Thank you to everyone who worked on the Freedom to Read bill from the very beginning to its passage on July 2! A ceremonial signing by Governor Dan McKee was held on August 12 at the Rochambeau Library in Providence. Present at the ceremony were the bill sponsors, Freedom to Read Coalition members, librarians, and community members. Thank you especially to bill sponsors Representative David Morales and Senator Mark McKenney, Freedom to Read Coalition members, RILA's Legislative Action Committee, Director of the Community Libraries of Providence Cheryl Space for hosting the event, and many others who have championed this bill from its inception into law. I also appreciate the support from Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi, Senate President Valarie Lawson, and Providence Mayor Brett Smiley who were in attendance.

Enjoy several photos from the momentous event! Photos provided by Padma Venkatraman, Jeanette Bradley, and Geoff Visgili

Rhode Island's Freedom to Read bill, which has been signed by Governor McKee, gives all Rhode Islanders a reason to celebrate! With the passage of this important piece of legislation, Rhode Island has officially recognized (and protected) the professional judgment of librarians in curating library collections; the rights of creators to write and illustrate books without fear of censors; and, the right of all people to access collections that reflect the true diversity and history of the American people. Importantly, this bill standardizes collection development and reconsideration policies in school and public libraries and limits the ability to raise concerns to people either living in the municipality (public libraries) or a teacher, student or parent in the school community (school libraries), blunting the influence of national groups attempting to ban books.

"Rhode Island’s Freedom to Read Act is the first in the nation to guarantee a private right of action against book restrictions to readers and writers impacted by censorship, offering a crucial tool to fight book bans" (PEN America, July 10, 2025: https://pen.org/press-release/rhode-island-freedom-to-read-act-is-first-in-nation-with-special-guarantees-to-writers-and-readers-against-censorship/)

It is famously challenging to get bills voted into law in Rhode Island. Fortunately, the vast ocean of passionate, tireless, advocates for the Freedom to Read, including Rhode Island lawyers, authors/ illustrators (Rhode Island Authors Against Book Bans), readers, librarians, youth (special shout out to ARISE and Young Voices), educators, religious leaders, and aligned advocates for other causes (like the Womxn Project and the Providence League of Women Voters), working side by side with national supporters, including Penguin Random House, EveryLibrary, and PEN America, joined together and built a swell of voices calling for free expression in our state! When we go together, we truly are stronger. Many thanks to the entire Freedom to Read coalition for the vast number of hours spent ensuring the passage of this bill.

Everyone is invited to celebrate Rhode Island's Freedom to Read bill on August 12th at 1:00 PM at a ceremonial bill signing with Governor Dan McKee, Representative David Morales, and Senator Mark McKenney. Senator McKenney and Representative Morales are the lead sponsors of this bill and worked tirelessly with advocates to get the Freedom to Read legislation passed this year. We owe them both a tremendous debt of gratitude, along with all of our legislators who co-sponsored and supported this important safeguard to our freedom to create, read, and access materials freely in our libraries. Location: Rochambeau Library in Providence at 708 Hope Street.

Rogers Free Library celebrated the Freedom to Read by participating in the longest running 4th of July celebration in the country. The library team and tireless volunteers put together a magnificent float showcasing super-sized books and the stories they tell. Revelers spotted Moby Dick, Captain Ahab and Harry Potter’s lightning bolt scar. They cheered the library on with claps and chants like: Read more books!

Adult Summer Camp is a smash hit at Barrington Public Library! Who says kids should have all the fun? For the second year, Barrington Public Library has held an Adult Summer Camp program that encourages adults to embrace their inner child as they participate in fun activities and workshops across two sessions. This year our campers decoupaged plant pots, sewed their own bucket hats, played indoor games including bocce, darts, and cornhole, needle felted mushrooms, belly danced, learned how to make summer rolls and more! Adult Summer Camp is a great way to learn new skills, get out of your comfort zone, and make new memories with like-minded individuals in a welcoming and inclusive environment. Campers earn badges for the completion of every activity as well as a special prize at the end of every session. If you want to learn about how to run your own Adult Summer Camp, contact Siobhan Egan at segan@barringtonlibrary.org

Upon retiring in 2003 from the Hartford Public Library in Connecticut and relocating to South County, Rhode Island, I met with Dr. Michael Havener, the then dean of the University of Rhode Island Graduate School Library and Information Studies program.  I had known Dr. Havener from various library committee meetings throughout New England.  We met to discuss the number of unrepresented students of color in the GSLIS program.  I humored him by stating “I guess they do not have any Black librarians in Rhode Island …”  I asked him this question due to my attendance at the recent Rhode Island Library Association annual conference at Bryant University. I fondly remember seeing only one librarian of color that spring day, Marlene Lopes, now retired, special collections librarian at Rhode Island College, who became a member of CORI. 

