News Release

05/10/2007
PPL Committees Review New Option Based on Mayor’s Proposed $3.3 Million Municipal Library Budget

With only seven weeks until the end of the fiscal year, the Providence Public Library (PPL) Finance and Transition committees yesterday reviewed yet another budget model for the City to consider for its municipal library system.

This option reflects Mayor Cicilline’s budget proposal which provides $3.3 million in City money for Library services, and feedback from branch library patrons at a series of community meetings being held throughout the City.

This model, like the others the Library has presented to the City, seeks to provide a broad spectrum of service options for the City to consider as it attempts to mold its available funds to the level of neighborhood library services it desires.

Two earlier models suggest the City could elect to either cut hours of operation or consolidate branches and would involve between 15 and 20 layoffs.

The third model discussed today would give the City the option of reducing core services at municipal libraries while still maintaining hours and keeping all buildings open. The reduction in services based on the City’s appropriation of $3.3 million could include decline in the availability of professional services at the municipal neighborhood branches, reducing some of the after school programs, and curtailing computer and electronic access initiatives. This third model would include layoffs. Some positions could be eliminated through attrition.

“We’re running out of options,” said Finance Committee Chairman, Jim Nagle. “This is a dose of harsh reality. The City has some difficult choices to make.”

PPL has estimated it would cost $5 million dollars for a FY 2008 plan to operate the municipal library system at its current level. The budget for the current fiscal year is approximately $4.5 million and includes a $3 million dollar City appropriation, a $750,000 state grant-in-aid match, and up to $770,000 in gap funding which PPL agreed to provide at the Mayor’s request to give the City time to explore its options moving forward. The one year extension agreement ends on June 30, 2007.

“While the decision on how it will allocate its Municipal Library appropriation ultimately rests with the City administration, we are striving to provide officials with as many budget models as we can to explore the full spectrum of choices open to them,” said Rob Taylor, PPL Transition Team Chair. “As we’ve been talking with patrons at the municipal branches we’ve heard over and over how critically important the neighborhood libraries are to residents. We continue to negotiate with the City to try and find ways it can keep all of its branches open while providing services for residents.”

Among the other options, the Library is urging the City to consider, making municipal library services a City department, thereby saving up to $1 million through economies of scale and City purchasing power.

The Library also is urging the City to utilize its own Municipal Library Services Board, populated by library advocates, neighborhood representatives, library patrons and elected officials. Working the same way that such boards do in many cities and towns, this board would have decision-making authority on how the City Library appropriation is spent.