The Providence Athenaeum, whose roots go back to 1753 and which moved to its present building in 1838, is one of about 20 historic membership libraries around the nation that continue to play a vibrant role in the cultural lives of their communities — and welcome the curious.
Some of these membership libraries, including institutions in Philadelphia; St. Johnsbury, Vt.; and La Jolla, Calif., bear the title athenaeum, a Greek term for a place of learning, culture and discourse that stems from Athena, the goddess of wisdom and the arts. In the first half of the 19th century, the athenaeum concept — a library that is also a center for edification in the arts and sciences — was popular in the United States. “From the time of our founding, this was a gathering place,” Ms. Maxell said.
(Some early athenaeums, like those in Nantucket and Pittsfield, Mass., have become public libraries, while the Wadsworth Athenaeum in Hartford now operates primarily as an art museum.)
Today, the Providence Athenaeum attracts more than 50 members and guests for Friday night discussions on culture and history. “We started serving sherry, and we’re scouring antique stores for more sherry glasses,” Ms. Maxell said of the popular series.
As if tailor-made for a weekend getaway, a series of historic athenaeums lines up along a virtual Athenaeum Alley in New England. Open for visits are athenaeums in Newport and Providence, R.I.; in Boston and Salem, Mass.; and in Portsmouth, N.H.
Visiting these bookish sanctuaries, which are housed in historic buildings in a number of architectural styles, provides an opportunity to touch remnants of American history. Many of the same books, newspapers, maps and documents that were read in colonial times can be viewed, admired and (with some limitations to nonmembers) handled.
Visitors to the Redwood Library and Athenaeum in Newport, the oldest lending library in America, can survey at close range the 755 titles in the library’s Original Collection. This is a selection of books that 46 educated Newport residents collectively purchased from England in 1748; they built the library to house the collection.
“These are some of the same books that residents of Newport carried around these streets in 1750,” said Cheryl Helms, the director, standing in the Harrison Room in the original part of the building, the first private Palladian-style structure built in the colonies.
Many volumes concern law and theology, while others describe science and practical matters (making beer and how to build a privy). Ms. Helms explained that while rare books of this era need to be viewed by arrangement, they are, indeed, there for the reading.
“This is not wallpaper,” she said. “These books are meant to be used, and they are.”
Last year, the Redwood had 18,000 visitors. Many wanted to view its collection of furniture, sculpture and painting (there are six signed Gilbert Stuart portraits and two other paintings attributed to him). Frequently, scholars make arrangements to delve into vast resources on local and colonial history.
THE New England athenaeums I visited on a recent trip maintain not only active memberships, but also some peculiar terminology. Members are commonly called proprietors; some athenaeums distinguish share-holding proprietors from a second tier of members, called subscribers. At the Portsmouth Athenaeum, the director is called the keeper.
Many athenaeums maintain lists of rules that spell out consequences for offenses like writing in books. Some prohibit pens and provide pencils for notation, as well as cotton gloves for handling aged materials. Large or old books often must be rested on wedge-shaped foam cradles to protect brittle spines.
Surprisingly, the Boston Athenaeum permits dogs — those that behave, a staff member was quick to add.
These athenaeums also provide, in those areas where talking aloud is encouraged, lively opportunities for exchanging ideas with other devotees of literature, arts and sciences.
“In addition to having access to our book stock, members find intellectual stimulation in our exhibitions and by being part of discussion groups,” said Richard Wendorf, director and librarian of the Boston Athenaeum and the editor of “America’s Membership Libraries” (Oak Knoll Press, 2007), which details histories of 16 of the largest membership libraries.
More than 150 events, from afternoon teas to lectures and concerts, are held there each year. Members also may participate in any of a dozen discussion groups (fiction, mystery novels or World War II history, for example). Visitors, Mr. Wendorf added, are welcome to enjoy art exhibits on the athenaeum’s first floor while experiencing a remarkable work of 19th-century architecture. Tours of the building are given Tuesdays and Thursdays by appointment.
