I am proudly a public library nerd... for decades! And I love both of my local libraries:…read moreProvidence Public Library & Warwick Public Library - Apponaug branch. PPL has an old Dewey Decimal Classification storage cabinet which they use for seed distribution in the spring. I'm so excited to try growing tomatillos! #LibrariesForTheWin

Lately, I have been borrowing a few book from the main Library and the system is very easy to…read morenavigate. Basically you enter your library card number and you can create a list of titles that you are interested in. You can then place a hold on any of them if they are not on the shelf and they will let you know when your book is ready for pickup. Just go to the second floor and to the left of the information desk, there are self serve shelves with all the books ready to be picked up. I just looked for mine under my last name, check it out and I have three weeks to read it. Easy and free.

Came here with little to no expectations but it ended up being one of my favorite spots in the…read morearea. $5 suggested donation /person admission Very quiet but cozy library. Feels like an amazing place to study and take a second to read. Highly recommend a visit for anyone coming out of state. Definitely would enjoy coming back for a whole day.

What a cool gem in Providence! If you are not a member and just want to look around you can pay the…read moresuggested donation of $5/person. There is a QR code to scan for a self guided tour. Filled with history, nooks and crannies to read and study in, and so many books. Edgar Allan Poe was once a visitor with his love interest at the time. Worth a stop if you are on the East side of Providence.

Absolutely gorgeous architecture that makes me think of the Musee D' Orsay in Paris and the Grand…read moreCentral Station in New York. The interior design for study books and desks are very creative, as expected of a prestigious design school such as RISD. I also enjoyed the mini free exhibit they have of Snow White pop up fairy tale books.

I feel so blessed to be kissin' on someone who works for RISD and it kind enough to max out his…read morecard with me. I mean, I don't know what the limit is actually. I just know that each time I enter the building I hold my breath and touch those amazing ornate doors that are just background to the hallway where students eat cafeteria food. As one would guess, this library is amazingly curated. I am a huge Maurice Sendak fan and I found copies of works by him that I didn't know existed. Like the first translated version of a famous Czechoslovakian fairy tale that he illustrated. I always grab a comic too. They have two sections, one for typically sized comics and one for over sized comic books. Also, the student work they showcase is always interesting. As a bibliophile I feel genuinely lucky to have this library in my home state. And I'll totally marry someone who has tenure there so I can sneakily read their books till they die.

Really gorgeous library! Home to the copies/facsimiles of Lovecraft notes and manuscripts…read more I got to explore the exhibits here and work in the great hall. Since I was visiting during orientation week, I had to leave at closing at 5pm. I would love to spend late-night sessions here!

Beautiful, stately, comfortable and quiet place for Brown and RISD students to settle in and get…read moresome work done! I was allowed in during a parent weekend and was really impressed with the space, it definitely invites the studious. There are big glass windows letting in tons of natural light, as well as recessed lighting for later times in the day.

I Love and treasure my local libraries! Staff are very friendly and helpful!.. They will give you a…read moretour if you need to find your way around! Don't worry it is not that big! ;) I love the building from the XVII century...Make sure to checkout the marvelous horses at the top when you go in... And also the ceiling! :) HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)

A book reading with music? I'm in. I found this library because they were hosting a Kristen Hersh…read morereading and performance in their basement, and I ended up being pleasantly surprised by the whole building. The Knight Memorial Library definitely stands out in the neighborhood for it's sheer size. It was designed by Edward Tilton - the same man who designed Ellis Island - and is composed of lots of marble and stone. It is definitely grand, especially for a neighborhood library. However, when you walk into the building it has a welcoming vibe. The library itself looks comfortable for people of all ages. It feels airy but also warm. I didn't get to check it out all that much that night, but I'm happy to have been introduced and I'm looking forward to coming back for other readings or just to check out a book. Go libraries!

this has become my favorite library because of the people who work here. They do so much to offer…read morearts and theater and opportunities that we can't find any place else and it is all for free.. The library saved my life during Covid and it is still doing everything it can to help our neighborhood stay up and running, and keep the community humming.

The Smith Hill Library-Providence Community Library is one of the branch libraries of the…read moreProvidence public library system. It is a single-story brick building designed by Albert Harkness and built in 1932 by contractor Clifford K. Rathbone. Stylistically the building is a mixture of Colonial Revival and Moderne features. The Smith Hill branch began as a delivery station in 1907, and had grown to occupy leased space, with an annual circulation of more than 70,000, by 1929. Circulation rose rapidly after the building's completion, reaching 119,000 in just three years. The building continues to act as a significant local community resource for those people living within a few mile radius from the library. Not only you can read or borrow books, you can also take part of the many community activities that take place in the library. As a community magnet, it is used for many events that benefit the neighbors of Smith Hill The library was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

