Legislative Action is pleased to announce that legislation regarding the fair licensing of library ebooks in the state of Rhode Island has become law. The new law is in response to the struggles the state’s publicly-funded libraries have been having with the exceptionally high prices and disappearing licenses offered from the publishing industry. Legislative Action has been working on different versions of this bill since 2020.

“For the past several years, most major publishers are currently charging libraries up to ten times the cost of ebooks and audiobooks than they are charging consumers," said Kiki Butler, President of RILA. “Because the ebooks are licenses, they are set to expire after 12 or 24 months, or a small number of checkouts, and then our libraries must repurchase ebooks and audiobooks over and over again to meet demand, at the same high prices each time. It’s unsustainable.”

Legislative Action committee members Julie Holden, Eileen Dyer, Aimee Fontaine, and President Kiki Butler testified at hearings for House bill 7606, introduced by Rep. Lauren Carson (D, District 75) and Senate bill 2525, introduced by Senator Mark McKenney (D, District 30). These identical bills use our state’s contract law and consumer protection law to put RI libraries on a fair playing field in the marketplace. However, the Rhode Island law will not go into effect until four other states pass similar laws, known as a "trigger clause."

The bills were written using the nonprofit eBook Study Group model legislation. Similar legislation has become law in Connecticut and Washington DC, and might soon become law in New Jersey and Illinois, pending the outcomes of their respective sessions.

RILA thanks lawmakers at the General Assembly for the near-unanimous vote to bring these bills over the finish line; our RILA lobbyists Kaitlyn Alves and Robert Jacquard for their tremendous work, Rep. Joseph Solomon Jr. (D, District 22) and Senator Hanna Gallo (D, District 27) for their steadfast leadership at the committee level; Stephen Spohn of Ocean State Libraries, Legislative Action Chair Cheryl Space, and Vice Chair Ed Garcia for their guidance and support; and the many, many RILA members who wrote letters of support and spoke up across the state about this issue. 

The faculty and staff of GSIS are pleased to announce that the MLIS program has been granted continued accreditation by the American Library Association. This is the culmination of two years of work for the self-study and site visit. We thank the university administration, our students, alumni, friends, and advisory Board for their continued support and assitance throughout this process.

GSLIS is pleased to announce that a new faculty member will be joining us as of this fall, Dr. Melissa P. Johnston. Dr. Johnston joins us as an Associate Professor and Coordinator of the School Library Media Program. She worked as a school librarian for 13 years in Georgia before obtaining her PhD at Florida State University. She has served as School Library Media Coordinator at the University of Kentucky and the University of Alabama, and as a senior faculty member in the School Library Media Program at the University of West Georgia. Dr. Johnston’s research and publications focus on the school librarian’s leadership role in integrating technology. She is the author of numerous articles in refereed journals such as School Library Research and School Libraries Worldwide. Dr. Johnston was Co-PI for the REALISD Project, an IMLS-funded grant, to provide professional development for rural school librarians to support STEM education efforts in their schools and Co-PI on the IMLS research grant Online Ready: Designing Culturally Competent and Impactful K-12 Online Learning. She currently serves as the Treasurer for the International Association of School Librarians and as the Co-Editor of School Libraries Worldwide. We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Johnston to our faculty!

GSLIS is also happy to announce that Dr. Julie LaDell-Thomas has been promoted to Associate Teaching Professor. She teaches graduate courses in library leadership, information science and technology, reference and information services, library instruction, and academic librarianship. Before joining URI, Dr. LaDell-Thomas taught at PennWest Clarion University and held academic library positions at the Savannah College of Art and Design and Central Michigan University, where she specialized in supporting online and distance learners. She earned a doctorate in Educational Technology from Central Michigan University and an MLIS from the University of South Carolina. Her scholarship explores educational technology, online learning, and the ethical use of artificial intelligence in library and information science education.  

The Louttit Library in West Greenwich is celebrating 75 years this June! A former one room school house, the building was converted into a library in 1951. To celebrate 75 years, the library will have a birthday party on June 27 with a petting zoo, face painting, and of course, cake and ice cream!

Saturday, June 27 from 1-3pm - no registration

The William H. Hall Free Library celebrated its 100th anniversary with a free community celebration on Saturday, May 2, 2026. The event featured a speaking program, live music from the past century, family-friendly activities, and light refreshments.

Community members, local leaders, and library supporters came out to commemorate a century of learning, connection, and service.

The William H. Hall Free Library Board of Trustees hosted the event with support from Cranston Public Library.

With summer around the corner, it’s the perfect time to help your visitors plan meaningful, enriching local experiences. Public libraries are warmly invited to join in the Tomaquag Museum museum pass program—a simple, impactful way to give patrons low-barrier access to Indigenous history, culture, and contemporary perspectives all summer long.

Returning visitors won’t recognize the Museum thanks to a complete gallery redesign! The new exhibition, Revolution to Reclamation: Freedom through Indigenous Sovereignty, centers Indigenous voices and perspectives to reframe America’s 250th anniversary, asking a powerful question: what does freedom mean—and who was it meant for? The exhibition moves beyond Revolution-era commemoration to connect past and present through land, freedom, and enduring Indigenous presence.

As summer travel, learning, and exploration plans take shape, now is the time to secure museum passes. Libraries interested in joining or renewing participation in the museum pass program can contact Heather Kisilywicz at heatherk@tomaquagmuseum.org for details on access, scheduling, and distribution options.

