RI BookLinks
A portal to Rhode Island's book community
RI BookLinks is growing collection of links about reading, writing, making, and sharing books in Rhode Island. Use it to discover the many wonderful book resources in the state. You can read our policy statement for more details. If you know of an individual or organization that belongs on RI BookLinks, please send information to ribook@provlib.org.
Academic Programs
Arts Organizations
Author Directories
Authors
Book Awards
Book Binding
Book Discussion Groups / Story Hours
Book Illustrators
Book Lists
Book Reviews / Events / Readings
Bookstores
Comics / Graphic Novels
Libraries and Library Organizations
Library Schools
Literacy Organizations
Materials / Supplies
Online Journals / E-zines
Poetry Slams / Live Literature
Publishers
Small Presses / Literary Journals
Special Collections
Storytellers
Writers’ Groups
Academic Programs
Brown University Graduate Program in Literary Arts
Bryant College, Department of English and Cultural Studies
The Institute for Poetic Arts + Critical Theory (IPACT), A series of courses, seminars, readings, discussions and special events that emphasize the positive impact of the visual arts and critical theory on creative writers and their work. Led by RISD’s creative writing faculty and invited guests.
Providence College, English Department
Rhode Island College, English Department
RI Writing Project
Hosted at Rhode Island College, a network of teachers throughout the state affiliated with the National Writing Project and dedicated to the improvement of teaching and learning in Rhode Island schools
Roger Williams University Creative Writing Department
Salve Regina University, Department of English
University of Rhode Island, English Department
Arts Organizations
Arts & Cultural Alliance of Newport County
A coalition of individuals and nonprofit organizations committed to the advancement of art and culture in Newport County
AS220
An open and permanent venue for RI artists of all ages, providing stage and gallery space and residential and studio work space
Brown Community for Learning in Retirement
A self-governed community group offering a unique life-long learning experience for retired or semi-retired men and women within commuting distance of Providence. Daytime seminars are offered on a variety of topics including Art, Music, Literature, History, Science, and Economics.
The Creative Communications Club of Providence
Established to provide a forum where creative people can meet, exchange ideas, explore issues of mutual interest and concern, host guest speakers/artists, and welcome new people into the creative community.
Guild of Book Workers, New England chapter
Local chapter of a national organization of bookbinders, book artists, calligraphers, paper makers, printers and marblers.
John Russell Bartlett Society
A bibliophilic group with members from RI and environs who meet for discussions about the history and arts of the book
National Novel Writing Month
A fun, seat-of-your-pants approach to novel writing. Participants begin writing November 1 and try to write a 175-page (50,000-word) novel by midnight, November 30. Various write-ins occur throughout November at locations across RI.
New Urban Arts
An interdisciplinary arts studio in Providence that introduces young people to diverse art forms and techniques, including painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, graphic design, web design, fashion design, mural painting, lamp making, book making, film, video editing, poetry, writing, spoken word, and storytelling.
Pawtucket Arts Collaborative
Dedicated to supporting, promoting and developing the arts for the community and its artists
RI Citizens for the Arts
A nonprofit arts advocacy organization working in Rhode Island for the benefit of all artists and arts organizations, as well as for the benefit of the community-at-large
Rhode Island Council for the Humanities
To inspire and support intellectual curiosity and imagination in all Rhode Islanders through lifelong learning in the humanities
Rhode Island State Council for the Arts
Charged by the state legislature to stimulate public interest and participation in the arts and to serve as the liaison to the state arts community
Authors & Poets
Lisa Starr, current RI Poet Laureate
Tom Chandler former RI poet laureate
Author Directories
The Academy of American Poets provides a literary map of some RI poets, including some literary journals and small presses.
Brown University faculty will bring you to a list of poets, fiction writers, and playwrights who teach in the graduate Program in Literary Arts
RI Literary Map
Click on RI on the map to find information on hundreds of individual RI writers listed alphabetically. More information is available by clicking on the link for RI Literary Sources.
Book Awards
The Rhode Island Teen Book Award
A collaborative project of the Rhode Island Education Media Association (RIEMA) and the Rhode Island Library Assocation (RILA).The goal of the project is to promote quality literature for teens by highlighting well-written books that will be of interest to those between the ages of 12 and 18 years of age.
