Berkshire Athenaeum

06/12/2026

Congratulations to Jen, Eric, and Theo! This dedicated family of super readers made it to 1,000 books today. What a beautiful accomplishment. You should all be proud!

06/11/2026

Please enjoy this throwback photo of 95, 97 New West Street, Pittsfield. (May 1966)
Photo courtesy: Bruce Honig

To learn more about the Local History collection at the Berkshire Athenaeum, visit the library website: https://www.pittsfieldlibrary.org/lhd-landing-page

06/11/2026

Congratulations!

BCC is proud to announce that our library has been renamed The Ruth Edmonds Hill Library in honor of a lifelong librarian, educator, oral historian and Pittsfield native whose work helped preserve stories across generations.

Hill began her career in librarianship at the Berkshire Athenaeum and later worked at North Adams State College and BCC before joining the Schlesinger Library at Harvard, where she helped lead groundbreaking oral history projects, including the Black Women Oral History Project.

The new name follows years of research, community feedback and an inclusive review process shaped by faculty, staff, students, alumni and the broader Berkshire community.

We look forward to celebrating this new chapter for BCC’s library this fall in partnership with the Berkshire Historical Society and the Samuel Harrison Society.

Read more about this announcement: https://www.berkshirecc.edu/news-events/2026/ruth-edmonds-library.php

06/10/2026

Thank you to LEGO, MA250, Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular for selecting us to part of such a special event! Folks of all ages built 172 bricks that will be used to create an 8 foot tall American flag LEGO brick model for the Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular.

https://www.berkshireeagle.com/multimedia/photos-building-a-lego-flag-for-the-boston-pops-one-brick-at-a-time/collection_a3efaf69-f3e4-4118-b4ab-da632bcdc8c5.html


Boston Pops
LEGO

Lego bricks built by dozens of children at the Berkshire Athenaeum on Saturday will be shipped to a Lego artist in Boston, along with the work of three other Massachusetts

06/09/2026

Please enjoy this throwback photo of an 1890s parade on North Street, Pittsfield.

To learn more about the Local History collection at the Berkshire Athenaeum, visit the library website: https://www.pittsfieldlibrary.org/lhd-landing-page

06/04/2026

Please enjoy this throwback photo of 107, 109, 111 West Street, Pittsfield. To learn more about the Local History collection at the Berkshire Athenaeum, visit the library website: https://www.pittsfieldlibrary.org/lhd-landing-page
Photo courtesy of Bruce Honig.

06/02/2026

Please enjoy this throwback photo of 74-82 West Street, Pittsfield. To learn more about the Local History collection at the Berkshire Athenaeum, visit the library website: https://www.pittsfieldlibrary.org/lhd-landing-page
Photo courtesy of Bruce Honig.

06/02/2026

The Berkshire Athenaeum has been selected, along with three other libraries state-wide, to participate in a hands-on fun LEGO® event to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States Declaration of Independence. ✒️🇺🇸

The Library will host a LEGO® Flag Build to help create a giant American flag out of LEGO® bricks that will be part of the 2026 Boston Pops Fireworks Spectacular. The annual July 4th concert, led by Keith Lockhart, will headline Massachusetts' America 250 celebration on the Charles River Esplanade.

05/28/2026

Please enjoy this throwback photo of the Bicentennial Parade, from City Report 1961! 🎉🇺🇸

To learn more about the Local History collection at the Berkshire Athenaeum, visit the library website: https://www.pittsfieldlibrary.org/lhd-landing-page