“Libraries are transformative agents, incubators for educational, professional and personal development, and places for community discourse and creation. The Office of Library and Information Services provides leadership and services to support this vision and ensure that all Rhode Islanders have equitable access to a wide range of in-person and online library services. LSTA funding enables us to expand statewide programs and resource access for the public and support for libraries and their staff.”
-Karen Mellor, Chief of Library Services, Rhode Island Office of Library & Information Services

Any Place Office Space
When the North Providence Union Free Library reopened with limited, then full hours during the pandemic, it saw high demand in computer reservations and printing needs, especially with the decrease in computers available due to social distancing requirements. To address the wait times for computer and printing sessions in the building, the library created Any Place Office Space kits that patrons could borrow for up to three months at a time, which included a laptop, mobile hotspot, mobile printer, and related peripherals. The library provided adults and families the ability to do computer work freely from home without time constraints or worry about being in a public building during a pandemic. The kits offered safe access to technology to meet community needs, while empowering patrons to improve digital literacy from the comfort of their own home.  
IMLS Funds: $11,270.60

Indigenous Voices Anthology & Fellowship
The West Warwick Public Library helped young Indigenous writers enhance skills in fiction writing and publishing. The cohort attended workshops, lectures by literary professionals, and peer critique sessions, while also going through the professional editorial process. The project culminated in the publication of the Indigenous writers’ stories in an anthology made available through all Rhode Island public libraries and select commercial venues. The library partnered with the Cranston Public Library teen department to provide additional support for program attendees, and with the Tomaquag Museum, an Indigenous museum in Exeter that educates about the history and culture of the Narragansett, Niantic, Pokanoket, Wampanoag and Nipmuc tribes of Southern New England. The project also promoted the value of artists and their work by paying professional rates to the cohort of writers and cover artist.  
IMLS Funds: $11,500

Preservation and Digitization
The Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS) supports digitization efforts and provides preservation resources and referral services for libraries and other cultural heritage organizations statewide. Services include dPlan-RI, an online template for disaster plans, as well as an online directory of preservation and disaster response resources. Additionally, OLIS awarded grants to libraries across Rhode Island to digitize unique collections and thus preserve and promote access to them. The grants increased the number and diversity of digital collections while developing expertise at Rhode Island institutions, two tactics that support development of a robust statewide hub for the Digital Public Library of America. 
IMLS Funds: $173,533.82