Engage with our books! The Athenæum’s wide-ranging collections, both rare and contemporary, represent the reading and acquisition tastes of Providence over the course of three centuries.

Loan Policies
Loan periods for all items are specified by type, below. Overdue fines are $.10 per day, except for DVDs which are $1.00 per day.

New Fiction | 2 weeks
New Non-Fiction | 4 weeks
Special Permission Books | 2 weeks

Renewals
DVDs and travel guides are renewable once. All other materials may be renewed if there are no holds on the item. To renew checked out items, please call the Circulation Desk at 401-421-6970 or login to your library account through the shared RISD/Athenæum catalog (the Circulation Desk will provide your barcode number on request).

ILL Policies

To request an item that is not already in the Athenæum’s collection, please contact the library at 401-421-6970 or email your request to bookrequests@provath.org. All requests should include the title, author, publication date and format (book, DVD, audiobook, periodical).

The Athenæum is proud to offer hoopla to provide access to ebooks, audiobooks, and digital streaming (movies, TV, and music!) to our members.

To start borrowing:
– Go to hoopladigital.com and click GET STARTED TODAY
– Enter and confirm your email and a password of your choosing
– Find your library (if you don’t see “Providence Athenaeum” automatically, enter library name or zipcode 02903)
– Enter your library ID number (you’ll receive this number in your welcome packet when you join the library, from the Circulation Desk, or by emailing membership@provath.org)
– Click SIGN ME UP and start borrowing!

For more information, download hoopla FAQs here.

Our Reference Librarian can assist you with any question, be it a general inquiry or research-oriented. A particular strength of the Athenæum’s Reference Collection is the Rhode Island Collection, which brings together all reference books related to the history and life of Rhode Islanders. If our resources do not yield the answers you are looking for, the Librarian can offer referrals to other relevant collections in the area. Please contact Stephanie Ovoian, Head of Research & Library Services, at research@provath.org or 401-421-6970 x19.