Book Binding
At Last Studio, Ruth Strach, 184 West Greenville Road, North Scituate 02857
The Currier Bindery, located in Newport and founded in 1976.
Dan Knowlton, 1202 Hope Street, Bristol 02809
Hope Bindery, Jim DiMarcantonio, 250 Esten Avenue, Pawtucket 02860
If'N Books, specialty handmade journals and albums
Markey & Asplund Bookbinders, founded in Providence in 1924 and currently located in Foster
Rag & Bone Bindery, albums, guest books, journals, baby books, wedding albums and other traditional and contemporary bindings
Book Discussion Groups / Story Hours
Book groups in RI libraries is compiled by the Jesse M. Smith Memorial Library, Harrisville, RI
Open Book, Open Minds ~ The Common Book Project at Rhode Island College
Reading with Robin, a radio talk show all about books on WHJJ 920 AM, Saturday morning 7 - 8 am
Book Illustrators
R. W. Alley, Children’s books
Don Bousquet, Cartoonist
Christopher Denise
Children’s books
David Macaulay, Writer and illustrator
Cheryl Kirk Noll, Children’s books
Chris Van Allsburg, Writer and illustrator of children’s books
Book Lists
Children’s Books set in Rhode Island
National Foundation Book Awards 2007
New York Times 100 Notable Books of 2007
Set in … Rhode Island Selected 20th Century
Fiction
This bibliography is a partial listing. Only titles that are readily available through the CLAN system have been included. All books on this list have been written since 1900.
Book Reviews / Events / Readings
Bookcrossing.com
Free books “released” into the wilds of Rhode Island and waiting to be discovered. Go to this link to find out where they are.
Providence Arts & Culture, lists events and other resources for RI writers
Providence Journal, Books section
feature stories, reviews, and a weekly calendar of book events (note: free registration with the Providence Journal required to open this link)
Providence Phoenix, Books section feature stories, reviews, and a weekly book calendar
South County Independent offers book reviews in its Arts and Living section
Bookstores
General directories
Biblio.com - a tool for book searching with RI Independent bookstore listings
New England Booksellers Association (NEIBA) lists independent bookstores in RI that are members of NEIBA
Massachusetts and Rhode Island Antiquarian Booksellers, members include bookselling firms founded as early as 1825. Books from the 16th through the 21st Centuries, plus broadsides, maps, manuscripts, prints and ephemera. See the geographical directory for RI members.
Chainstores with RI branches
Barnes and Noble, stores in Middletown, Smithfield, and Warwick
Borders, stores in Cranston and Providence
Waldenbooks, stores in Wakefield and Warwick
Independent stores
Aftermath Books, Internet book dealer located in Providence
All Booked Up, 34 Nooseneck Hill Road, West Greenwich 02817, 401.397.5500 Listed with the online bookseller resource Biblio
Barrington Books, Barrington
Bluewater Books and Charts, Newport. Specializes in books about sailing, boats, fishing, boating.
Book Nook of Block Island, Block Island
Books on the Square, Providence
Brown University Bookstore, Providence
Cellar Stories, Providence. Used and rare books.
Chrispycritters Books & Gifts,
PO Box 9090,
Warwick 02889-0090
401.739.6353, trader1602@aol.com
Listed with the online bookseller resource Biblio
Cozy Book Cellar,
P.O. Box 666,
Forestdale 02824-0666
401.769.0228,
cozybooks@cox.net
Listed with the online bookseller resource Biblio
Donald Magee, Fine and Rare Books
Erika Wallington Old & Rare Books, Pawtucket
J. Cosmas Books,
128 Colonial Road,
Providence 02906
401.421.2949, jcosmas@earthlink.net
Listed with the online bookseller resource Biblio
Lincbook.com, used and rare books. Established in Providence in 1931, now located in Foster. Specializes in education, psychology, history, political science, business, economics, literary criticism, science, and other scholarly subjects.
Mom & Pop's Bookshop, Wakefield
Murder by the Book,
1645 Warwick Avenue, Suite 202,
Warwick 02889-1524
401.739.7224, kbbooks1@cox.net
The Other Tiger Bookstore, Westerly
Other Worlds Bookstore, North Providence. Specializes in used and out-of-print science fiction, fantasy, and horror.
