There's growing hope for resolution of the acrimonious dispute between the Providence Public Library, which is a private nonprofit organization, some city politicians, and several community groups over the PPL's need to cut back and/or reallocate some of its operations. That's very good news, since the PPL and the city must work together to fix the library's problems so that it can more effectively undertake its cultural, and especially educational, duties in a growing city.

Perhaps one reason for the new collegiality is that a study by Neil Steinberg, vice president for development at Brown University, demonstrated that the library's analysis of its financial woes was accurate -- despite the rhetoric, much of it politically motivated, from politicians. Furthermore, the City Council has agreed to accept Mr. Steinberg's recommendations that the city allocate an additional $250,000 to the struggling institution, matching an additional $250,000 that the PPL board of trustees committed. The board has also adopted Mr. Steinberg's suggestions for cutting its fiscal-2007 budget by $500,000.

Meanwhile, Mayor Cicilline is forming a group composed of representatives of his administration, the library, and the City Council to look into the municipality's allocation of resources to the PPL -- especially regarding the neighborhood branches. The library board said this year that it might transfer the branches to the city but keep the large, research-oriented Central Branch under the PPL's aegis.

One thing that would help a lot to minimize ignorance, confusion and mistrust about the PPL would be written contracts between the city and the library about the allocation of library services. Incredibly, the private PPL has provided its services to the city for a century without a contract! That's asking for trouble.

Also acting as a calmative is that the library's plans for the immediate future include keeping the branches open the same hours as now, and with the same services.

Much remains uncertain about the respective roles of the PPL and the city in providing library services. But that the municipal government seems to have grasped the PPL's fiscal challenges, and seems willing to address them, is heartening. And maybe that will even scare up some more desperately needed private donations to the organization.