time
Mon – Thur 9am-8:45pm
Fri & Sat 9am-4:45pm
Sunday Noon-3:45pm
chat loading...

Strategic Plan 2022-2025

Needs Assessment

Pawtucket is the fourth largest city in the State of Rhode Island.  According to the 2020 Census 75,842 people reside in Pawtucket.  Pawtucket’s population is more diverse than the state.  25% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.  Statewide 18.9% of the population is Hispanic or Latino.  17.2% are black or African American as opposed to 13.6% statewide. 25.8% of the population is foreign born while statewide the percentage is 13.5.  40.8% of Pawtucket residents speak a language other than English at home.  Many different nationalities live in the city and some of the languages they speak are Spanish, Portuguese, Cape Verdean Creole and French.  12.8% of the City’s population is 65 and older as opposed to 16.8% of the state’s population.   11.9% of Pawtucket’s population under 65 have a disability as opposed to the state’s percentage which is 8.7%.    The medium household income for Pawtucket households is $52,902 while the state’s medium household income is $70,305. [1] 

Educational achievement in Pawtucket has increased since the 2010 Census.   In 2010 76.7% of the residents 25 and over had completed high school.  The 2020 Census reported 82% had graduated from high school.  The state’s percentage is 88.5%.[2]

Rhode Island has seen a small decrease in the number of children under 18 in the population.  As of 2020 the number of children in Pawtucket has decreased by 0.7% to 16,455. [3]  20.1% of Pawtucket’s children are living below the Federal Poverty Threshold and 6% are living in extreme poverty, which is defined as families with incomes below 50% of the federal poverty level. [4]  This is a decrease of 8.8% for those living below Federal Poverty Threshold and a decrease of 6.2% for those living in extreme poverty from the 2009-2013 count. [5]  More children are participating in pre-kindergarten programs. Attending pre-k programs helps students to enter school with skills they need to succeed.     The estimated percent of all Pawtucket children aged 4 enrolled in Head Start of RI Pre-K is 28%.  The estimated percent of Pawtucket low-income children aged 4 enrolled is 31%. [6]

Proficiency skills of Pawtucket students are less than students statewide. [7]

Proficiency  at above proficiency in 2021

Pawtucket

Rhode Island

Third Grade Reading Skills

25%

40%

Third Grade Math Skills

13%

25%

Vision- The vision of the Pawtucket Public Library is to use our resources to help transform our community into a more inclusive, knowledgeable and economically sustainable Pawtucket.

Mission -The mission of the Pawtucket Public Library is to enhance the quality of life for all citizens of Pawtucket by offering services which are accessible to all and which provide information and opportunities for education, personal enrichment, and recreation. In doing so, the library strives to respond to the needs and desires of each individual and to treat everyone with respect and dignity. 

 Goals:

ConnectionsThe Library will work to make community members more aware of library services.

  • The Library will offer programs and services to residents at convenient locations.
  • The Library will work with cultural groups to grow cultural awareness.
  • The Library will provide opportunities to reduce social isolation and provide opportunities for community building.
  • The Library will provide programs for residents to share their opinions in a civil manner.
  • The Library will work with other organizations to meet shared goals
  • The Library will reach out to users and non-users to discover their needs and interests.

Collections & ServicesThe Library collections and programs will meet the needs and interests of the residents of the community.  

  • The Library’s collection and programs will be audited at regular intervals to make sure it is providing services to diverse identities, cultures, abilities and generations.
  • The collections will be kept up-to-date.
  • The collections will be organized so the materials are easy to find.
  • The Library will institute an updated Technology Plan  
  • The Library will work toward expanding service hours.
  • The Library will review policies and procedures to remove barriers to access

Support The Library’s strategic initiatives need to be supported by internal and  external funding and resources.

  • Staff will be prepared to serve customers of diverse backgrounds and abilities.
  • The Library will strive to have the staff reflect the ethnicity of the community
  • The Library’s two historic buildings will be repaired and maintained to insure safety and viability.
  • The interiors of the Sayles and Burns buildings will be refreshed and updated
  • The Trustees and Friends will work to provide funding to meet the library’s goals.

Evaluation- The Strategic Plan will be evaluated yearly during the January and July Board of Trustee meetings.

[1] https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/pawtucketcityrhodeisland and https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/RI.

[2] https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/pawtucketcityrhodeisland and https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/RI

[3] 1 Rhode Island Kids Count, 2022 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook, p.8-9.

[4] Rhode Island Kids Count, 2022 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook, p.37.

[5] Rhode Island Kids Count, 2015 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook, p.39.

[6] Rhode Island Kids Count, 2022 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook, p.131.

[7] Rhode Island Kids Count, 2022 Rhode Island Kids Count Factbook, p.146 – 151.

 

 

 

 


 

 

PAWTUCKET PUBLIC LIBRARY NEWSLETTER

Sign up for the latest news and event information from the Pawtucket Public Library.

FRIENDS OF THE LIBRARY

The Friends of the Library brings together involved, caring people who support and promote library services & programs.