The Providence Public Library (PPL) is celebrating its 150th anniversary this year! Along with a birthday party on Saturday, April 12 there will be other celebratory events throughout 2025. The PPL was created when the libraries of the Franklin Society, The Franklin Lyceum, the RI Society for the Encouragement of Domestic Industry, and the Association of Mechanics and Manufacturers were merged “for the free use of the members and for general reference by the public.” PPL’s current charter was established on April 7, 1875 and it officially opened its doors to the public on February 4, 1878.
Today, PPL is an independent, nonprofit organization governed by a board of trustees. PPL’s first librarian/director was William Foster, who served from 1877-1930. During that time there were 39 employees at the Washington Street building. PPL’s first branch, the Sprague House in Mt. Pleasant, opened in 1907. The branch system grew to 9 neighborhood libraries, but since 2009, those branches are independently run as the Community Libraries of Providence. (See The PVD Eye’s related story.)
PPL is recognized as a leading innovator of open stacks, children’s services, and online technologies and is considered among the first public libraries in the country to establish an Information Desk, a Foreign Department, an Art Department, services for the blind with books in Braille, and a single, statewide catalog (now Ocean State Libraries).
Below are more facts about PPL over its 150 years. For anniversary events throughout the year, check out our PVD Eye Culture Calendar.
28 – members serve on the Board of Trustees
2001 – year PPL won the Institute of Museum and Library Services National Award for Service
20,000+ – items comprise PPL’s digital collection
11 – ship models, plus 320 printed books, 550 blueprints and technical drawings comprise the Alfred S. Brownell Collection
$8.7 million – total revenue in FY23, including $3 million endowment
1894 – year borrower’s cards were issued to children under 14
5 – Ginkgo trees were planted in front of the Washington Street building in 1963
$28 million – price of the Think Again renovation project completed in 2020
255 – seat capacity state-of-the-art auditorium
1923 – year PPL launched its first bookmobile service
60,000+ – early childhood collection and resources for parents and educators in the Chace Children’s Discovery Library
93,000 – book collection in 1900
424 – ESL students and 78 Citizenship students from more than 50 countries were served by the RI Family Literacy Initiative (RIFLI) in FY23 which was launched by PPL in 1989
Sources:
https://www.provlib.org/150-anniversary/
https://provlib.wixsite.com/2023annualreport
Nini Stoddard is a proud Providence resident. After living abroad as the child of a US diplomat, she returned to the United States to attend college. She lived in Connecticut and enjoyed working as a librarian, as a director of a regional non-profit, and as a prospect researcher. Nini moved to Providence in 2006 to work at Brown University as a senior prospect researcher. Now retired, she loves local history and volunteering.
Want to comment? Click!