Can a Renaissance City sustain its libraries?

You would hope the answer is "Yes!"

Alternate plans for the future of the library are due to be unveiled at City Hall by a new group at 5:30 this evening. From the Library Reform Group blog:

At 5:30 p.m. on Monday, January 5, representatives of the newly formed Providence Community Library will hold a press conference on the second-floor steps in Providence City Hall to announce that this non-profit organization is prepared to take over the PPL library branches.  The Providence Community Library pledges to raise funds for and operate a branch library system that will continue to provide services for patrons at ALL NINE Providence neighborhood branches.   

The Providence Public Library Board of Trustees has voted to approve a plan that would keep Central open but reduce the number of branches from the current nine down to FOUR, starting by July 2009.   We find this unacceptable, and we call upon the City to refuse to provide the present level of library funding to support this new PPL plan. 

We ask the City to transfer its library funding to the Providence Community Library, which will ensure continued access to a full branch library system that provides services and programs that meet the needs of library patrons across the City.