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News Release

05/04/2007
Library Transition Team Focuses Planning around City’s Proposed Budget for Municipal Library Services

With eight weeks until the end of the fiscal year, the Providence Public Library’s (PPL) Transition Team, which has been meeting weekly since March, today turned its attention to producing a more specific plan based on Mayor Cicilline’s proposed $3.3 million budget allocation for municipal library services in FY 2008. Even while discussions between the Library and the City continue regarding a contract that spells out the funding, level, and scope of municipal library services for the upcoming year, beginning July 1, the Team still faces uncertainties and remains focused on outlining a variety of contingency issues.

PPL had proposed a cost of approximately $5 million to continue to provide the current level of services, including reinstating full services at Washington Park. Obviously, with total funding of less than this for neighborhood library services, the City will have some hard decisions to make regarding level and scope of services. The Library Transition Team has already outlined a number of scenarios that would involve various reductions in staff and/or services, depending on what the City decides.

Further, the Team recognized that, even if a contract is negotiated with the City, ultimate funding is subject to City Council approval, which normally happens after July 1. Today’s Team meeting followed a decision by PPL Trustees last week to authorize taking all necessary steps for the Library to be prepared for any eventuality. This week, PPL did issue notices to staff alerting the potential for lay-off, as required, should there be no agreement with the City and no other arrangement for the provision of municipal library services in place by the start of the fiscal year.

Board Chair Lisa Churchville noted that it is unclear if the additional $300,000 proposed by the Mayor would actually be on the City’s current appropriation, and therefore eligible for a future match of 25 percent in state grant-in-aid, or rather out of the City’s Master Lease, as has been the case in the past (with a one-time addition of $350,000 in 2004). “If this is what is proposed, it should be clarified in the ongoing contract discussions, as it would have implications on just how this money can be spent,” said Churchville. In 2004, the additional funds from the Master Lease, which can only be applied to capital items, were used to fund the Library’s books. With the Mayor’s current proposal, which amounts to a reduction from the current year’s gap-funded budget, it would have to be clear as to how and what this money could be spent on.

The Team discussed various potential steps that would need to be taken in the worst-case scenario – no agreement for municipal library services. The Team identified a number of steps concerning operations, facilities and services within any of the scenarios studied to date, but remains unable to act on any in a timely manner given the continued uncertainty.

PPL has scheduled a series of meetings with patrons and members of the communities in which branch libraries currently operate in order to fully discuss the various options that have been outlined to date. (Schedule follows)

The Library’s Transition Team will hold its next meeting on Wednesday, May 9 at 8:00 am jointly with the PPL Finance Committee.

Community Meeting Schedule
Monday, May 7 -- 6:00 pm Mount Pleasant Branch Library, 315 Academy Avenue

Tuesday, May 8 -- 5:30 pm South Providence Branch Library, 441 Prairie Avenue

Tuesday, May 8 -- 7:00 pm Rochambeau Branch Library, 708 Hope Street

Wednesday, May 9 -- 6:00 pm Olneyville Branch Library, 1 Olneyville Square

Monday, May 14 -- 6:00 pm Knight Memorial Library, 274 Elmwood Avenue

Tuesday, May 15 -- 6:00 pm Fox Point Branch Library, 90 Ives Street

Wednesday, May 16 -- 6:00 pm Smith Hill Branch Library, 31 Candace Street

Thursday, May 17-- 6:00 pm Wanskuck Branch Library