| One Library at a Time: Smith Hill Library |
 The Smith Hill Library, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was established as a branch of the Providence Public Library in 1932. Since that time it has become a central part of the Smith Hill neighborhood, serving as the unofficial hub of community activities. The library has one of the oldest Friends of Library groups in the entire city. Established in 1978, the Friends of Smith Hill Library has served to integrate the library into the community and has been the major bulwark against the library's closing. In 1991 they actually took PPL to court to prevent the branch's closure. But notwithstanding the protests of the Smith Hill Friends and other library advocates across the city, the Smith Hill Library, along with 4 other neighborhood libraries, was facing closure on July 1, 2009.
The library was saved when it was taken over by Providence Community Library on July 1, 2009. For the first four months, statistics show that 14,395 people have patronized the library; 164 youth have attended youth programs; 70 pre-school children have attended story times at the library with their teachers; 106 youth participated in the Homework Health program with students from the Feinstein Institute of Public Service at Providence College; 226 preschool children listened to stories by librarians and Ready to Learn Providence AmeriCorp workers visiting their classrooms and home daycares; and 174 people have attended the many meetings held at the library. And just between July 1st and September 21st 2,465 people of all ages used one of the library's free public computers.
The Smith Hill Library offers many children's programs: "Cradle to Crayons" for children up to three years of age; the "Read and Rap" poetry program for 6th, 7th and 8th graders, where children exploring poetry and pop songs end up writing their own poems; the popular "Gross!" science program for school age children which explores how the human body works; as well as numerous art projects. The Smith Hill Library has a special relation with the Paul Cuffee School and with the Smith Hill Early Childhood Learning Center. The Smith Hill Library serves as a safe and lively meeting place and learning center for people of all ages. Its very active Friends group is headed by Althea Graves. Learn more about Smith Hill Library, the staff and what's going on! |
| Upcoming Adult Fiction and Non-Fiction |
 In DecemberFictionSummertime, by JM Coetzee, which was shortlisted for the 2009 man Booker Prize, will be in release. Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall, the award recipient, is widely available: Cromwell, Boleyn, Henry VII and More, but in Mantel's hands a very different story. U Is For Undertow, by Sue Grafton already has 289 holds placed by our readers. This reliably witty and surprising mystery series helped to spark a whole raft of female sleuths; Grafton's protagonist, Kinsey Millhone, is more realistically drawn most. Grafton handles subplots and ongoing minor characters well, so her earlier work gets re-read. If you haven't read these, start at A and work your way up. Non-fictionThe breakout pick is: Outcasts United: An American Town, a Refugee Team, and One Woman's Quest to Make a Difference, by Warren St. John; how a youth soccer team of refugees bridged cultural gaps in a small Georgia town. Also in non-fiction: Happy: A Memoir, by Alex Lemon; Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives In North Korea, by Barbara Demick; Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan, by Greg Mortenson; Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us, by Daniel H. Pink; Cleaving, by Julie Powell, the author of Julie and Julia. In January
FictionTracy Chevalier, author of Girl With A Pearl Earring and other historical fiction, follows up with Remarkable Creatures. The book centers on 2 Victorian women who meet through their shared hobby of fossil hunting, and focuses on the societal status of unmarried women during this era. It will be released in December; to date, reviews are mixed. AS Byatt's The Children's Book, just released this October, is set in the end of the Victorian era, and is broader and more ambitious in scope, with great Byatt's intricacy and depth. Also noteworthy in fiction: Noah's Compass, by Anne Tyler; Monsieur Pain, by Robert Bolano; Be Careful what You Pray For, by Kimberly Lawson Roby; La's Orchestra Saves The World, by Alexander McCall Smith; A Fair Maiden by Joyce Carol Oates; The Lock Artist, by Steve Hamilton; The Privileges by Jonathan Dee.
Non-fiction
Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace With Marriage, by Elizabeth Gilbert, follows her surprisingly successful Eat, Pray, Love.
For readers of historical non-fiction: Birthright: The True Story Of The Kidnapping of Jemmy Annesley, by A. Robert Ekirch, describes the events that inspired Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped, is getting great prepress notices. The Checklist Manifesto, by Atul Gawande, looks at decision making and error aversion through a simple checklist process, particularly in medicine. Finally, look for Priceless: The Myth Of Fair Value (And How To Take Advantage Of It) by William Poundstone.
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| A Voice from PCL |
 I am new to the secret life of libraries. I am one of those patrons who brought their children to the library when they were young because it was a great place for them to be, but once they were older I only rushed in occasionally to grab a book. I guess I also thought that the books just jumped onto the shelves from the bookstore, so the concept of a whole department called "tech services" that has to catalogue, process, and register everything online still boggles my mind!
I have learned in the last few months that inside a library there is a unique world. It is certainly a peaceful place that is a sanctuary from the craziness of the stress in our lives, the financial burdens, and the fears we face. In addition to the books and the availability of computers and information on anything you need, there are a variety of free programs for all ages.
But the most surprising and exciting lesson I have learned is what incredible people librarians are. Our librarians are not just employees who sit behind the desk and check books in and out. They have vast knowledge on any number of topics and a hunger for learning that they transmit to their patrons. They are people who love the buildings they work in no matter what the condition or the location and they make them feel like home. Our librarians are fiercely protective of their patrons; they are like family. Most of all, each librarian has built a community around the library that meets the needs of everyone who visits.
I am honored to be a part of this world and I am energized by their commitment. PCL gives us all opportunities to expand the communities that our librarians have built so that we can reach more people who want what we offer.
So a personal Thank You to our librarians for the gifts you bring to our organization.
Sue Gibbs
Business Director
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Sharpes Issue $25,000 Challenge |
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Providence Community Library is excited to announce that noted philanthropists and friends of PCL Henry and Peggy Sharpe have issued a challenge to PCL donors. To stimulate larger contributions to PCL, the Sharpes will match all donations of $1000 or more, to a total of $25,000, that PCL receives between now and early February.
PCL's first general fundraising appeal, sent to thousands of Providence residents and other library supporters over the past six weeks, has been well received by the community. Many donors, both traditional library supporters and new donors who recognize how close our libraries came to closing earlier this year, have responded generously with donations from $10 to $1000. And major donors, giving far larger contributions, have stepped forward to ensure that this library system is secure in its first and most vulnerable year of operation.
The City of Providence provides PCL with $3,500,000 to run our nine neighborhood libraries, and we receive another $720,000 in State library funding. But PCL still needs to raise nearly $600,000 from private sources to meet its budget for this year. So far, PCL has raised more than $130,000, or nearly 25% of that amount. Friends like Henry and Peggy Sharpe are making achieving this goal a reality.
You too can support PCL! Please send checks made out to the Providence Community Library to:
Providence Community Library
PO Box 9267
Providence RI 02940
Or you may make a secure online donation with your credit card from our Support Page |
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