This issue is a priority of the LWV Providence
Study Report - Updated Analysis 2021
Full Position
The position was adopted by the LWV Providence in June 2016.
The League of Women Voters of Rhode Island adopted this position by concurrence at its 2017 Convention on June 1, 2017.
LENDING SUPPORT: On the front lines of communities in crisis, Providence’s libraries are a bridge to critical services
Katie Mulvaney Providence Journal 8/21/2022 | USA TODAY NETWORK
BACKGROUND
In the spring of 2014, the Providence League of Women Voters moderated a series of mayoral debates sponsored by the Providence Community Library. Not surprisingly, the Providence Community Library wanted to know where the candidates stood on library funding. Although all the candidates indicated that they thought libraries played a valuable role in Providence, they were vague about increased funding. In fact, one of the candidates, Brett Smiley, said that realistically there was no additional money for libraries given Providence's serious financial woes, but he did make an interesting suggestion: examine the state funding formula to see if more money could be raised in that way.
In June 2014 at its annual meeting, the Providence League of Women Voters decided to accept the challenge of studying the state library funding formula. We interviewed members of the state library network as well as examined whatever statistics and financial records we could find. When our research was finished, we prepared a report that showed that the state's distribution of library money on a per capita basis favored wealthy suburban communities over poorer cities like Providence and Woonsocket. This pattern seemed especially disturbing given that some of these poorer areas had both higher rates of childhood poverty and lower reading scores than the richer towns that benefited from the formula.
Since then, the League has met with aides to the governor, the House Speaker and Senate President, legislative staffers, and senators and representatives to make them aware of our findings. What we have discovered is very few public officials know how the formula works or what its impact is. Although no solution that can pass both chambers has yet been found, the League continues to advocate for a formula that will include population and the taxable wealth of a locality in awarding funds rather than simply matching approximately 25% of whatever a town or city appropriates on its libraries. If you would like to help us find a more equitable solution, we welcome your participation. Please contact Maureen Romans at: mromans1031 [at] yahoo.com.