On September 23, I attended a Sublimation Tote Bag Workshop at 5:30 pm at South Providence Library…read more Canvas tote bags, pre-printed images on sublimation paper, scissors, and heat-resistant tape were laid out on the table. There were two options to design the bag: Option A: Make a collage-style tote using pre-printed images and Option B: Create a fully custom tote using your own images (from your phone, the internet, or personal photos). I took a look at the pre-printed images and they were great for my tote bag. Great job to Sarah for picking these images! There were a great variety. After I chose the pre-printed images and created my design on the canvas tote bag, Sarah showed me how to use the heat press machine. The heat press machine needed to warm up to 390 degrees. Sarah also checked the bag to make sure they're clean and didn't have any creases. I first pressed the background on the sublimation paper face down and then I used heat-resistant tape to hold in place the characters face down on top and pressed again. The tote came out great and it didn't take long at all. The Sublimation Tote Bag Workshop at South Providence Library was so much fun and I was able to create my own one-of-a-kind tote bag using the sublimation press. Sarah was a great instructor and very friendly. Only 4 people including myself were doing the workshop. I hope more people attend the workshops in the future. South Providence Library is located on Prairie Ave and it is a two way narrow street. When I arrived about 5:30pm, it was quite busy and I parked about a block away. There is street parking available.

A historic branch…read more Most branch libraries are pretty small and undistinguished, useful but certainly not very interesting or aesthetically appealing. But there are exceptions. The South Providence Branch Library is one of those exceptions. Designed and built by Howe and Rathbone in 1930, the library was actually placed on the National Registry of Historic Places in 1998. Not one of the grand and stunning libraries that are so common around New England, this library does have it's charms. Nice staircases and lighting and even a fireplace or two, it's obvious that this library isn't just something thrown up by the lowest bidder. Parking can be a be iffy and the building doesn't really stand out from the outside, but this library deserves more than just a casual glance to appreciate it's beauty.

I got rejected from Brown University in high school. It was one of my dream schools back then…read more Thankfully, life had other plans, and I'm forever grateful I ended up at my other dream school, UC Berkeley. But life has a funny way of circling back with plot twists. Over a decade later, I'm thrilled to be admitted to Brown University for my Master's! I joined the inaugural cohort of their Online Master's in Data Science: Policy, Governance & Society. I didn't think I'd get into such a small, competitive program, but I shot my shot. And I got in! I was very fortunate to be able to visit the Brown campus on my own dime for grad school orientation week. Brown clearly takes very good care of its community and students. I enjoyed attending multiple events, meeting fellow Brunonians, and exploring the gorgeous New England campus. Go Bears! Once a Cal Bear, always a Cal Bear. Now officially a Brown Bear too. Head-canoning Oski and Bruno being West Coast and East Coast brothers.

First of all, Brown University has an absolutely GORGEOUS campus. Long, kind of funny story short,…read moreI stumbled upon this campus. I was exploring the area, literally, walking around taking in the beautiful scenery on a surprisingly "summer-like" fall day. And as I approached AND walked on the campus, I kept saying to myself, this has got to be a college campus... this is somebody's school. Lol! And just like that - BAM! I walked by a sign that said Brown University. My mouth dropped and I smiled big... chuckling at myself. Everything was so peaceful and well-manicured (as expected from an Ivy League school). I blended in as I perused the campus, people watching the students go about their day. I love architecture and the buildings are beautiful. It was such a pleasant time!

Cute little book shop with a bar for snacks, drinks, coffee, and pastries. Stopped in with my…read morefriends who ordered some coffee. Lots of space to sit and read or do some work. Would definitely come back and recommend for people who need a place to meet up with someone or to just work.

A bit tricky to get to. There's no signs or anything telling you where to go, and Google Maps…read morewasn't much help. It's located behind the first brick building in a sort of courtyard place up a ramp. Knowing that they were #107 helped. RiffRaff doesn't know what it wants to be. Is it a bar? Is it a bookstore? It wants to be both and successfully does neither. The place lacks a coherence to it. It's starkly divided into Bar an Bookstore, and the lighting is abhorrent on both sides. They want you to read here, but there's only seating in the bar area, which is pitch black except for an ugly neon blue sign. So I don't know how one could do that without straining their eyesight. I'm not a drinker, so I can't tell you about the bar, but the selection of books was sad and clearly curated for a very particular audience. Which is fine if you're boring. I'm boring. I like the occasional high brow literary BS. But I also like to see things explode and for there to be monsters. None of that here because RiffRaff is too cool, apparently. Book prices seemed reasonable, but nothing was interesting to me. Also, it was too hot in there and they were playing some awful nonsense bass music that was just thumping and made everyone talk too loud. I probably won't come back here unless I'm meeting up with someone. RiffRaff would do so much better with real lights and an open concept vibe and more books. I don't want to sit and read or write in a dirty bar.