Knight Memorial Library, one of the nine branches of the Community Libraries of Providence, marked its centennial with an exuberant celebration earlier this year that honored the diversity of its neighborhood. The free outdoor event featured performances by local lion dancers, the award-winning Domican-American salsa star EhShawnee (who grew up spending time in the library), DJ Trackstar, and the Providence Drum Troupe. Local elected officials were in attendance, as was Tropicana Danny, the TikTok dance sensation who spent the summer touring libraries. More than 200 people attended the gathering, complete with food trucks and a bounce house, that kicked off a year of programming designed to shine a spotlight on the architectural treasure that is the library and the vibrant community it serves, and perhaps lay the groundwork for a capital fund drive that will fully restore the historic building.
Doug Victor is a member of the Friends of the Knight Memorial Library, a group whose mission is to support and advocate for the library’s staff, collection, and building, and develop a foundation from which to build the future of the library. He notes that the event’s turnout demonstrates interest. “The library and what it’s offering speaks to the different cultural groups that live in the South Side of Providence,” he says.
The Knight Memorial Library opened its doors in 1924. The four children of Robert Knight – who with his brother, Benjamin, founded B.B. and R. Knight, the largest textile manufacturing company in the world – and Josephine Webster Knight dedicated the library to their parents. Upon its completion, Robert and Josephine’s children turned the library over to the city, along with an endowment for its support.
The building itself is an architectural marvel, designed in the Beaux Arts style, which also appears in the main Boston and Providence public library branches. This style is a showcase of European elegance, blending the symmetrical precision of Greek and Roman architecture with the rich influences of the French and Italian Renaissance and Baroque periods, marked by grand columns, arches, and an intricately decorated facade and interiors. Among its many treasures, the Knight Memorial Library boasts a charming fireplace in the children’s room, adorned with tiles illustrating beloved characters from classic children’s literature.
The library’s collection had a more humble start. Elmwood resident Emma Shaw saw a need for improved education among local children, and recruited a committee of women interested in social causes to build a library. The collection they established in 1915 was housed in the local fire station and was open to the public four days a week. When the Knight Memorial Library opened, Shaw’s collection moved to the new building.
Meanwhile, immigrants from across the globe were flocking to Rhode Island, eager for work that the factory mills promised. To this day, many of their descendents live and work nearby Knight Memorial. Victor relays, “In a neighborhood that is as demographically and culturally diverse as ours, there isn’t one place people come together except the library. Neighbors come together as a community to meet each other and take part in our events.”
“One goal of our centennial programming is to make our presence better known in the community,” says Mary Hollinshead, also a member of the Friends of the Knight Memorial Library. “Some local immigrants are not familiar with the concept of a public library and don’t know they’re entitled to use it. So we’re adding fun, interesting content to encourage people to engage with the library.”
Banish all thoughts of towering, dusty book stacks with dour librarians insisting on total silence. Today’s library is a hotbed of activity, fiercely devoted to meeting the needs of its community. Cheryl Space, director of the Community Libraries of Providence, says, “Libraries have continuously innovated. At first, we were repositories for books and reference hubs, but now we’re a community hub. We’re clean, we’re open, we’re safe – it’s a place where people can spend the day.”
Communications and marketing manager Janet Fuentes agrees. “I think what’s special about the Community Libraries of Providence is that we work very hard to get to know our communities and find out what their needs are. Each of our libraries have different offerings, depending on their community. One might be a center of arts, another is a place to go for jazz, and many of them have maker spaces.”
Knight Memorial Library also hosts an entrepreneurship program and the weekly Sankofa World Market held Wednesdays on the lawn. As part of their centennial programming, funded in part by a grant from the Providence City Council and State Delegation, the library developed ABC at Knight, which invites local leaders to talk about their relationship with the library, as well as sending the ReadMobile, a mobile library, to parks during the summer. The library recently hosted a youth poetry slam series, karaoke, and a summer concert series. The live music shows are funded by a grant from the Rhode Island Foundation, and illuminated by outdoor lighting provided by Friends of Knight Memorial Library that not only makes the building’s exterior beautifully visible, but also reacts in time to the music.
The sheer breadth of programming the library provides seems an impossible feat for its dedicated staff, but somehow, they pull it off with grace. Michelle Freeman, library manager of Knight Memorial, says that although the library can’t be all things to all people, it can always provide space. “I’m interested in strengthening our community partnerships so that community businesses and organizations see us as an asset,” she explains. “We can’t give vaccines, but we’ve partnered with and provided the space for those who do. We provide space to Dorcas International so that they can use the library to welcome immigrants to the community. We partner with DESIGNxRI and give them space for their mentorship programs.”
Michael Bordonaro, director of philanthropy at Knight Memorial Library, reminds people, “These programs are all free. There’s no barrier to participation at the library. It truly is an open gathering place to explore and flourish.” Libraries are also the ultimate repository and gathering spot for ideas, and in an age when many are too quick to stifle ideas, libraries stand as fierce protectors of information and exploration.
“The library has an important civic role. It allows people to interact with their elected representatives. Staff members can help people register to vote. Libraries help people be informed, and we defend the freedom to read, which is under attack in the US,” says Space. “All of our staff members recognize the importance of our collection’s diversity. We have not had censors come after us, but we have to take a strong stand. We will represent our community, and although we are not partisan, we are not neutral.”
Whether signing up for your first library card or renewing an expired one, this ticket to knowledge works at all nine Community Libraries of Providence and is easy to get! Bring your personal ID with your current address and a second verification of your address, fill out a registration form, and you’re ready to check out books. Temporary cards are also available for visitors and patrons without a current fixed address. Learn more at
CLPvd.org/Services/Getting-Library-Card/
The best way to learn more about your local library’s unique services and programming is to visit. The Community Libraries of Providence network includes the following entities, and you can visit CLPvd.org for a full schedule of events.
Fox Point, 90 Ives Street
Knight Memorial, 275 Elmwood Avenue
Mount Pleasant, 315 Academy Avenue
Olneyville, 1 Olneyville Square
Rochambeau, 708 Hope Street
Smith Hill, 31 Candace Street
South Providence, 441 Prairie Avenue
Wanskuck, 233 Veazie Street
Washington Park, 1316 Broad Street
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