Dear Athenæum Shareholders, Subscribers, Young Friends and Student members,

This past winter, The Athenæum community joined in mourning the death of Dr. Roger W. Moss, Jr. Hailed as a visionary, energetic and erudite promoter of scholarly research and the historic preservation of Victorian design and architecture, Roger led The Athenæum of Philadelphia as its Executive Director from 1968 – 2008. During this remarkable tenure, he transformed a somnolent membership library into a primary center for the collection and study of pre-1950 Philadelphia architecture and 19th century material culture. As the result of his leadership and foresight, this remarkable and ever-growing collection has become an instrumental source for research conducted by preservationists, scholars, students and the interested public. Just as Dr. Moss helped re-envision this organization to respond to the particular zeitgeist of the day, so the Board and staff, with the enthusiastic support of the membership, have harnessed the bountiful resources of The Athenæum – its history, its building and space, its location, its circulating and research collections – to uphold its foundational ethos as a haven for intellectual inquiry, wonder and delight in knowledge, beauty, friendship and connection.

Since 1814, The Athenæum, like other historic libraries, has relied on the support of its members to provide intellectually stimulating reading material, special collections access and programming to its community. While Shareholder-level members hold a special spot in The Athenæum’s history as bearers of our ongoing legacy, annual Subscribers, Young Friends and Student level members also nurture The Athenæum as a learning hub and cultural anchor. In fiscal year 2025, we welcomed 758 new members to our multifaceted organization. Whether you are a recent or long-standing member, we are thankful that you are a part of this special space where we nurture curiosity and strengthen community through learning and discourse.

The vibrancy of The Athenæum is palpable. In FY2025, monthly visitation averaged 1,500. Circulation of books remained at FY2024 highs. Research visits and interactions with our archival collections increased. Many of our lectures, discussion groups, films, concerts, workshops and courses entertained full rooms. The Reading Room sustained a quiet energy from members of all ages working, reading and finding inspiration, while in the Member Lounge new friendships emerged, pieces clicked in puzzles and members enjoyed the newspaper over coffee.

At the Annual Shareholders Meeting last April, the Board recognized the fabulous contributions of four outgoing Directors: F. Scott Donahue, Michael Gary, Matt Rader and Robert Morris Steiner. Although they have served their terms, each of these gentlemen continue to enrich the work of The Athenæum in countless ways. The Shareholders elected Pierce Buller, Pamela Harper, Trina Gary, Alison Lazerwitz and Zoë Pappas as new Directors. We are grateful to all of them for agreeing to serve and are energized by the skills, wisdom and commitment of our full Board as we plan and prepare for the opportunities and challenges we expect in 2026 and beyond.

It is with pleasure that we present to you the 210th Annual Report illustrating the accomplishments of the 2024-2025 fiscal year.

With appreciation,