2022
Annual Report 

What a year FY22 was for PPL! July 2021 marked the official reopening of the entire Library, and throughout the year, we experienced exponential growth and finally began to realize the level of activity and services we imagined when we planned and undertook our great library transformation in 2018. In fact, in many ways, the reality exceeded our expectations, with no slowdown in sight! In this report you will see remarkable usage and delivery statistics, as well as illustrative stories of the positive impact the Library makes every day in people’s lives.

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In addition, we achieved considerable progress on a number of key goals and objectives outlined in our current strategic plan, which is guiding us through 2025.

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A primary goal in our plan is to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that we do. PPL derives its strength from the diversity of our community. 

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We have a history of serving all who come through our doors, recognizing and celebrating everyone’s uniqueness, as well as how our differences make our community vibrant.

 

As our society faces increasingly widening inequities and seemingly deepening divisions, we recognize the Library’s crucial unifying role. But we also acknowledge the work to be done within our own four walls. Accordingly, throughout this year, the organization as a whole undertook an extensive journey of self-examination and reaffirmed our commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization. This work entailed an immersive process, facilitated by The Justice Collective, and involved staff, board, and community stakeholders. The result has been the creation of a detailed DEI roadmap which PPL has now begun to formally implement.

 

Over the course of FY22, we continued to adapt, innovate, and diversify, both deepening our existing community partnerships as well as creating new ones. We worked diligently to enhance and develop exciting opportunities to co-create with our community, providing educational programs and experiences designed to expand our reach and ensure that all Rhode Islanders – especially those most excluded from opportunity – were able to access our services and to thrive.

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We could not have achieved this level of success without all of you – our extremely dedicated and generous supporters. The outcomes in this report are a testament to you and your belief in your public library and the immeasurable impact it makes! Thank you.

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Jack Martin, PPL Executive Director

Elizabeth Debs, Chair