Cumberland Library is celebrating 50 years since three tiny libraries came together. We had a successful Open House which reunited a number of past employees and gave patrons the chance to tour behind the scenes. Our next event is a Carnival celebrating not only 50 years, but our member families. There will be a circus show, face painting, carnival games, food trucks and more! The Carnival will be on our Front Lawn. All are welcome. Sponsored by the Cumberland Library Fund.

Saturday, June 20, 2026 from 11:00 AM - 2:00 PM. No registration required

www.cumberlandlibrary.org

After 33 years of service to the Town of Cumberland, Library Director Celeste Dyer is retiring on June 30th. Celeste joined Cumberland's library in 1993 as a part-time floating librarian and moved up the ranks in roles including Reference Supervisor and Assistant Director/Technology Coordinator. She became the Library Director in 2011. Prior to working in Cumberland, she worked in various roles at the Coventry Public Library. Congratulations on a well-earned retirement, Celeste!

Thank you to all who came out to support our Library Advocacy Day press event in April at the Rhode Island State House Library, in celebration of School Library Month and National Library Week!

We are so grateful for the strong support of invited speakers Senator Hanna Gallo (District 27), sponsor of S2078, and Representative Rebecca Kislak (District 4), sponsor of H7417. These two bills were introduced in the General Assembly this year, and if passed, would direct the commissioner of elementary and secondary education to ensure that every public school has a school library in a permanent and dedicated space. The bills would also direct the commissioner to ensure that every public school has a certified school librarian to manage and maintain the library.

Opening remarks for the press event were provided by Benjamin Hanley, President of the Rhode Island Library Association. Additional featured speaker was Tasha White, School Librarian at Alfred Lima Elementary School in Providence, and the 2025 RI School Librarian of the Year. Ms. White was accompanied by several Lima Elementary students who serve as Library Stewards or members of the Lima News Crew.

Our sincere appreciation goes to Kate Wells, State Librarian, as well as representatives from the Office of Library and Information Services (OLIS), AskRI (Rhode Island’s Online Resource Center), URI’s Graduate School of Library and Information Studies, RILA, SLRI, and volunteer school librarians, all of whom staffed informative resource tables during the event.

Lima Elementary’s Library Stewards and News Crew students capped off their visit to the Library Advocacy Day event with a visit to the General Assembly. The RI Senate and House each introduced resolutions for School Library Month, and several school librarians and members of SLRI were honored in each chamber. Two additional resolutions were introduced in the House and Senate recognizing National Library Week, and several RI public librarians were honored in each chamber.

Here’s a surprising fact: you don’t own any of the ebooks that you have purchased.  You may think you own them, but what you really have is a licensed ebook that is restricted and can be taken away from you at any time.  Our public libraries are facing the same licensing constraints, but at skyrocketing prices and restrictive terms that our public institutions can no longer afford.

The Rhode Island Library Association (RILA) has worked with local lawmakers this legislative session to introduce bills in the House and Senate regarding library ebook contracts in the state of Rhode Island. For years now, the publishing industry has been decimating public library budgets in Rhode Island and across the nation with high ebook prices and licenses that disappear over time. 

Most major publishers are currently charging libraries up to ten times or more the cost of ebooks and audiobooks than they are charging regular consumers on the open marketplace. A recent Stephen King audiobook is priced over $130. The licensing terms of these library ebooks mean they often expire after 12 or 24 months, or a certain arbitrary number of checkouts, which then forces our libraries to repurchase ebooks and audiobooks over and over again to meet demand, at the same high prices each time. It is simply unsustainable.

House bill 7606 and Senate bill 2525 attempt to use state contract law and consumer protection law to put us on a fair playing field in the marketplace. These bills also include a trigger clause, meaning we won’t go it alone. The RI bills will not go into effect unless other states with a combined population of at least 10 million people pass similar laws. This trigger clause is an economically strategic way of taking a stand against discriminatory pricing.  

Libraries are beholden to the publishers and distributors who set pricing and terms unilaterally with no opportunity for negotiation. These “take it or leave it” licensing schemes are beneficial in propping up the profits of publishers but harmful to Rhode Island libraries. We have tried on a state and national level to work with the publishers for fair pricing and licensing models to no avail, which is why we are seeking redress in the legislature.

Rhode Islanders use and love their public libraries. Reading in this state remains as popular as ever. But we have limited, taxpayer-funded budgets, and we cannot purchase enough licenses to meet the demand of our library users. People rely on the library to provide reading material that they do not have the disposable income to obtain themselves.  

Repurchasing library ebooks requires constant monitoring and analysis by library staff, where we need to decide weekly which short-term licenses we need to purchase again, and which readers will be disappointed because we cannot afford that second license.  

Limiting access to library ebooks disproportionately affects those with disabilities. Ebooks and digital audiobooks help Rhode Island citizens with visual, motor, or learning impairments to enjoy books they could not otherwise. According to the CDC, up to 1 in 4 Americans have a physical or cognitive disability. We strive to provide access to library ebooks for all Rhode Islanders and our mission is being hindered by prices that we can no longer afford.   

RILA thanks Representative Lauren Carson (D-District 75) and Senator Mark McKenney (D-District 30) for being strong advocates and for their efforts in bringing attention to this long-standing issue. 

The Rhode Island Library Association urges the General Assembly to pass the ebook bills this session.

Benjamin Hanley is President of the Rhode Island Library Association (RILA). Julie Holden is the Assistant Library Director of the Cranston Public Library. 

This op-ed was published in the Cranston Herald and Warwick Beacon, and will be published in the Providence Journal and Barrington Times.