central Library’s separate $4 million budget – to maintain the current level of services, hours and branches in the fiscal year that begins next month.
“The contract proposed will necessitate cutting some service at the branches to make up for the shortfall,” the library said.
The city has pledged an additional $400,000 to upgrade the Washington Park branch – which, the library said, “all parties agree … is insufficient to meet the needs of the neighborhood” – and has said it would work with the PPL to find an alternate location. “Full services, once a suitable location is found, are included in the agreement,” the PPL added.
“This contract represents the best services we can provide, based on the City’s library appropriation and service priorities,” said PPL Trustee Robert Taylor. “The agreement also gives both parties the opportunity to move forward, with a joint advisory committee that can work to improve branches services with community input.”
A review panel – the Library Partnership Committee of the city’s proposal – will be charged with reviewing library services and finances and exploring possible “efficiencies,” including possible facilities-sharing with various city programs. Churchville described it as “an opportunity to stand shoulder to shoulder with the city in planning for the future.”

The Providence Public Library is a 130-year-old private, nonprofit organization that serves as a public library for the City of Providence, providing free information resources, education and community services. It also operates the Statewide Reference Resource Center. The next regular meeting of the PPL board of trustees is scheduled for noon on Thursday, June 21, in the Barnard Room, on the third floor of the Central Library, 150 Empire St., Providence. To learn more, visit www.provlib.org.

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