January 2014, Volume 8, Issue 1

Welcome to 2014, which arrived in Boston with arctic whirlwinds of snow. Coming through the red Athenӕum doors to the well-appointed warmth within has been a lifelong winter pleasure for me. What is more delightful than a comfortable library seat, a room full of books, and the tranquil contemplation of profound themes as the icy lights of Tremont Street twinkle through the graveyard?

2014 will be a year of new leadership for the City of Boston and the Boston Athenӕum. As Martin Walsh succeeds Mayor Thomas Menino, he promises a fresh look at city-wide funding for arts and culture, reaching out to many constituencies for advice. Here at the Athenӕum, our Director Search Committee continues to vet a widening pool of identified candidates. By early February, a short list of finalists is expected to emerge, with final interviews on schedule for March. During these all-day visits, finalists will engage with a wide range of staff and board members.  

Concurrent with the advent of a new director in 2014, we expect to embark on a master facilities plan, and we reach out to you, our valued patrons, for fresh thoughts on service delivery and your membership needs. A comfortable seat in a roomful of books is indeed delightful, but 21st century libraries simply must incorporate convenient, contemporary access and amenities for patrons of diverse ages and interests. Your advice and suggestions are paramount to the planning process.

A smashing winter events season is underway. Future attractions include Saturday skating on the Frog Pond, New England Conservatory student concerts, alluring lectures, and a film evening, sponsored by the Young Patrons. Of particular note are a series of book talks on the Civil War and three panel discussions on "The Future of the Museum" in January and February. This series, which includes museum leaders and innovators from across the nation, will certainly be a sell-out. Registration opensJanuary 13.

We were saddened to hear of the death of Trustee Emeritus Caleb Loring, Jr. in late November. He was a long-time, dedicated supporter of the Athenaeum's uniquely valuable Civil War collections, who endowed fellowships, promoted acquisitions, and funded a large digitization project designed to share this important material with a wider world.

With best wishes for the New Year,

Deborah Hill Bornheimer

President, Board of Trustees

Sue is a past president of The Foundation for Children's Books, a Boston area nonprofit organization that seeks to inspire a love of reading in urban classrooms, primarily by bringing acclaimed children's book authors and illustrators into underserved K-8 schools. The Foundation also presents professional development events for librarians, teachers, and other interested attendees.

Having served as a judge for the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award and the Massachusetts Book Award, most recently Sue was on the panel of judges to select the Boston Public Library Associates' Writer-in-Residence for 2013-2014. She participates annually in selecting the winning essays from Boston public schools sixth-graders for the Max Warburg Foundation Courage Curriculum. Sue taught a course on Beatrix Potter for Beacon Hill Seminars in 2012, and in 2014, will teach a course on Harry Potter.

James Reid-Cunningham

Deputy Director

A new electronic resource offers members the chance toexplore an extensive range of archival material connected to the trading and cultural relationships that emerged between China, America, and the Pacific region from the 18th to the early 20th centuries.

The Boston Athenӕum contributed rare materials to the digital collectionChina, America, and the Pacific: Trade & Cultural Exchange  created by Adam Matthew Digital and available to members with otherAthenӕum electronic resources. Twelve other libraries also participated: American Philosophical Society, Bridgeman Art Library, California Historical Society, Hagley Museum and Library, Hawaiian Historical Society, Massachusetts Historical Society, Nantucket Historical Association, Phillips Library, and Peabody Essex Museum. The Athenӕum contributed printed books as well as materials like correspondence, account books, ephemera, journals, logbooks, and business records, representing local names including the Sturgis, Perkins, and Dumaresq families.

Tom Gearty

Serials

Credit for image above: page seven from Collection of Arabic and Oriental manuscripts, ca. 1799-ca. 1830.