Athenaeum is a noun that refers to a library or reading room.
The ancient city of Athena was named after the Roman Goddess of wisdom. Our word of the day comes from the temple of Athena in Rome, a school for the study of arts. Today an athenaeum may refer to any room or building with reading material, but it’s best used in reference to a place of great learning.
After entering the university’s giant athenaeum, I was immediately impressed by the vast amount of learning materials available. I’d never before been in the presence of such knowledge.