Guide to the Providence Athenaeum catalogs, 1836-1883


Providence Athenaeum
251 Benefit Street
Providence, RI, 02903
Tel: 401-421-6970
email: info@provath.org
website: www.provath.org

Published in 2018

Collection Overview

Title: Providence Athenaeum catalogs
Date range: 1836-1883
Creator: Providence Athenaeum
Extent: 11 items
Abstract: Providence Athenaeum's catalogs, published between 1836-1883.
Language of materials: English
Repository: Providence Athenaeum
Collection number: Arch-005

Scope & content

Providence Athenaeum's catalogs, published between 1836-1883. Includes both published copies and working copies with hand-written annotations. In several cases, the catalogs are bound with other materials such as the Athenaeum's Constitutions and By-Laws.

Access Points

Subject Names Subject Organizations Subject Topics Document Types Subject Topics

Arrangement

Arranged in two series, and chronologically thereunder:

  • Series 1. Published catalogs
  • Series 2. Working copies of catalogs

Historical Note

The Providence Athenæum (1836- )

The Providence Athenæum is an independent, member-supported library and cultural center located in Providence, Rhode Island.

Founded originally as "The Athenæum" in 1836, its progenitors were two earlier libraries: The Providence Library Company, founded in 1753, and the Providence Athenaeum, founded in 1831. When they could not agree on terms for a merger, both organizations dissolved and a new library was formed, which purchased a selection of books and periodicals from the two earlier institutions. Housed originally in the Arcade on Weybosset Street in downtown Providence, the Athenæum moved to its new building at 251 Benefit Street in July, 1838. In 1850, “The Athenæum” was renamed “The Providence Athenæum" by amendment to its charter.

Providence Athenaeum catalog:

Between 1836 and 1861, the Providence Athenaeum published four catalogs, and two supplements. Annual additions were written by hand into the published catalogs. Lists of new book purchases were published in each annual report beginning 1862.

Prior to 1883, the records of the library's holdings were kept in manuscript form and new additions were entered by date. In 1883, a card catalog was introduced; Mary Angell started cataloging all new books acquired, plus the existing collection of 3,000 volumes. In October 1895, Librarian Joseph LeRoy Harrison hired the Athenaeum's first professionally-trained cataloger, Grace Leonard. Between 1895 and 1908 Leonard reclassified the library's entire holdings (56,000 works) according to the Dewey Decimal system. Many of her handwritten cards remained in the card catalog into the 1900s.

In 1998, the Rhode Island School of Design and Providence Athenaeum shared online catalog was created.

Sources:
  • Lancaster, Jane. Inquire Within: A Social History of the Providence Athenaeum since 1753, pages 129-131, 183-184. Providence, R.I. : Providence Athenaeum, 2003.
  • "Providence Athenaeum Raven Tour" leaflet, published September, 2015.
  • Providence Athenæum website and Wikipedia article viewed online June 28, 2018.

Access & Use

Access to the collection: Open to public research. Materials are available by prior appointment that requires 24-hour advance notice.
Use of the materials: It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Researchers seeking to publish materials should complete an Application to Publish Library Materials available through written request to info@provath.org
Preferred citation: Providence Athenaeum catalogs, Arch-005, Providence Athenaeum.
Contact information: Providence Athenaeum
251 Benefit Street
Providence, RI, 02903
Tel: 401-421-6970
email: info@provath.org
website: www.provath.org

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION  
Accruals: Additional materials are expected for this collection.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID  
Author: Finding aid written by Sarah Shaw, June 2018; expanded September 2019.
Encoding: Encoded using Oxygen XML Editor 2018-06-26
Descriptive rules: Describing Archives: A Content Standard (DACS)

Additional Information

Inventory

Series 1. Published catalogs of the Providence Athenaeum

Container Description Date
Archives Closet 1, Shelf 1, Item 6 Providence Athenaeum documents, 1831-1894 bound compendium of published documents … catalogues and supplements … 1836
Contents Note: Bound volume includes Francis Wayland address of 1838.

 1836
Archives Closet 1, Shelf 1, Item 3 Catalogue of the Athenaeum Library, Providence
Contents Note: Providence: Knowles, Vose and Co. 102 pages. 3 copies.

 1837
Archives Closet 4, Shelf 1, Item 6 Providence Athenaeum documents, 1831-1894 bound compendium of published documents … catalogues and supplements … 1839
Contents Note: Includes Francis Wayland address of 1838.

 1839
Archives Closet 4, Shelf 1, Item 2 First supplementary catalogue of the Athenaeum Library
Contents Note: Providence: Knowles and Vose. 107 pages. 3 copies.

 1839
Archives Closet 4, Shelf 1, Item 4 Catalogue of the Library of the Providence Athenaeum, to which are affixed the Charter, Constitution, and By-Laws of the Institution
Contents Note: Providence: Knowles, Anthony and Co., 1852. 466 p. bound. Omits historical survey in 1853 edition.

1852
Archives Closet 4, Shelf 1, Item 5 Catalogue of the Library of the Providence Athenaeum, to which are prefixed the Charter, Constitution, and By-Laws, and an Historical Sketch of the Institution
Contents Note: Providence: Knowles, Anthony & Co., 1853. xxxiv, 557 pages. 3 copies. Unbound; some pages uncut. Copy 2 lacks the By-Laws.

The Catalogue, Appendix, and Index (557 pages), are "prefixed" by 34 pages which include a list of Officers, 1852-3 (p. [i-ii]), Charter (p. [iii]-iv), Constitution (p. [v-viii], By-Laws (p. [ix]-xii), and Historical Sketch (p. [xiii]-xxxiv). The Historical Sketch includes a list of the "196 individuals and (a few) firms" who were the original subscribers, and a chart of the growth of the institution's collection, expenses, and shares between 1837 and 1852.

 1853
Archives Closet 4, Shelf 1, Item 6 First supplementary catalogue of the Library of the Providence Athenaeum.
Contents Note: Providence: Knowles, Anthony and Co. 380 pages

 1861

Series 2. Working copies of catalogs for library use

Container Description Date
Archives Closet 4, Shelf 1, Item 9 Athenaeum catalogue
Contents Note: Manuscript additions by accession date.

 1836
Archives Closet 4, Shelf 1, Item 7 Athenaeum catalogues
2 volumes

Contents Note: Two volumes, with handwritten bound mark-up of the 1852 catalogue probably for reference by Library Staff.

 1836-1852, 1870-1883
Archives Closet 4, Shelf 1, Item 9 Athenaeum catalogue
Contents Note: Interleaved manuscript pages of added titles. 2 copies.

 1852
Archives Closet 4, Shelf 1, Item 8 Catalogue & Index
3 volumes

Contents Note: Bound; incorporates portions of published Athenaeum catalogs and supplements, with manuscript additions. Inscribed "compiled by Mr. Hedge, Librarian, 1854-73".

 1860-1869