Athenaeum Of Philadelphia

THE ATHENAEUM OF PHILADELPHIA NURTURES CURIOSITY IN MEMBERS AND NEIGHBORS, STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY THROUGH LEARNING, DISCOURSE AND MEANINGFUL ENGAGEMENT. THE ATHENAEUM IS A HISTORIC AND VIBRANT PHILADELPHIA-CENTERED AND MEMBER-SUPPORTED CIRCULATING LIBRARY, RESEARCH ARCHIVE AND CULTURAL FORUM DEDICATED TO HARNESSING OUR RESOURCES - OUR EXPERT STAFF, OUR COLLECTIONS OF BOOKS, ART AND ARCHITECTURE TREASURES AND OUR NATIONAL HISTORIC LANDMARK BUILDING - TO STRENGTHEN OUR GROWING COMMUNITY THROUGH IDEAS, CULTURAL ENGAGEMENT AND FELLOWSHIP.

MUSEUM/LIBRARY BUILDING: THE BULK OF THE ATHENAEUM'S EXPENSES IN FYE 2022 WERE USED 1) TO MAINTAIN AND TO OPERATE THE ATHENAEUM'S 1847 HISTORIC LANDMARK BUILDING AND 2) TO PAY THE SALARIES AND BENEFITS OF THE STAFF NEEDED TO MAINTAIN ITS BOOK AND FINE ARTS COLLECTIONS AND TO PROVIDE SERVICES TO ITS MEMBERS.

LIBRARY SERVICES: THE ATHENAEUM MAINTAINS BOTH LENDING AND RARE BOOK AND ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS. RESEARCH IN THE RARE BOOK AND ARCHIVAL COLLECTIONS IS FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC BY APPOINTMENT. THE AMERICAN ARCHITECTS AND BUILDING DATABASE AND THE GEOHISTORY DATABASE OF ATLASES AND MAPS DEVELOPED BY THE ATHENAEUM IN COLLABORATION WITH OTHER PHILADELPHIA-AREA SPECIAL COLLECTIONS ARE WIDELY USED ONSITE AND REMOTELY. IN THE FY2022, THE ATHENAEUM HOSTED MORE THAN 100 VIRTUAL PROGRAMS FOR MEMBERS AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC ON TOPICS WHICH INCLUDED US/PHILADELPHIA HISTORY, ARCHITECTURAL DESIGN AND PRESERVATION, ENVIRONMENT/ECOLOGY, LOCAL CULTURAL INSTITUTIONS, AUTHOR TALKS, AND EXPLORATIONS OF THE ATHENAEUM COLLECTIONS. THE ATHENAEUM ALSO HOSTED VIRTUAL MONTHLY BOOK CLUBS AND CONVERSATION GROUPS THAT WERE OPEN TO MEMBERS AND THE PUBLIC; AN IN PERSON AND LIVESTREAMED CHAMBER MUSIC CONCERT SERIES; AN OPEN HOUSE; AND TWO EXHIBITIONS THAT FOCUSED ON CONTEMPORARY LOCAL WOMEN ARTISTS.

PUBLIC RESEARCH SUPPORT: THE ATHENAEUM REACHES OUT TO THE BROADER COMMUNITY NOT ONLY THROUGH ITS WEB-BASED ACTIVITIES AND IN PERSON RESEARCH SERVICES, BUT BY HOSTING LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENT CLASSES AND BY SUPPORTING SCHOLARSHIP IN AMERICAN ARCHITECTURE AND ENGINEERING THROUGH THE AWARDING OF THE PETERSON INTERNSHIPS AND FELLOWSHIPS, THE CHARLES E. PETERSON PRIZES IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS AND HISTORIC AMERICAN ENGINEERING SURVEYS OF THE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, A RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP AWARDED FOR THE BUILDINGS IN AMERICA PROJECT OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF ARCHITECTS, AND TRAVEL GRANTS IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE CHARLES E. PETERSON PRIZES.