Owl at the Bridge, Cranston. Scholarly, rare, and unusual out-of-print books.
Symposium Books, Downtown Providence. Scholarly, academic, and university press books, as well as art and literature.
Twice Told Tales, Inc.,
2210 Broad Street,
Cranston, RI 02905
401.785.9599
Tyson’s Old and Rare Books, East Providence
Comics / Graphic Novels
Tent City Comics: Zines, comics, and tracts from an independent press.
Libraries and Library Organizations
General directory to all Rhode Island library web sites links to web sites hosted by individual libraries and consortia.
ARIHSL - Association of RI Health Services Libraries is an organization of health science librarians in Rhode Island that work to share their resources and knowledge to improve library services to the RI healthcare community.
Ocean State Libraries RI is Rhode Island's public library consortium. This web site offers access to its 48 member library systems operating from 72 locations.
COLA - Coalition of Library Advocates is a grass-roots library support group that seeks to improve the quality of life for Rhode Islanders by supporting libraries of all kinds. Through advocacy, education, and public awareness activities, COLA works to help improve library services throughout the state.
HELIN - Higher Education Library Information Network is Rhode Island's consortium of Rhode Island's college and university libraries.
OLIS - Office of Library and Information Services: The objective of OLIS is to maintain and improve library and information services to the residents of the state and to state government through a variety of resources and programming.
RIEMA - RI Educational Media Association provides leadership and support in the development, promotion, improvement, and evaluation of school library media, computer, and instructional technology programs in all Rhode Island schools. This site is a great resource for children's literature and young adult resources
RILA - RI Library Association is a professional association of librarians, library staff, trustees, and library supporters whose purpose is to promote the profession of librarianship and to improve the visibility, accessibility, responsiveness and effectiveness of library and information services throughout Rhode Island.
RILINK - RI Library Information Network gives Rhode Island's K-12 students, faculty and staff increased access to school library media center materials.
Library Schools
Simmons Graduate School of Library and Information Science
URI Graduate School of Library and Information Studies
Literacy Organizations
The Alliance for the Study and Teaching of Adolescent Literature (ASTAL): A program at Rhode Island College dedicated to improving adolescent literacy.
CCRI Lifelong Learning offers community adult literacy programs
Dorcas Place assists low-income adults in realizing their full potential through literacy, employment, advocacy and community involvement.
International Institute of Rhode Island provides educational, legal and social services to immigrants and refugees throughout Rhode Island and southeastern Massachusetts. This includes literacy and translation services.
Literacy Resources /RI, based at the Swearer Center for Public Service at Brown University, is a resource designed to assist RI adult educators in their provision of services to adult learners across the state. A listing of literacy centers and community agencies providing the services is included in this website.
Literacy Volunteers of RI provides training, support and referral services to promote adult literacy in Rhode Island
National Literacy Database is a national database of literacy programs available via the Internet and the National Institute for Literacy's toll-free number. The ALD connects employers, learners, volunteers, social service providers, and others to current information about literacy programs in all 50 states and the U.S. territories.
Reach Out and Read RI - promotes early literacy by giving new books to children and advice to parents about the importance of reading aloud in pediatric exam rooms across the nation.
Rhode Island Family Literacy Initiative provides learner-centered literacy programming for Rhode Island families facing social, economic, and educational barriers because of limited English language skills.
RIDE Adult Education: Among other educational goals, the Rhode Island Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Adult Education program helps people become literate and obtain the knowledge and skills necessary for employment and self-sufficiency.
Volunteers In Providence Schools - provides trained volunteers for the city’s students by providing them with educational support and individualized help
Materials / Supplies
Paper Connection International, Providence. Fine art papers from around the globe.
Portfoliobox, Pawtucket. Specialty and archival boxes.
Scraps of Paper, book arts
Online Journals / E-zines
Barrington Public Library Director's Notebook
Crosswalk, a quarterly publication dedicated to further investigations of contemporary psychogeography and experimental public art. Affiliated with People Interested in Participatory Societies
Rhode Island Roads Magazine, an online subscription magazine with monthly articles about life, entertainment, history, dining, poetry, and humor from across Rhode Island.
the indy, The College Hill Independent is published weekly by students at Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design during the Fall and Spring semesters.
