Historic libraries bring modern comfort to book lovers and history buffs in New England

"When David Arsenault takes down a worn, leather-bound 19th-century book from the winding shelves of the Boston Athenaeum, he feels a sense of awe - like he's handling an artifact in a museum. Many of the half a million books that line the library's seemingly endless maze of reading room shelves and stacks were printed before his great-great-grandparents were born. Among fraying copies of Charles Dickens novels, Civil War-era biographies and town genealogies, everything has a history and a heartbeat."

""It almost feels like you shouldn't be able to take the books out of the building, it feels so special," said Arsenault, who visits the institution adjacent to Boston Common a few times a week. "You do feel like, and in a lot of ways, you are, in a museum - but it's a museum you get to not feel like you're a visitor in all the time, but really a part of.""

"The more than 200-year-old institution is one of only about 20 member-supported private libraries in the U.S. dating back to the 18th- and 19th-centuries. Called athenaeums, a Greek word meaning "temple of Athena," the concept predates the traditional public library most Americans recognize today. The institutions were built by merchants, doctors, writers, lawyers and ministers who wanted to not only create institutions for reading - then an expensive and difficult-to-access hobby - but also space to explore culture and debate."

The Boston Athenaeum houses more than half a million books, many printed before patrons' great-great-grandparents were born. The member-supported institution, over 200 years old, is one of roughly 20 historic private libraries in the United States. Collections include fraying Dickens novels, Civil War-era biographies, town genealogies, and the largest collection from George Washington's personal library at Mount Vernon. Patrons use the space for research, family history, readings, discussions, games, and cultural exploration. The institution combines library services with conservation and community programming while preserving rare artifacts and offering members sustained access to historic materials.

Read at Boston.com