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RICH to Host RI Center for the Book

By admin | July 5, 2011

The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities (RICH) welcomes the Rhode Island Center for the Book, one of the 50 state affiliates of the national Center for the Book. Currently hosted by the Providence Public Library, the Rhode Island Center for the Book will transition to its new home at the Humanities Council as of July 2011.

The Rhode Island Center for the Book is a statewide organization that promotes community enrichment and literacy by celebrating the art and heritage of reading, writing, making, and sharing books. The organization was established in 2003, as an affiliate of the Center for the Book at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

“The Rhode Island Council for the Humanities is proud to host the Rhode Island Center for the Book,” said the Humanities Council Executive Director Mary-Kim Arnold. “Through this partnership, we strengthen each other, and increase our joint ability to support public interest in reading, writing, and Rhode Island’s literary heritage. We are thrilled to welcome the Center for the Book to RICH.”

Founded in 1973, the Rhode Island Council for the Humanities is an independent, state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. Its mission is to inspire and support intellectual curiosity and imagination in all Rhode Islanders. The Humanities Council has provided over $6.7 million in grants to support more than 500 organizations throughout the state of Rhode Island, as well as independent researchers, filmmakers, scholars, and oral historians.

“Rhode Island Center for the Book is delighted in their new relationship with RICH,” said RI Center for the Book President Barry Press. “Both share national parentage and a statewide audience. Given both organizations’ statewide roles and missions, we are confident that this partnership will provide a strong position to maintain the current work of the Center and to expand its impact throughout Rhode Island.”

The Rhode Island Center for the Book coordinates four signature programs, made possible by the cooperative effort of Rhode Island readers, writers, publishers, librarians, educators and book artists. The programs include Reading Across Rhode Island, a statewide reading initiative, and the affiliated youth program Kids Reading Across Rhode Island. As part of Letters About Literature, students across the state are encouraged to write letters to their favorite authors. This year, the annual Art of the Book event will feature local poet Forrest Gander, recipient of the of 2011 Library of Congress Witter Bynner Fellowship. The event will take place on September 30th at 7:30pm in the Grand Hall of the RISD Library.

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