Acquired Tastes: 200 Years of Collecting for the Boston Athenæum.

Information for the Press

Boston Collects. When the "Acquired Tastes" exhibition has closed, an edited version entitled "Boston Collects" will open at the Grolier Club in New York City in September 2007. At the same time, we will mount a new exhibition devoted to contemporary New England art here at the Athenaeum.

Bicentennial Publications. In addition to the catalog entitled "Acquired Tastes," the Athenaeum will sponsor two other major publications. The first, to be issued by Oak Knoll Press in 2007, is entitled "America's Membership Libraries"; edited by Richard Wendorf, it will comprise 17 essays on libraries around the country, all illustrated in full color.

Lectures. In the fall of this year, the Library will sponsor lecture series to celebrate our bicentennial. The first, entitled "Athens in America: Celebrating Boston Athenaeum, Writers Past and Present " will a feature a number of our writers reading from the work of their predecessors.

In the winter and spring of 2007, we will hear a number of distinguished speakers lecture on "Current and Back Issues: Persistent Themes in the Library, 1807-2007." Among the topics will be censorship and freedom of information, copyright, collecting and preservation, the cultural influence of libraries, and the organization of knowledge. Bernie Margolis and Richard Wendorf will debate the question, "Should the Boston Athenaeum have become the Boston Public Library?" William Bulger will serve as the moderator.

Stanley Cushing and David Dearinger will conduct a number of curatorial talks during the run of "Acquired Tastes."

Membership and Community Affairs. We want to take advantage of this important moment in our history in order to continue to build a strong and diverse membership. We will be calling upon members to join us by sponsoring new members at the Library, and we will hold open houses for the community as well.

Other Events.