Proprietors of the Salem Athenaeum

Library operations include: reference and research services to members, students, scholars, and the general public; circulation of books and materials to members and their children; management of the current and historical collections of 50,000 discreet items; and 2-3 exhibitions per year. Special projects include on-line cataloging of the collection and an adopt-a-book program that has provided for the conservation of over 100 volumes since 2012. Programs include author readings, lectures, literary courses, concerts, writing workshops, dramatic performances, and discussion and writing groups.

the Salem Athenaeum is a cultural resource for the north shore of Massachusetts serving over 2,500 individuals annually with our library and programs, 900 visitors to our exhibitions, and over 2,000 views of our recorded content online. Offerings include a library of circulating and research collections, lectures and readings, writing groups and workshops, language and book discussion groups, concerts and theatrical productions, and exhibitions. Arts, humanities, and cultural programming was held online or offered in-person with an online option due to the continuing covid-19 pandemic. the Athenaeum community continued to grow in terms of gaining a broader geographical distribution of both presenters and participants, especially during the 2021 Salem literary festival with authors and participants attending virtually from 20 countries on six continents.lecture topics in 2021-2022 included a continuation of our reckoning with history series of lectures that included topics on how to address racist public monuments, public art in Salem, Salem's black picnic, and the history of american prisons. Additional lecture topics included jewish resistance in france during wwii, the medical mystery of how memory works, blockchain and cryptocurrency, transcendentalists, shakespeare's source material, storms of new england, and advocacy for persons with medical conditions such as epilepsy. Authors read from their new works of historical fiction with a local setting, an anthology about pandemic heroes, memoir, and poetry. Seven storytellers told true tales of citizenship, community, and belonging.three writing workshops and a guided bird walk were held. Along with several partner organizations, the Athenaeum hosted a program with the photo detective, maureen taylor, and a local historian, jim mcallister, who examined historical photos and guided the audience in preserving and interpreting their historical family photographs during Salem ancestry days.