BOSTON (AP) – When David Arsenault unloaded a well-worn, leather-bound 19th-century book from the winding shelves of the Boston Library, he felt the awe of an artifact in a museum.
Many of the 500,000 books that line the shelves and stacks of the library’s endless maze of reading rooms were printed before his great-grandparents were born. Even in worn copies of Charles Dickens novels, Civil War-era biographies, and town genealogies, everything has a history and a heartbeat.
“I feel like I’m not allowed to take the books out of the building. It feels very special,” said Arsenault, who visits the facility, which is adjacent to Boston Common, several times a week. “It actually feels like being in a museum in many ways, but it’s a museum where you feel like you’re actually part of the museum rather than just being a visitor all the time.”
The more than 200-year-old institution dates back to the 18th and 19th centuries and is one of only about 20 member-supported private libraries in the United States. The concept, called the Athenaeum, meaning “Temple of Athena” in Greek, is older than the traditional public library that most Americans recognize today. These institutions were founded by merchants, doctors, writers, lawyers, and ministers who wanted to create not only facilities for reading, an expensive and inaccessible hobby at the time, but also spaces for cultural exploration and discussion.
Many of these libraries still play a vibrant role in their communities.
Patrons gather to play games and participate in discussions james joyceor even research your family history. Some come to explore some of the country’s most valuable artifacts, including one of the largest collections. george washington Private Library at Mount Vernon, Boston Library.
In addition to preservation efforts, institutions acquire and enhance the work of more contemporary creators who may have been overlooked. The Boston Library recently co-presented the inaugural exhibition of painter Alan Rohan Craite, who passed away in 2007. He used his canvases to depict the joys of black life in the city.
There is one thing that unites all Atheneums. It’s about books and the people who love them.
“The entire institution is built around book storage,” said Matt Barisi, executive director of the Providence Athenaeum in Rhode Island. “People who come to this facility really appreciate just picking up a book and reading it the old-fashioned way.”
book lover’s dream
Staff at the Providence Athenaeum, built to imitate an imposing Greek temple, often talk about the joy they feel when they see people enter for the first time.
Visitors must climb a series of cold granite steps. Only then will a thick wooden door greet them, leading them into a cozy reading corner, a hidden desk to leave secret messages for other patrons, and a warm world where nearly every square inch is filled with books.
“This is a real time capsule of people’s reading habits over 200 years,” Briesi said, pointing to the first edition of the book. Little Womenthe pages and spine proudly show that it has been well read over the years.
Much of the Athenaeum was designed with Greek influences and in honor of its namesake, the goddess of wisdom. In Boston, a city once known as the “Athens of America,” visitors to the Athenaeum are greeted by a nearly 7-foot-tall (2.1-meter-tall) bronze statue of Athena Giustiniani.
This building is both a library and a museum.
“So many libraries are built to function, but this library was built to inspire,” said John Buchtel, curator of rare books and director of special collections at the Boston Atheneum.
The 12-story building has five gallery floors, and ornate busts of authors and historical figures adorn the reading room, set with wooden tables and overlooked by a book-lined walkway reached by a spiral staircase or hidden staircase.
Large windows let in natural light and overlook one of Boston’s oldest cemeteries, where figures such as Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock are buried.
“We’re able to leave a lot of these things around for people to peruse. I think people often get curious about things and follow that curiosity and end up getting interested in things they didn’t think they would be fascinated with,” said Leah Rosofsky, executive director of the Boston Atheneum.
safe haven
When the Atheneum was founded, it was a special space that only those with education and money could access.
Some are currently free. Most are open to the public with day passes and tours. Boston Atheneum membership costs range from $17 to $42 per person per month, depending on whether you are under 40 or sharing your membership with a family member.
Charlie Grantham, a wedding photographer and aspiring novelist, said he first visited during the facility’s annual community day, which is free for the public to explore. She said she was surprised by its accessibility and described the space as “Boston’s best-kept secret: an oasis in the middle of the city.”
“It’s so peaceful. Even though I’m still working…even if I’m doing stressful things at home, there’s a kind of calmness here that makes things more manageable and things feel enjoyable here,” she said.
Salem Athenaeum Executive Director Jean-Marie Procious said some people work remotely or come daily to read and socialize.
“We are certainly facing a crisis of loneliness,” she said. “And we want people to come as a space to meet other people and a safe environment where they’re not expected to buy drinks or buy food.”
