On December 10, the Mount Pleasant Library staff received a shipment of new books, and Rochambeau’s books arrived a day or two later. The PCL business office has determined that we are doing well enough, budget-wise, to begin purchasing new books. Every library has been allocated a small allowance of $300 a month to order a few high-priority books, and both Mount Pleasant and Rochambeau have also been cleared to resume the monthly Baker & Taylor leasing program to which PPL had formerly subscribed.
These two libraries have begun receiving about 40 books a month, which they will keep for about four months and then return to Baker & Taylor (which is a major distributor of books to libraries and bookstores). These books are contemporary best-sellers, ones that PCL patrons are anxious to read right away–and for which there are long waiting lists of patrons "holds" on them. Typically, demand for books on today’s best-seller lists drops after a few months, so we are delighted to have this cost-efficient method of getting popular titles to PCL readers now and saving our limited shelf space for the future. PCL staff will determine which of these leased books are ones that are likely to have a longer "shelf-life," ones that will be as popular with our patrons next year and the year after as they are now, and we can keep one out of every five books we lease.
What about our other seven libraries? Every Baker & Taylor new book is entered into our computerized catalog, so that you can request the books of your choice and they will be delivered to your neighborhood library. Also, our third larger library, Knight Memorial, is about to begin a Baker & Taylor book program of its own: Knight will be getting new books via the "Automatically Yours" service, whereby the library will automatically receive new titles published by a selected list of best-selling authors. These will be purchased books, not leased ones, and they will stay on our shelves, remaining available to all PCL patrons long after the leased books have been returned.
See the pictures of the Grand Book Openings at Mount Pleasant and Rochambeau on our blog: http://libraryreformgroup.wordpress.com/
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anna and new book
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mpl staff and books
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martha ayesha bonny
On Saturday, November 14, the Open House sponsored by the Knight Memorial Friends of the Library drew a crowd, despite heavy wind and rain. Members of the Library Friends furnished a wide variety of foods, including a number of delicious desserts, and there was a crowd assembled all afternoon around the refreshment tables.
Knight Memorial Library took full advantage of its many separate rooms on two floors to offer over a dozen separate events. While some library patrons, as usual, looked for books, did homework, and used the computers, others practiced line dancing, listened to chamber music and poetry by performers from AUREA–or music by guitarist Art Toegemann, painted ceramics, engaged in craft making, bought a PCL T-shirt, visited the Anti-Tobacco table, read the asthma literature, had their blood pressure checked, watched a slide show of historic photos of the Knight Memorial Library, viewed a video on KML today produced by KML Friend Daniel Leone, played chess, or just visited with one another and with the Knight Memorial Library staff. RISD professor Jim Barnes strolled through the library with the RISD students (Ming-Yi Wong, Kevin Crace, and Lilli Avenia) who are preparing an architectural report on the Knight Memorial Library building.
It is hard to believe that the KML’s Friends group is only six months old!
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sandwich table
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dessert table
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kml friends at t shirt tabl
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craft table
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craft table two
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guitarist
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anti tobacco booth
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asthma awareness
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intent on chess
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line dancing class
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string musicians
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string musicians posing
We are delighted to report that Senator Shelton Whitehouse visited two of PCL’s community libraries on Thursday, November 12.
He began his visit at Smith Hill Library, where, guided around the main library floor by librarian Alan Gunther, he met and talked with the many children and some adults checking out books, lining up for the computers and interacting freely to one another around tables of games and books. In the community room downstairs, Children’s Specialist Jennifer Romans was conducting a PASA class – “Read and Rap”–where the kids took turns reading poems. Pressured to recite a poem himself, Senator Whitehouse rose to the occasion and did so!
The Senator remarked to PCL Trustee Linda Kushner that he was really impressed with the vitality of Smith Hill. “Those children own that place; they are so at home,” he remarked. “They weren’t at all disturbed by us adults being there.” The kids may have been slightly nonplussed at having several adults visiting their class, but they were really impressed when the Senator joined in with a poem of his own. What a great experience for those children and for the Senator!
Sen. Whitehouse then went South Providence Library, where he had the opportunity to see a busy renovated library that is in excellent physical condition. Since Smith Hill and South Providence were both built in the early 1930s, the physical differences between the two buildings and the urgent repair needs of Smith Hill were clear to the Senator.
At South Providence Library the Senator met PCL Executive Director Ann Robinson and the administrative staff of PCL. He toured the PCL administrative office, the small computer laboratory in the basement of South Providence where 5 of our 6 administrators are now camped. We hope to move our administrative offices to a more suitable location as soon as we can and return this space to South Providence to have for patrons’ computer use.
It’s great that Senator Whitehouse had the opportunity to see how important our neighborhood libraries are to Providence communities, and we thank him for taking the time to visit us.
