A blog for young readers (and YA lovers) from the Providence Athenaeum.
The Providence Athenaeum is a unique library and cultural center in the heart of Providence, Rhode Island. Growing out of the Providence Library Company (fourth library in the United States), the Athenaeum as we know it was formed in 1836. Our handsome building on the corner of Benefit and College was completed in 1838.
We are one of the few surviving membership libraries in the nation. Student memberships are available - visit or call for more information.
This blog is updated by one of our circulation assistants (and YA enthusiast), RJ. Follow us to find out what's new in our Young Adult corner, or just for a daily dose of literary shenanigans.
You can follow the Ath on twitter or facebook. Our catalog and much more information about us can be found at our homepage.
Catching Elephant is a theme by Andy Taylor
Happy June! The Providence Athenaeum is now on its summer hours:
Monday - Thursday: 9 AM - 7 PM
Friday: 9 AM - 5 PM
Saturday: 9 AM - 1 PM
Sunday: Closed!
This is one of those hidden gems of Providence - it even smells good.
Overheard at the Providence Athenaeum.
Our library loves dogs, and dogs love our library!
The Providence Athenaeum has welcomed dogs since 1953, when the board declared: “A shareholder’s dog, if on a leash, may accompany his master or mistress into the library.” Bring your canine friend with you during your next visit to the Ath - we keep dog treats at the front desk!
This is YA: Your Athenaeum’s 500th post, and this Friday marks one year since our first post! Many thanks to all the libraries, librarians, writers and bibliophiles on tumblr that make it such a great place to be, the tumblr staff, and of course, all of our followers! We hope you’ll visit us IRL the next time you’re in Providence. :)
Part two of YA author John Green’s exploration of the classic tale of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet.
Remember to catch Trinity Rep’s very special all-youth production of Romeo and Juliet inside the Providence Athenaeum on April 4th!
Part one of YA author John Green’s exploration of the classic tale of star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet.
Remember to catch Trinity Rep’s very special all-youth production of Romeo and Juliet inside the Providence Athenaeum on April 4th!
The library is my bat-cave!
A toddler’s announcement to his mother and the circulation desk staff.
Two YA fiction fans on the Athenaeum’s staff are starting a brand new reading group! We’re hoping to be part traditional book club –picking one book to read and discuss together – and also a space to hang out and geek out about YOUR favorite things! This group is for YA readers ages 14 and up.
Sign up for the email list to stay informed about when we’re meeting! You can fill out a card at our front desk, or email rdoughty (at) providenceathenaeum (dot) org!
The Providence Children’s Film Festival begins tonight! Here are a few highlights of films from this year’s spectacular line up that might be of special interest to young adult viewers. Be sure to view the full schedule for showtimes and more!
Salaam Dunk is an insightful look into young Iraqi life as experienced by a current women’s college basketball team. The players are a fascinating and genuinely inspiring bunch, and the squad’s mere existence provides a stirring example of the possibilities for young Iraqis outside the country’s war zones.
Le Tableau overflows with charm and personality, more than enough to ensnare the hearts of adults and kids alike. The film is set within the world of an idyllic, but incomplete painting, whose painter has long since abandoned his hapless creations.
Kauwboy is the story of Jojo, a lively 10-year-old with a difficult home life marked by a volatile father and an absent mother, who finds solace in an abandoned baby jackdaw (“kauw” in Dutch). Through the special friendship he builds with the bird, the bond between Jojo and his father will be strengthened or broken.
The Human Tower: Three countries. One passion. Three hundred bodies — climbing, reaching the sky to build a human tower. This documentary film cuts between groups in India, Spain and Chile, leading to a major climatic scene that will take your breath away and keep you on the edge of your seat.
Modern Times is one of the most acclaimed works of Charlie Chaplin, once dubbed “the most famous man in the world” and long recognized as one of the preeminent icons of both comedy and cinema. This film can make a child (or the child in us) laugh with abandon while truly empathizing with the down and out Tramp.
People In Motion follows five west coast parkour practitioners who share a passion for movement. As one practitioner comments, “If you listen to the movement it teaches us to touch the world and interact instead of being sheltered by it.”
Head Games is a powerful documentary on the devastating effects of head injuries in sports by the Academy Award nominated director of Hoop Dreams, Steve James. With the lens focused on hockey, women’s soccer and, most disturbingly, teenage football leagues, Head Games makes the powerful argument that repeated blows to the head, once considered something to simply shrug off, can have fateful, long-term consequences.
The roads, sidewalks and parking areas around our library are still in bad shape. Unfortunately, this means The Providence Athenaeum will remain closed through Monday. Please keep an eye on our main site for updates about Tuesday.
I hope you all have something good to read on hand - like one of these snowy YA books. What are you reading to get through the winter weather?
