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Community Support Highlights

May 5, 2023 Enlightenment Award – Robert K. Taylor

For his singular vision, tireless dedication, and inspired leadership, PPL proudly presented Robert K. Taylor with its highest honor – The Enlightenment Award – at its 2023 Savor the Story Gala on

May 5. Rob was acknowledged for his significant and enduring contributions as an esteemed member of PPL’s family over the past 20 years and for his instrumental role in envisioning our future and helping to make it a reality.

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Rob joined the Library’s Board of Trustees in 2006 at a time when libraries were struggling to reimagine their missions and work for the 21st century. Upon nomination, Rob listened while a national researcher and library consultant spoke about how libraries should respond to changing community needs and of emerging principles in library service, including the concept of a “great third place” – library spaces designed for people first, and new and creative public uses of library buildings. She highlighted the idea of a changing scope of services and the need for innovation.

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Taking these messages to heart, Rob passionately dedicated himself to a dynamic vision for PPL’s future. He became a true library champion and a constant and dependable guiding force for PPL. He took on leadership positions from the moment he joined the Board.

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As many who have known him and had the good fortune of serving with him at PPL can attest, Rob had a clear vision as well as an ambitious plan for the Library from the

beginning and he recognized that this vision and plan would not come about overnight. In his early years as a Trustee Rob applied his steady presence and thoughtful demeanor to task after task, whether it was working to put the Library on firmer financial footing, laying the groundwork for new and exciting programs and services, or putting building blocks in place for transformative facilities upgrades. Rob ultimately became Chair of the Board in 2012, and served in that role for six years.

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Rob helped lead PPL through its intensive transition from Rhode Island’s largest library system – with 10 citywide locations – to the cutting-edge education hub that the Library is today. He guided PPL and its community through multiple strategic planning processes focused on expanding the Library’s educational mission. He set the wheels in motion for a once-in-a-lifetime physical transformation of his beloved third place – a project he envisioned long before the 2018 groundbreaking. And, nearly two decades after first signing on as a Trustee – after immense effort, long volunteer hours, and a tenacity few could match – Rob proudly saw PPL become a Library for the 21st century, with a talented and continually growing staff serving record numbers of patrons and doing nationally recognized work. Furthermore, Rob’s PPL family is not alone in recognizing his sincere passion for libraries and his outstanding leadership; in 2018, he received the Trustee of the Year Award from the Rhode Island Library Association.

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Not one to rest, Rob’s work continues today as Co-Chair of PPL’s DEI Committee, helping to oversee yet another essential growth process for the Library as we work to embed diversity, equity, and inclusion in all that we are and do.

PPL’s most successful Savor The Story yet – The Future Is Now!

As we looked ahead to all the future holds for PPL, our annual gala was the perfect time to celebrate the future of food and wine while also honoring Library visionary Rob Taylor, our 2023 Enlightenment Award recipient. Many thanks to the more than 200 guests who attended and all who sponsored our 2023 Savor the Story. You all helped us to host our most successful gala to date, raising a record-setting $138,000!

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2023 401Gives Day and PPLGive Day most successful to date 

We raised an amazing $7,009 on 401Gives in support of RIFLI (and in celebration of RIFLI’s 25th anniversary!)

 

Wow! It was simply amazing how much this community turned out in support of PPL and so many incredible nonprofits statewide! PPL took the opportunity, since we were celebrating the 25th anniversary of RIFLI (Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative), to fundraise exclusively in honor of this nationally-recognized ESOL, citizenship preparation, workforce development, and family literacy program. Enjoy the below video, which is testimony of the incredible work of RIFLI. 

Thanks to PPL’s COMMUNITY of generous supporters, we were able to go above and beyond the $15,000 goal we set out to raise for 2023 PPLGive Day, raising a grand total of $21,482! We were blown away by our community that continues to rally around work that creates positive change across Rhode Island – and not only PPL’s work, but also the work of  New Urban Arts, Amos House, and Binch Press/Queer.Archive.Work, and so many more essential nonprofits throughout the state. Thanks to everyone’s overwhelming support, we were able to “pay it forward” by donating $2,160 to each of these community organizations.

Major grants support new and ongoing programs, infrastructure 

The Library relies on a vast number of generous funders that contributed nearly $2 million in 2023, including a number of notable grants in support of new and ongoing programs and necessary infrastructure from the following:

  • Rhode Island Department of Education contributed $557,393 toward PPL’s continued operation of RIFLI (Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative) and Adult Education Professional Development & RI Tech Hub statewide programs

  • IMLS National Leadership Grant Program ongoing support of $200,940 for Data for Good

  • The Governor’s Workforce Board (Real Skills for Youth) contributed $126,205 in support of PPL’s Teen Squads and $25,000 for TC Pathway (adults)

  • FM Global continued support of $150,000 for Special Collections Whaling Log Digitization and Data Mining

  • NEH contributed $99,789 in support of the National Digital Newspaper Program (3rd year)

  • The Rhode Island Foundation contributed $75,000 in support of general operations

  • Bank of America contributed $50,000 for TC Pathway (Adults/Teens)

  • CVS Hometown Health Fund contributed $50,000 in support of Behavioral Health Career Pathway programs

Providence Preservation Society Community Design Award

Noting that PPL has long been a fixture of the community, providing access to a wide range of services and programs at its downtown facility, the Providence Preservation Society presented the Library with its 2022 Community Design Award. The award specifically recognized PPL’s aspirations to upgrade its aging 1953 Moderne addition fronting Empire Street to enable 21st century programming and the planning and work undertaken marking the largest-ever public library renovation in Rhode Island history. The jury commended the thoughtfulness that went into the exterior and interior design to better serve library patrons in a more attractive space, an accomplishment achieved through collaboration with designLAB architects.

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