PAWTUCKET, RI - U.S. Senator Jack Reed (D-RI) today joined with local officials to announce $243,000 in federal appropriations funding Reed secured to help the Pawtucket Public Library provide increased educational opportunities for kids and to continue serving as a vital resource center for job-seekers.

This federal funding will be used to renovate the children's library and make other building improvements so the library can provide additional resources to effectively meet the rising demands of users' needs.

"I am pleased to have secured a $243,000 appropriation to help the library make critical upgrades and provide increased educational opportunities for kids. Libraries are essential to the future of this country - not only to our economy, but to our civic values and our sense of community -- and to giving everyone a chance to succeed," said Reed, a member of the Appropriations Committee. "We want to encourage our children to develop good reading habits and make this a welcoming place for young people where they can come and learn and get the help, resources, and support they need to further their educational development."

"On behalf of all libraries and library users I would like to thank Senator Reed for his support of libraries. At the Pawtucket Library, this translates into a renovated Children's Library that will better meet the needs of today's children," said Susan Reed, Library Director. "In order to get information about what changes needed to be made, we held focus groups and surveyed children, parents, and care givers. They told us they needed more computers, comfortable seating where they could enjoy leisure reading, tables to do group projects, and a special pre-school area away from the older children. Our plan is to make the children's library a special place. With this grant we will be able to do that."

While there is growing demand for library services throughout Rhode Island, there are shrinking resources to support them.

The economic downturn has increased the number of people who use the library's many free services, including job-search workshops and seminars offering foreclosure prevention counseling. The Pawtucket Public Library recorded over 258,000 visits in 2010. Over 78,000 reservations were made to use the Internet. The homework center was used 1,329 times by students. And over 1,800 attendees benefited from the library's computer classes, which are offered in English and Spanish.

Nationwide, approximately 30 million people reported turning to their public library in the last year for help with their job search.

The Pawtucket Public Library is a complex of two historical buildings, the Deborah Cook Sayles Public Library and the Gerald S. Burns Building. Both buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In addition to helping the Pawtucket Public Library, Senator Reed also recently secured $1.2 million to help libraries across the state add new computer workstations, make technology upgrades, and create mobile computer centers to bring computer training and access into underserved communities with high rates of unemployment.

"Our public libraries have become a lifeline for thousands of Rhode islanders, offering technology training to the young and old alike. This federal funding will help more public libraries across the state upgrade their technology, expand computer training programs, and provide internet access for the public," concluded Senator Reed.