I am not sure what Dr. Havener said to Dr. Donna Gilton, a former professor in the program, now deceased, but Donna always used to tell me, “He instructed me to meet with you.” I recollect saying to her, “as a seasoned educator and a pioneering voice in the library world and due to your immense expertise and passion for librarians, he selected the right professor to meet with me.”  And not to mention her institutional and community knowledge. Our dear founding member Dr. Gilton, passed November 28, 2023.   

Our first CORI meeting included Attorney Denise Dowdell, a former librarian, and designer of the CORI logo. Dr. Havener, Dr. Gilton, Denise and I would meet several times a month at the home of Dr. GIlton and her mother, Mrs. Hattie Gilton, whom we decided would be ex-officio of our organization.  Plus, Mother Hattie always prepared a full course meal, whether it was breakfast, lunch or dinner and we always sat at the formal dining room table.  No wonder it took forever to incorporate, we procrastinated just to continue with Mother Hattie’s sumptuous meals. 

After months of meetings, research, and discussions, in September 2005 we had our inaugural program at URI’s University Club. An invitation to every RI librarian and library worker of color that Gilton and Havener could think of, including current and former URI GSLIS Prism Fellows, was disseminated. Librarians of color from neighboring states, Connecticut and Massachusetts were also invited and many attended.  Our featured speaker for the luncheon was Andrew P. Jackson (Sekou Molefi Baako) former executive director of the Queens Library's Langston Hughes Community Library & Cultural Center in New York.  Andrew has returned to RI on several occasions as guest speaker for CORI as well as for RILA annual conferences.  (He is also on program for our September 25^th event.)

Since inception, CORI has presented at RILA’s annual conferences as well as established a yearly fall mini conference.  Guests’ speakers included well-known and prominent librarians throughout the country.  From Dr. Carla Hayden, former Librarian of Congress who returned her honorarium from RILA and benefited it to CORI, with the stipulation that it be used for future CORI programs, to presidents and executives of the American Library Association and Jack Reed, Senior Senator of Rhode Island.  

Without the URI GSLIS support, there would be no CORI.  Nor would we have existed without the numerous librarians, library support staff and libraries that opened their doors so that CORI could have a meeting or present their mini conferences.  

Of course, my biggest thank you are to the many that served as CORI officers and to all the members throughout the years. Never forget that the countless hours you volunteered will always be appreciated as you are why CORI impacted not only Rhode Island but the nation, as we are nationally known. It is bittersweet to end this run, and I am eternally grateful.

Please save the date and join CORI as we mix & mingle in an evening of celebration and remembrance on Thursday, September 25, 2025, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. at the Rhode Island State Library, 82 Smith Street in Providence. You are welcome to bring a friend and colleague.

For additional information on CORI, see https://cornucopiaofri.blogspot.com/

Sadly submitted by,

Ida D. McGhee

Rhode Island legislators and advocates for freedom to read stopped by the State House Library during National Library Week on April 8, 2025. Legislators were invited to come by to pose for photos to promote the Freedom to Read bills and enter RILA’s free raffle for a Free People Read Freely gift basket. The mood was joyful as guests visited tables and representatives from RILA, as well as advocates for school librarians (Peter Quesnel and Tasha White) and the Freedom to Read Coalition (Cheryl Space). State Librarian Kate Wells co-hosted the event with RILA, and created a fun, engaging board display.

During the legislative sessions that day, both the House and the Senate read and passed resolutions proclaiming April 6-12, 2025, to be National Library Week in the State of Rhode Island. Representing RI libraries were Ed Garcia and Aaron Coutu-Jones for House resolution H6196, and Cheryl Space and Julie Holden for Senate resolution S0961. Below is a selection of photos from the day:

RILA Member-at-Large Nomi Hague with Jocelyn Foye, Executive Director, The Womxn Project and Marie LaHara, volunteer for The Womxn Project. Photo credit: Sarah Bouvier

Representative David Morales -D7, lead sponsor of H 5726. Photo credit: Sarah Bouvier

 

Senator Mark McKenney - D30, lead sponsor of S 0238. Photo credit: Sarah Bouvier

Guests visit tables representing school librarians and Freedom to Read Coalition. Also in photo: State Librarian, Kate Wells; school librarians Peter Quesnel and Tasha White. Photo credit: Sarah Bouvier

