Rhode Island Historical Cemetery 83, Burrillville, RI. Burrillville's historical cemeteries are maintained by the Burrillville Historical and Preservation Society. 

Learn more about Rhode Island's historical cemeteries through the Rhode Island Historical Cemetery Commission. 

RHODI Project Updates & Next Steps

The RHODI directory went live in October 2013. We spent the last months of the year finalizing the RHODI white paper (download PDF here), which we made available in January 2014. The early months of 2014 have been spent fine-tuning the website in an effort to continually evaluate and increase its functionality (including our new locations map feature).

OUTREACH AND AWARENESS

In March 2014, Project Coordinator Chelsea Gunn presented RHODI at the New England Archivists Spring Meeting in Portsmouth, New Hampshire as part of the panel The State of Statewide Repositories in New England & How They Are Aggregating Special Collections.

On June 3, 2014, Chelsea Gunn and Elyssa Tardif will present RHODI at the Rhode Island Library Association Annual Conference in Newport, Rhode Island. They will discuss the process of conducting a statewide survey, their findings as detailed in the white paper, and planned next steps. 

We are continually working to promote use of the directory in-person and through our various social media outlets. For frequent updates, follow along: 

NEXT  PHASES

The Rhode Island Historical Society as submitted two IMLS grant applications to move forward with the RHODI Project's next steps.

The survey revealed that there is a desire for professional development training in the following areas: 

We will be partnering with organizations throughout the state that have had success in each of these areas; as community partners, they will share their experiences and expertise. By promoting skill-sharing between organizations, we hope to increase consistency and standardization throughout the state, as well as inter-organization collaboration and communication. 

If you're interested in learning more about our progress, or would like to be involved, email rhodi@rihs.org. 

It's always nice to take the opportunity to revisit some of the sites we surveyed in the first phase of the RHODI Project. The Gilbert Stuart Birthplace & Museum is beautiful in the springtime. The combination of history, art, and environmental preservation makes this a really special place. They are currently in the process of expanding their visitor's center, which will provide a modern exhibit space to showcase the work of contemporary Rhode Island artists, in addition to work related to Stuart. We look forward to seeing what comes next. 

Happy National Librarians Day!

Rhode Island is home to over 200 incredible libraries, each offering unique collections and programs, all staffed by incredible librarians. 

Here's a quick round-up of some of Rhode Island libraries & library organizations on Tumblr:

Adams Memorial Library

AskRI

Cranston Public Library

Providence Athenaeum YA blog

Providence Public Library

Rhode Island Historical Society (our mothership!)

Rogers Free Library

Woonsocket Harris Public Library

Are there more we're missing? What are your favorite Rhode Island library blogs?

Exciting news! 

We've added an additional way to browse the RHODI directory: via this visual map of history and heritage organizations!

It's interesting to look at a visual representation of the distribution of sites throughout the state. This is a feature that will undoubtedly become increasingly interesting as the site continues to grow and include more organizations. 

We hope you like this new feature as much as we do!

It's always a good day when PBS contacts you to be a contributor to one of their incredible projects!

RHODI has been contributing to the Engineering Map of America, which, as the title suggests, maps out engineering feats throughout the country. Bridges, buildings, subways, airports, and power sources are among the many accomplishments of engineering explored in this amazing interactive exhibit. 

Thanks for including us! Can't wait to keep adding Rhode Island's unique parts of engineering history to this map!

Daffodil Days has begun at Blithewold in Bristol, RI. The weather here in Rhode Island is finally warming up, and it's a perfect time of year to visit one of the state's historic mansion museums. In addition to being a beautiful example of Arts and Crafts style architecture, the mansion is home to an arboretum and extensive gardens, making this a perfect site to visit as spring finally arrives. 

(Fun fact for knitters: Blithewold was among a number of Rhode Island sites recently featured in a Berroco photo shoot. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming patterns featuring beautiful RI scenery...)

Last night I went on a tour of RISD's Fleet Library hosted by the Providence Athenaeum.  

I sometimes forget that as a member of the Athenaeum (a beautiful library in its own right) I have borrowing privileges at the Fleet Library. It was great to take a walk through and remember how many resources I can take advantage of here. 

There's more information on both libraries over on the official RHODI blog. 

It's worth noting that the Providence Athenaeum is always open to the public, and the RISD Fleet Library is open to the entire RISD community, Athenaeum members, and outside users with relevant research interests. 

Do you ever just feel really lucky to live in a place with so many beautiful buildings and useful resources?