Library Wars: Tensions Still High After Agreement With City
Saturday, June 11, 2011
The two sides may have reached a short-term agreement, but the Providence Public Library (PPL) maintains that the city’s community libraries cannot continue to occupy PPL-owned buildings without paying any rent.
Since 2009, the PPL has leased nine buildings to the city at a rate of $1 per year. The city has then subleased the buildings to the Providence Community Library (PCL), the nonprofit that runs each of Providence’s neighborhood libraries.
Two weeks ago, the PCL was forced to issue layoff notices to all 65 community library employees after concerns over whether seven buildings would remain open after June. The Community Library blamed the PPL for not following through on a plan to transfer the buildings to the city, but Tonia Mason, spokeswoman for the PPL, says no agreement to hand over control of the buildings to the city was ever made.
Public Library Spokeswoman: They Can’t Get Rent-Free
The new agreement, announced Thursday, gives the city and the library six additional months to decide what to do with the buildings in the long term. Mason said she is pleased to have more time for negotiations and is looking forward to working with the city.
“This agreement does provide some breathing room, but it is also important because the City and PPL are continuing to work together, united in our goal of finding a workable solution that will not only maintain a network of branch libraries - paid for with City funds, but that will also enable the private, non-profit Providence Public Library - which now operates without any City contribution - to continue providing its critical services which are utilized by thousands of City residents,” she said.
But she also made it clear that the PPL’s stance has not changed: Community Libraries can’t continue on rent-free.
“There is recognition that the current arrangement is not optimal for either the City branch system, operated by Providence Community Library, or the Providence Public Library,” Mason said. “PPL cannot continue providing the buildings rent free, and it is our hope and desire that the Providence Community Library (with the City's help) will be able to maintain a community library system that is sustainable with funds for services, personnel, operations and buildings.”
Public Library Continues To Drag Its Feet
The battle between the PPL and the city dates back years. According to Mason, in 2009, the city decided to give the public funds allocated for the PPL to the PCL. She maintains that the PPL supported the decision and was willing to give the neighborhood libraries two years free rent. She said no decision had been made about what would happen July 1, when the agreement expired.
Councilman David Salvatore (left) is another steadfast critic of the PPL. He says the PPL has plenty of money to fix some of the buildings in need of repair, but it has been unwilling to do so.
“The Providence public library has let this situation carry on for too long, endangering employees and the residents of Providence who use these neighborhood libraries,” Salvatore said. “The PPL cannot continue to ignore the deteriorating conditions of the neighborhood library buildings, the ownership of which should have been transferred at the same time as the management of the facilities was turned over to the PCL. It is wrong for the Providence Public Library officials to keep dragging their feet while refusing to spend any of their multimillion dollar endowment to fix buildings they own.”GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLAST
Council President: PPL Must Hand Over Buildings
Solomon said he was pleased to have reached a short-term agreement with the PPL, but he said nothing has changed from his perspective. The PCL deserves control of the buildings.
“The six-month extension helps, but only so far as the extension serves as opportunity to work out a deal where the PPL hands over these buildings to the PCL,” Solomon said.
Mayor: City Committed To Working With PPL
In a statement following the six-month agreement with the PPL, Mayor Angel Taveras (right) praised both the Public Library and the Community Library for their commitment to the city. Taveras said he wants to make sure a fair agreement is reached by October 1.
“The City of Providence and its residents are fortunate to have benefited for decades from the non-profit Providence Public Library’s services that continue today from the downtown Central Library. During the past two years, the City has worked with the Providence Community Library to ensure citywide neighborhood services, while the PPL has continued to provide Providence with important services and resources focused on early childhood literacy, economic advancement and workforce development, and lifelong learning opportunities for residents,” Taveras said.
“Both PPL and the City are committed to achieving an agreement that enables the continued use of the branch buildings to provide important services to Providence neighborhood residents and allows the City’s branch system and the PPL to flourish.”
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