National Library Week engagement board, created by Kate Wells

Senator Tiara Mack with Legislative Intern. Photo credit: Sarah Bouvier

In photo, facing camera: Senator Alana M. DiMaurio, Senator Hannah M. Gallo, Representative Carol Hagan McEntee. Photo credit: Sarah Bouvier

Senator McKenney explores the United Against Book Bans’ Book Resumes. Photo credit: Sarah Bouvier

Representative Susan R. Donovan, winner of the RILA free raffle, Freedom to Read gift basket. Photo credit: Sarah Bouvier

RILBA Committee Seeking New Members

The Rhode Island Latino Books Award Committee, part of Rhode Island Latino Arts, is seeking new members to serve a 2-year term beginning September 2025. Each year, the RILBA committee selects the nominees for grades K-12 for the award. Rhode Island students are encouraged to read from the booklist and vote for their favorite book. For more information, please visit our webpage.

New Members should:
-Be a Public Youth Services/Teen/Children's Librarian in Rhode Island, School Librarian or Educator
-Commit to reading 5 to 10 books each month including chapter books, picture books, graphic novels, and more
- Have experience working with school age children or teens
- Have an interest in children's or teen literature or both
- Virtual meetings on the 1st Wednesday of every month starting September 2025, 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., September to May

If you are interested in joining the committee or have any questions, please feel free to email mcotto@pawtucketlibrary.org

Thank you! 

CRANSTON, RI – The Trump Administration is targeting the main source of federal funding for public libraries across the nation, putting interlibrary lending, adult education, summer reading, workforce development, and many other essential programs and community services in jeopardy.

As public libraries continue to grapple with an uncertain future due to the Trump Administration’s attacks on the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), U.S. Senators Jack Reed and Sheldon Whitehouse and U.S. Representatives Seth Magaziner and Gabe Amo are teaming up with Ocean State librarians and advocates to underscore the important role libraries play in the state’s communities and to urge robust federal support for the nation’s public libraries.

In Rhode Island, IMLS cuts proposed by the Trump Administration would eliminate roughly 45 percent of the Office of Library and Information Services’ (OLIS) budget. OLIS is Rhode Island’s state library agency and provides support and services to libraries across the state.

Today, the Rhode Island congressional delegation joined Rhode Island Chief of Library Services, Karen Mellor, Director of Cranston Public Library, Ed Garcia, and library directors from across Rhode Island to discuss the Trump Administration’s latest actions and work being done in congress to protect IMLS and strengthen federal funding and support for libraries.

“The Trump Administration’s attacks on public libraries and IMLS are really an attack on learning, knowledge, and opportunity,” said Senator Reed, the leading champion of public libraries in Congress.  “Public libraries are among the best institutions we have, providing central gathering places where all community members are welcome to access an entire world of information.  I’m proud that Rhode Island is helping to lead the push against President Trump’s misguided IMLS cuts. And I will continue to fight to ensure our libraries have the funding, resources, and support they need to serve our communities.”

“Public libraries enrich lives and make communities stronger,” said Whitehouse.  “As the Trump administration makes chaotic cuts to public libraries, I will do everything in my power to protect federal programs and resources that so many Rhode Islanders rely on.” 

“Public libraries in Rhode Island are essential for people of all ages, as a source of education and community building,” said Magaziner.  “President Trump’s plan to cut funding for Rhode Island libraries and museums to pay for tax breaks for billionaires is cruel and shortsighted, and we are determined to fight back.”

“From my first-hand experiences at the Pawtucket Public Library in my youth, I truly believe that public libraries are an invaluable resource for Rhode Islanders to achieve so many goals,” said Congressman Gabe Amo (RI-01). “Whether using their local library’s internet to search for a job or checking out a book to learn a new skill, the least resourced Rhode Islanders will be hit hardest by Trump’s attacks on libraries and museums. Funding and resources for museums and libraries help communities thrive and I will fight in Congress every day to make sure these vital community hubs have the funding they need to succeed.”

“Every city and town in Rhode Island has a public library, and they work together as a seamless network to provide services and programs for children, students, jobseekers, adult learners, senior citizens, and anyone in between,” said Karen Mellor, Chief of the state’s Office of Library and Information Services. “We are extremely grateful to our congressional delegation for their ongoing efforts to preserve the federal funding that enables our agency to provide and support critical services for Rhode Islanders at libraries across the state.”

“When we rally for libraries, we rally for the heart of our communities - our libraries, our museums, our educators, and our future. Our entire congressional delegation understands what is at stake, and we are proud to stand with them to ensure these vital institutions are not only protected but empowered to thrive,” said Ed Garcia, Director of Cranston Public Library.  “Elimination of IMLS funding would be devastating to Rhode Island libraries and the communities we serve, putting important programs and servicesour patrons rely on at risk."