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senator and exec director
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senator and kids
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senator and sister ann
On Friday, October 30, the PCL staff assembled at Rochambeau Library to meet, eat, and socialize. The staff meeting was fairly brief: Assistant Director Laura Marlane ran the meeting, as Director Ann Robinson was home with bronchitis. Among other things, Laura told the staff that Stephanie Chausse will be starting a staff Health and Wellness group very soon.
Board Treasurer Linda Kushner thanked the staff for its patience as we worked with National Grid to get the heat turned on at several libraries a couple of weeks ago. As the outside temperature continued to drop, the inside temperature got lower and lower, and the staff attempted to stay warm with space heaters and long underwear. Fortunately, we got the problem resolved within a few days, and we only had to close one library on one day due to the frigid temperatures.
Board Vice-President Patricia Raub reviewed the holiday staffing plans for PCL. In appreciation of the PCL staff’s dedication and hard work in ensuring that the transition from PPL to PCL has gone smoothly, the PCL Executive Committee has decided to give the staff a half-holiday on New Year’s Eve: all libraries will close at 12:30 p.m. that day.
In the midst of the meeting, Mount Pleasant Library’s Children’s Specialist Betty Nunes made a dramatic appearance–as the Cat in the Hat.
After a short question and answer session, everyone made their way to the food tables and filled their plates. Among the offerings was an apple pie with the letters “PCL” cut out in dough and arranged on top. Tom O’Donnell and the Rochambeau Library staff hosted the brunch–and kept the coffee flowing.
Below are a selection of photos taken during the brunch.
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laura marlane and betty nunes
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karen mcaninch and betty nunes
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dhana whiteing and betty nunes
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adam misturado chris williams
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alan gunther martha maier denise brophy mary ellen scott
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carolina yiry and fidelia
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ann schattle julie sabourin
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ellen schwartz mark mckenney doug hinman 2
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cheryl hunt
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fidelia david emily
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jennifer romans
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linda kushner deb furia
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rose stetson sara huber
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siv and ayesha
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sue gibbs and maria melvin
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pcl pie
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On Thursday, October 29, GTECH Corporation opened the first of three GTECH After School Advantage computer centers scheduled for PCL libraries this fiscal year. This computer lab was installed at the Wanskuck Library. (The other two computer centers are slated for Fox Point and Mount Pleasant Libraries.)
GTECH’s Senior Vice President Robert K. Vincent was the master of ceremonies for the event, which was also attended by City Council President Peter Mancini and Councilman Nick Narducci, and by the Mayor’s Senior Advisor Leo J. Perrott, who represented the Mayor who was forced to miss the event due to ill health. Leandro Gomes, a Wanskuck patron who was looking forward to using the new computer center, was one of the speakers, and Patricia Raub, vice-president of the PCL Board of Trustees, represented PCL.
Most of the professional-looking photos below were taken by photographer Al Weems. Patricia Raub took the rest of them.
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computer lab
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gtech bob vincent
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leandro gomes
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cutting the ribbon
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bob vincent peter mancini and nick narducci
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linda kushman and leandro gomes
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miss molly gets involved
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computing is fun
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laura marlane looks over shoulder
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Laura Marlane, former Director of the Central Falls Free Public Library , president of the Rhode Island Library Association, and past president of Ocean State Libraries, accepted our invitation to become PCL’s first Deputy Director and started work on September 21st.
We are particularly pleased that Laura has a strong background in library cataloging and computer services, as well as in library reference services, and we are delighted to welcome Laura to the PCL administrative team.
Over the past month or so, there have been a lot of developments at Knight Memorial Library.
The library staff is up to its full complement, under the leadership of Adam Misturado and with the able assistance of Craig Kaspark and Maria Cotto, Adult and Children’s librarians, respectively, and Melissa Rivera, Knight’s Children’s Specialist. Behind the circulation desk, you will find Christine Williams and also Rose Stetson, Yiry Pereyra, Cheri Melvin and Karina Veras (you will recognize all of them by their friendly smiles!).
Below the main library level, the PCL maintenance staff has been hard at work preparing work spaces for the IT staff (David Sok, our computer support specialist par excellence, and Stephanie Chausse, PCL’s very capable web designer). Sharing their office in what was once Knight Memorial’s Children’s Room (with its elaborate tiled fireplace) is Mike Nickerson, our head maintenance worker. Just down the hall, the PCL driver Luis Garcia sorts books for delivery to the neighborhood libraries, and Mike, Moses Lilly and Frank Grinchell have just finished up constructing the maintenance department’s workshop.
Behind the building sits our new maintenance truck (when it’s not in use), as well as Luis’ delivery truck.
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craig kaspark helping patro
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rose stetson at work
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yiry pereyra checks out a d
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stephanie chausse edits
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titled fireplace in old chi
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mike nickerson at his desk
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moses lilly improves wiring
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luis garcia sorts mail in n
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mike and moses with new truck