Poetry Slams / Live Literature
Living Literature is a group of Rhode Island-based actors who take literature from the page to the stage in a reader-theater-style performance.
Publishers
American Mathematical Society, Books on advanced mathematics
The Book Nook Press, Books about Block Island for all ages
Man at Arms Magazine and Mowbray Publishing, Publications for the antique gun and sword collector
Merlyn’s Pen, Fiction, essays, and poems by America’s teens
New River Press, Unusual titles about New England: history, the paranormal, private aviation, Yankee wit and wisdom and more
PEREGRINAÇÃO Publications USA Inc., Portuguese books, individual and educational use
Small Presses / Literary Journals
Bryant Literary Review, (Tom Chandler, ed.), An international journal of fiction and poetry published annually in May at Bryant College
Burning Deck Press (Keith and Rosmarie Waldrop, eds.), Contemporary poetry and prose, including French and German literature in English translation
Combo Arts, Publisher of poetry books and Combo, a magazine of poetry, reviews, and interviews.
Headless Press, a small press
Horse Less Press, a literary press and review based in Providence.
Little Pear Press, (Martha Manno, ed.), Poetry books
Nedge, (Henry Gould, ed.), a journal of contemporary poetry and prose sponsored by the Poetry Mission
New Leaves Press, letterpress books and posters by printer-in-residence Dore Page
The Newport Review (Michele Cooper, ed.), 94 Sandy Point Farm Road, Portsmouth, RI 02871 – Literary magazines and the Premier Poets Chapbook Series
Oat City Press, (Karen Donovan and Walker Rumble, eds.), Publishers of the literary journal Paragraph
Third and Elm Press Woodblock prints and books by the artist and printer Ilse Buchert Nesbitt
watershed web: Brown & RISD's Journal of Environment and Culture
Ziggurat Press, small-edition handmade books by the artist and printer Walter Feldman
Special Collections
Harris Collection, John Hay Library, Brown University, a collection composed of approximately 250,000 volumes of American and Canadian poetry, plays, and vocal music dating from 1609 to the present, including significant holdings of early American literature, hymnals, songsters, little magazines, contemporary fine printing, extensive collections on Walt Whitman and Edgar Allan Poe, women's writings, gay and lesbian literature, modern first editions, Yiddish-American literature, and French-Canadian literature
Notes for Bibliophiles, Special Collections Blog by Lbrarian Rick Ring, Providence Public Library
Providence Athenaeum: The special collections at the Providence Athenaeum reflect the reading tastes of its membership since the founding of the library in 1753.
Providence College: The Special Collections at Providence College houses over forty six individual sections including the John Fogarty Collection, English and Colonial 18th Century Trade Statistics, Irish Literature Collection
Providence Public Library Special Collections: Fifteen different subject collections, including the Daniel Berkeley Updike Printing Collection, as well as a miscellaneous collection of rare books and manuscripts
Redwood Library and Athenaeum: The Redwood Library's special collections include the Original Collection purchased in England with the donation of £500 sterling by founder Abraham Redwood in 1749.
Rhode Island College The Rhode Island College special collections includes, among other items, a large amount of material related to Cape Verde, it's history and culture.
RISD Library Special Collections includes a book arts collection that numbers nearly 1000 titles of works from the late 1960s to the present
URI University Libraries, a special collection with varied holdings that maintains a working letterpress print shop
Storytellers
Groups
League for the Advancement of New England Storytelling, lists RI storytellers
National Storytelling Network, a guide to some storytelling events in RI
Rhode Island Storytellers in Concert encourages the growth and development of storytelling throughout RI, showcases RI and New England storytellers, and produces a festival for children, young adults and families.
Individuals
Writer's Groups
Block Island Poetry Project
A series of weekend workshops that brings some of the country's finest poets and educators to two inns overlooking Block Island's scenic New Harbor.
The Olney Street Group is an independent poetry workshop that has met twice a month since 1982 for critical discussions of members' work. For more information, contact Bob Oberg, 150 Panto Road, Warwick 02886.
RI Freelancers Forum, a loose coalition of working professionals in the publishing field
For more writer's groups, see the weekly calendar in the Providence Journal, Books sectionhttp://www.projo.com/books