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News Release

10/25/2006
Providence Public Library holds 2006 annual meeting; announces new officers, trustees and corporation members

National consultant Pat Wagner tells leaders they must work at keeping their library relevant

Providence Public Library (PPL) held its 2006 Annual Meeting on October 20 at its Central Library at 150 Empire Street. In remarks to those assembled, outgoing Chair of the Board of Trustees Mary B. Olenn spoke about the steps that Library trustees have taken over the past year to redefine the Library’s relationship with its patrons and the City of Providence regarding municipal library services.

Describing trustees’ actions as “courageous,” and thanking them for their thoughtful and engaged efforts during her term, Olenn reflected that it is often difficult to embrace change – even when change is absolutely necessary for survival. “During these past months, we’ve challenged ourselves and the status quo, and in doing so, made decisions to honor the priceless legacy of our forebears and the past, to serve the community in the present, and to position PPL to best move into the future as the robust institution essential to the vibrant life of the Rhode Island community for generations to come,” said Olenn. “In addition, our work through this past year’s strategic planning process has helped the City of Providence come to grips with the dilemma of how to best meet the demands for providing modern municipal library service in the face of limited tax dollars. Resolving these important issues is an ongoing process,” said Olenn.

In her report, Library Director Dale Thompson emphasized the Library’s commitment to its learning communities, providing quality services despite ongoing challenges, including issues of sustaining continuously improved services with limited resources and balancing the preservation of the past with providing new services and employing new uses of technology. Thompson stated, “Maintaining the Library’s core mission of providing access to information and opportunities for learning to all continued to be a high priority during the year.” She pointed to the ongoing pursuit of opportunities, including partnerships in the community to enable greater levels of service, as well as the completion of a strategic planning process which resulted in the identification of a number of opportunities for delivering library services in the coming years. “We also made significant progress in discussions with the City of Providence as to how municipal library services could be a vital part of the City’s long-term planning,” said Thompson.

Lisa ChurchvilleChurchville Elected Chair, New Officers Announced
In formal proceedings, the Library announced new officers of the Board: Lisa Churchville, Chair, of Providence; William S. Simmons, Vice Chair, of Providence; James Vincent, Secretary, of Cranston; Robert K. Taylor, Assistant Secretary, of Providence; James Nagle, Treasurer, of Providence.

Olenn acknowledged incoming Chair Lisa Churchville as extremely committed and involved since becoming a PPL trustee in 2002. In passing the gavel, Olenn remarked “I can think of no more appropriate person than Lisa Churchville to steer the ship on the next leg of our journey.” Churchville is President and General Manager of NBC10 WJAR. She has served on the PPL Board as Vice Chair since 2004. She joined the PPL Corporation in 1997 and has served on the Library’s Comprehensive Campaign Committee and the recently formed PPL Foundation. Churchville serves on the boards of the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce, Women & Infants’ Hospital, and the Rhode Island Philharmonic Orchestra.

Churchville recognized Olenn’s tireless work and the entire Board for its outstanding service during the past two years with the focus being on the need to address the crisis of ongoing level funding for city neighborhood library services and the need for change. “Our work will continue – we are already into the second quarter of a transitional year. It will be another challenging year…we know that there is no returning to ‘business as usual.’ We know that change is necessary….that the old model does not make sense into the 21st Century. A private, not-for-profit board cannot make decisions on how or where to spend taxpayer dollars. That authority does and must reside with the City and there must be public oversight and controllership of taxpayer dollars,” said Churchville.

“I feel optimistic that the history of tension between the City and PPL can be resolved and that the ongoing discussions will result in solutions that will be beneficial to the communities we serve. It is clear to all that the City must direct how public funds are spent and that the Library is committed to its history of providing nationally-recognized complementary community services as a much-valued private organization,” said Churchville.

Churchville commented further on the Library’s services: “Even while we seek new and innovative service opportunities, we remain committed to the wide range of services we currently deliver through:

Robert TaylorRobert Taylor Joins PPL Board
In addition, the Library announced Robert K. Taylor, of Providence, as a new member of the Board of Trustees and four new members of the PPL Corporation. Taylor is currently a partner in the firm of Partridge Snow and Hahn representing businesses, associations, government agencies and individuals in litigation and arbitration proceedings around the country. Taylor graduated from Georgetown University Law Center in 1988 and Yale University in 1983. He has been an active member on the PPL Corporation since 2002 and currently serves on the PPL Human Resources Committee. He is also president of the Yale Association of Rhode Island.

New PPL Corporation members include: Timothy Bigelow, MS, SPHR, Directory of Human Resources, Butler Hospital; Mark Cataudella, Technical Services and Project Manager, ARAMARK-Higher Education Facility Services; Elizabeth Debs, Special Projects Consultant, Housing Network of Rhode Island; and Linda S. Lulli, SPHR, Associate Vice President for Human Resources, Bryant University.