Providence Public Library

LIBRARY SERVICES

RIFLI SERVED 450 ADULT LEARNERS IN ESOL, CITIZENSHIP, GED, AND TRANSITION-TO-COLLEGE CLASSES THROUGH THE SUMMER. ALL CLASSES WERE VIRTUAL. 10 LEARNERS EARNED THEIR CITIZENSHIP, AN IMPRESSIVE NUMBER NOTING THAT THE LOCAL USCIS OFFICE WAS CLOSED TO THE PANDEMIC FOR MOST OF 2020 THROUGH SPRING 2021. OTHER NOTED OUTCOMES FROM OUR RIFLI CLASSES INCLUDED 68 LEARNERS EARNING THEIR NORTHSTAR DIGITAL LITERACY CERTIFICATIONS, SHOWING THEY LEARNED A BASELINE OF ESSENTIAL SKILLS NEEDED TO SURVIVE IN THE 21ST CENTURY. ANOTHER 30 LEARNERS COMPLETED MICROSOFT OFFICE CERTIFICATION CLASSES AND EARNED COLLEGE CREDIT TO ROGER WILLIAMS UNIVERSITY RWU. ONE RIFLI STUDENT WHO COMPLETED THEIR MOS, SEVILAY,COMPLETED RWU'S OFFICE ASSISTANT CERTIFICATE COURSE AND WAS NOMINATED TO GIVE THE CLASS COMMENCEMENT SPEECH. 63 RIFLI STUDENTS FOUND EMPLOYMENT, 111 STUDENTS RETAINED EMPLOYMENT (BOTH NO SMALL FEATS GIVEN THE PANDEMIC), 1 ESL LEARNER EARNED HER GED, 4 STUDENTS ENTERED CCRI OR RIC DEGREE PROGRAMS, AND 9 STUDENTS TRANSITIONED TO WORKFORCE TRAINING PROGRAMS.WE ALSO HAD 3 IN-PERSON WORKPLACE TRAINING ESOL CLASSES AT HONEYWELL, CARGILL, MURDOCK WEBBING AND CALISE BAKERY, HELPING 55 LEARNERS GAIN THE NECESSARY COMMUNICATION AND READING SKILLS TO EARN FULL TIME EMPLOYMENT AT THESE COMPANIES.OUR ESL CLASS FOR BUSINESS OWNERS HELPED 10 STUDENTS GAIN KNOWLEDGE TO START THEIR OWN BUSINESSES. ONE STUDENT STARTED HIS OWN BUSINESS AS A COMPUTER TEACHER CONTRACTOR WITH PPL, ILSR AND RWU. TWO OTHER STUDENTS WERE ABLE TO START SIDE HUSTLES/SMALL BUSINESS VENTURES.124 INDIVIDUALS COMPLETED TECH PATHWAY CLASSES IN ESSENTIAL EXCEL, RHODE CODERS, OR DATA PATHWAY (DATA ANALYSIS & VISUALIZATION)., VIRTUAL PPL LEARNING LOUNGES SERVED 607 UNIQUE INDIVIDUALS, 75% BIPOC COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WITH 238 REPEAT VISITORS AND 3155 TOTAL VISITS. TOP REASONS PEOPLE USED THE LOUNGE INCLUDED BASIC COMPUTER SKILLS (40%), INTERMEDIATE COMPUTER CLASS (15%), EMPLOYMENT SERVICES (RESUME, JOB APPLICATION, JOB SEARCH, ETC. (7%), ACADEMIC SUPPORT (20%), AND ESL PRACTICE (12%).DURING THE YEAR ENDED JUNE 30, 2021, AN ESTIMATED 32,817 PEOPLE VISITED THE LIBRARY, WITH TOTAL USAGE OF RESOURCES AND MATERIALS TOPPING 147,973. PUBLIC ACCESS COMPUTERS WERE USED 6,294 TIMES. LIBRARY USERS RECEIVED INFORMATION ASSISTANCE FROM LIBRARY STAFF A TOTAL OF 24,788 TIMES. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, OUR PROGRAMMING NUMBERS SHARPLY DECREASED. IN FY21, THE LIBRARY PROVIDED A TOTAL OF 36 PROGRAMS FOR CHILDREN AND ADULTS, GENERATING A TOTAL ATTENDANCE OF 329.