Excerpt: But there’s a problem. Although the PPL [Providence Public Library] trustees transferred the books and equipment in the nine former branches to the city, they did not, as promised, transfer the ownership of the buildings that house seven of our libraries — Knight Memorial, Mount Pleasant, Olneyville, Rochambeau, Smith Hill, South Providence, and Wanskuck — to the City of Providence. Because of this, the Providence Community Library has been unable to make improvements to the buildings.
Years of neglected maintenance by PPL have left us with buildings that cannot handle the elements. When it rains, water pours down the walls of the Smith Hill Library; staff members must move books to protect them and place buckets under the worst roof leaks. The Wanskuck Library, which also needs a new roof, is in nearly as poor condition. The water is beginning to seep through the roof and into the insulation, dampening the walls and ceiling of the reading rooms.
Related articles:
Providence Public Library: Who are you going to believe? (3/30/2010)
A library revolution in Providence. (Los Angeles Times, 1/7/2009)
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