Thanks for Giving Reception
We were pleased to welcome our volunteers, docents and Friends of the Athenaeum to our annual Thanks for Giving reception on Saturday, November 10th. The reception was our opportunity to thank this special group for the tremendous support they provide to the Athenaeum. Our guest of honor was former Regional librarian and docent Eleanor Bonney Simons (pictured above right) who started her job at the Vermont State Regional Library, which was upstairs in the Athenaeum, in 1942!
Please Support the 2012 Annual Fund
As we come to the end of a very busy year, we pause to reflect on the many programs, events and services provided by the Athenaeum and the value these present to our members, visitors, key partners and our community. Your financial support of the Annual Fund provides the resources necessary for us to not just survive, but thrive!
Please help us to continue our mission to celebrate lifelong learning and donate today. 
Click on the Donate button to make an online donation. Our final appeal will be in the mail in early November. Thank you!
2013 Athenaeum Calendars Are Here
Our 2013 calendars are on sale now for $12.00 at the Athenaeum. The calendar makes a wonderful holiday gift! Enjoy paintings from our fine art collection all year long.
First Wednesday Lecture Series
Finding Higher Ground: Adaptation in the Age of Warming - December 5th at 7 PM.
Scientist and author Amy Seidl explains why the long-term nature of climate change forces us to redesign how we structure our societies and considers our ethical role as planetary stewards. Sponsor: Downs Rachlin Martin PLLC.
RBDigital is Available at the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum
We're pleased to offer a new service with thousands of downloadable audiobooks that never have a waiting list. Look for links on our home page or visit OneClickdigital now.
St. Johnsbury Athenaeum Food For Fines Continues in December
Each year in December the Athenaeum forgives fines and instead asks patrons to bring in non-perishable food for the St. Johnsbury Foodshelf. This year in light of the increased need this program will run from November and December.
There will also be a contribution jar at the Front Desk to collect fine payments that will be donated as cash to the Food Shelf. Sorry, fines over $5.00 and lost books must be paid as usual.
New! Board Games Day
The Young Adult program is pleased to introduce a new Gaming Club. The Gaming Club explores board games with unique gaming options from simple and creative to complex and strategic. Games include Memoir 44, Casserone, Settlers of Catan, Descent: Journey In the Dark and Agricola. Teams meet every second Saturday of the month from 11 AM to 1 PM and are open to anyone ages 12 and up.
Our thanks to volunteer Noah Conte of the Monroe Consolidated School who contacted the Athenaeum with this creative idea. He is working with library associate Karen O'Donnell Leach to coordinate the club. For additional information, please contact Karen at 748-8291.
Celebrating a Special Event?
The award-winning interior of the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum provides a unique environment to host a variety of celebrations, lectures, meetings and important events. The Art Gallery, Athenaeum Hall and other areas of the Library are available for rent to the public and area businesses.
The Art Gallery can host up to 50 people, and Athenaeum Hall can host up to 100 people. The Athenaeum can provide a podium, microphone, LCD projector, screen and up to 100 chairs. Wireless Internet access is available throughout the building.
For information and prices, contact Mel Reis, Development and Outreach Coordinator at 802-748-82941 or mreis@stjathenaeum.org. Download complete information about our facilities rentals.
Native American History Display at the Athenaeum
As Thanksgiving Day draws near, and stories are retold of Indians and Pilgrims, the St. Johnsbury Athenaeum invites the public for a closer look at the heritage and history of Native Americans.
Under the magnificent print of Albert Bierstadt's painting Lander's Peak featuring Shoshone Indians, volunteer Beth Champagne has compiled works by Leslie Marmon Silko, Louise Erdrich, Joseph Bruchac, and Michael Dorris. In addition, histories published in 1992 offer a new understanding of Native Americans' lives on the land before and since the European invasion. These include The Conquest of Paradise by Kirkpatrick Sales and The Rediscovery of America by Barry Lopez. Well known Native Americans like "Indian Joe" and "Aunt Sarah" are native to the North Country. Others, like Sacajawea and Crazy Horse, won fame further west.
Books, videos and CDs will be on display in the second floor gallery. Sign up in advance to borrow popular books like The Darkness Under the Water by local author Beth Kanell, and Joy Harjo's memoir Crazy Brave or Sherman Alexie, a West Coast Indian author and stand-up comic. Visit the guest book and discover the meaning of the Indian name "Passumpsic" that one resident of this Northeast Kingdom village has to share.
Vermont E-Cycles Program
Did you know that you can dispose of electronic waste such as computers, monitors, televisions, and printers at sites all around the state? There is no charge for this service. Since July 2011, 4,819,602 pounds of electronic waste have been collected.
You can download a brochure here or download a printable poster here. Click here to view a list of all the sites around Vermont.
For additional information about the program visit: www.vtecycles.org or contact the program at 1-855-6ECYCLE.
Book Launch for The Spare Room by Jenny Land. November 28 at 7:00 PM. Read more. . .
