Athenæum's People

Guided by a dedicated board, passionate staff and talented interns, we nurture curiosity and strengthen community through shared learning and discovery.

The 209th Annual Report 2023 - 2024

THE BOARD

Jeffrey Cooper, President
Adele Gorrilla, Vice President
Michael Horgan, Treasurer
Lynn Schwartz, Secretary
Nora Barry
Richard Bartholomew, Chair, Building Committee
Veronica Chapman-Smith, Chair, External Relations Committee
Jeffrey Cohen, Chair, Collections Committee
Joan Countryman*
Justin Detwiler
Scott Donahue, Chair, Governance Committee
Michael Gary
Mary Hawkesworth
Kelly R. Lee
Robert Linck**
Gregory Montanaro*
Nancy Moses, Chair, Development Committee
Matt Rader, Chair, Library Committee
Bernard M. Resnick
Ralph Rosen, Chair, Literary Awards Committee
David B. Rowland
Lea Carson Sherk*
Robert Morris Steiner
Lucy Strackhouse

OUR STAFF

Beth Shalom Hessel, Executive Director
‘Pemi Aguda, Front Desk Assistant
Patricia Altman, Director of Programs and Engagement
Jim Carroll, Imaging Specialist – RDIC
Fiona Dawson, Development Database Administrator
Christina Doe, Building Supervisor
Leigh Gallagher, Front Desk & Membership Assistant
Jill LeMin Lee, Librarian
Alexa Perillo, Development & Membership Associate
Brice Peterson, Associate Archivist Librarian
Lois Reibach, Resource Description & Access Librarian
Valerie Roche, Front Desk & Member Assistant (substitute)
Kristina Wilson, Gladys Brooks Curator of Architecture

our interns

Anastasia Brana (Mount Holyoke, Summer 2023)
MeiXing Hunt-Babcock (Drexel, Fall 2023 & Spring/Summer 2024), Archival & Digital Imaging Intern
Liz Lyons (Drexel MLIS, Fall 2023/Winter 2024), Cataloging Intern
Lena Tran (Drexel, Spring/Summer 2024), Events & Membership Intern
Erin White (Drexel, Summer 2023, Spring/Summer 2024), Archival & Digital Imaging Intern

COMMITTED TO OUR MISSION

Looking Outward

We focus our resources on enriching the lives of members, visitors and the community.

Learning

We foster the pursuit of knowledge and lively conversation, which are indispensable to a rewarding life and a vibrant, well-functioning community.

Diversity

We seek a diverse membership and diverse points of view in keeping with our ever-changing community and world.

Culture

We promote engagement with great literature, history, art and architecture and the pressing issues of contemporary life.

Collaboration

We magnify our own vitality and that of our city through collaboration with other groups and institutions.

Creativity & Innovation

We believe new experiences and new perspectives deepen knowledge and understanding while strengthening community bonds.

Community & Place

Our place in the vibrant, diverse and historically important city of Philadelphia matters for our work and our members. We celebrate our location and the ideas and values.

Photo gallery

I've always loved libraries and there’s no library in Philadelphia as beautiful or as warm as The Athenæum. When I walk through the doors, I’m awed by its history and grateful for the community.

Eric Kaplan, Member since 2022

Athenæum's People

COMMITTED TO OUR MISSION

Looking Outward

Looking Outward

Learning

Learning

Diversity

Diversity

Culture

Culture

Collaboration

Collaboration

Creativity & Innovation

Creativity & Innovation

Community & Place

Community & Place

Photo gallery

Contact Details

VISITOR INFORMATION