In March, President Trump issued an executive order that called for the closing of several government agencies, including the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Following the order, all IMLS staff were put on leave and some states began seeing their previously awarded federal IMLS grants being rescinded.

While President Trump’s order has been challenged in federal court, the Administration has continued to target support for public libraries in a proposed budget that would eliminate funding for IMLS completely.

For the current year, Congress has provided more than $294 million to IMLS to support grants and research funding, including about $1.4 million for Rhode Island’s Office of Library & Information Services (OLIS) alone. Additionally, several Rhode Island institutions had their previously approved grants from IMLS rescinded, and recently received notification that their grants would be restored due to a court order.

In most cases, public libraries receive the majority of their funding from state and local budgets. IMLS provides critical federal grants to state library agencies that help to strengthen libraries and boost services for patrons, such as workforce development training, interlibrary loans, e-book and audiobook lending, and much more.

On March 29, over 200 patrons and volunteers packed the William Hall Library auditorium throughout the day on behalf of the Rhode Island Chapter of Project Linus. The goal of the day is to make as many blankets as possible to donate to youth undergoing traumatic circumstances. The event, called Project Linus Blanket Day, is an offshoot of the weekly Knit and Crochet Drop-In that has been taking place at William Hall Library for several years. 

According to the Project Linus website, the mission of Project Linus is to “[p]rovide love, a sense of security, warmth and comfort to children who are seriously ill, traumatized, or otherwise in need through the gifts of new handmade blankets and afghans, lovingly created by volunteer ‘blanketeers’. ” Martha Sholes, a long-time member of William Hall’s weekly knitting group, coordinates efforts for the Rhode Island Chapter of Project Linus, and works with William Hall Branch Librarian Zach Berger to schedule two Blanket Days per year, one in the spring and one in the fall. But this important work is not done only on the two designated Blanket Days. Volunteers work all year long to produce blankets. Sholes delivers approximately 125 blankets per month to Hasbro Children's Hospital and 625 blankets quarterly to children in RI. 

Michele Faust, a member of William Hall’s weekly knitting group, was enticed by Sholes a couple of years ago to get involved with Project Linus when she saw how fulfilling the work could be and how much need there is around the state for donated blankets. “Helping other people makes me feel good,” Faust says, and she credits the tireless work of Sholes and many other volunteers for producing quantifiable results. 

The weekly knitting group is a regular source of volunteers for this effort. Faust acknowledges that “everybody has tried new challenges and gone out of their comfort zones to create usable items to donate. We share books of patterns and rely on in-kind contributions. People bring in scraps from home.” Blankets are knit, crocheted, quilted, or made from no-sew fleece.

The group, which meets on Wednesdays from 12:30-2:00 PM in the William Hall Library Program Room, is convivial and helpful, and though the weekly meetings are not set up as a class, no one is shy to ask for or to offer help.

The weekly drop-in group welcomes new members who, Faust, says, “want to feel good about their contributions and what they’re doing to help others.” But not everything produced by the group is for the purpose of donating to Project Linus, and the weekly meetings serve other useful social functions as well, including making the occasional out-of-towner feel welcome and engaged.

“The beauty of this whole project,” says Berger, “is its organic outgrowth of altruism and shared sense of community, all in service to a greater good. Whether these volunteers are using the weekly drop-in to socialize while planning for and creating future donations, to make gifts for their families, or are committing to helping in larger ways at the Blanket Day events themselves, everyone has a chance to contribute at their own pace and comfort level.”

The next Project Linus Blanket Day is scheduled at William Hall Library on Saturday, October 25. Watch the Events tab at cranstonlibrary.org for more information. For more information about Project Linus opportunities, please contact the Rhode Island state coordinator Martha Sholes at marthagsholes@gmail.com.

On the evening of May 8, Dr. Carla Hayden, our 14th Librarian of Congress, was fired, without any stated cause, via email by the Trump administration. Before her appointment as the first woman and African-American to lead the Library of Congress, Dr. Hayden had a long and distinguished career as a transformative leader of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland. The Rhode Island Library Association stands with the broader library community in condemning the dismissal of Dr. Hayden without cause.

RILA President Beatrice Pulliam on the dismissal of the Librarian of Congress: “During her tenure as the 14th Librarian of Congress, Dr. Hayden made the institution of the Library of Congress and its treasured collections accessible and approachable to everyone. Dr. Hayden is a visionary. Her leadership and commitment to modernizing the nation’s library serves as a model of excellence for the library profession and others serving the public. This is a serious blow to our profession and the country’s democratic ideals.”