Executive Director's Letter - Nantucket Atheneum

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S LETTER

DEAR FRIENDS OF THE NANTUCKET ATHENEUM

As 2022 came to a close, I was able to proudly reflect on three years working for the Nantucket Atheneum and of the rapid change we continue to successfully navigate, whether addressing the existential crisis of staff housing, embracing the opportunity to hire and infuse the Library with new energy and a growingly diverse staff, or imagining a new summer event that will bring even more friends and supporters to the Atheneum. I am filled with gratitude and wonder at what we have accomplished together and have entered 2023 with renewed excitement about our devoted board, our talented staff and our library’s bright future. Here are some highlights of another extraordinary year.

A LIBRARY CURRICULUM THAT IS RESPONSIVE TO COMMUNITY NEEDS

The Atheneum attracted over 50,000 visits and generated 14,000 program experiences, increased its pre-pandemic library usage by 25%, researched roughly 2,000 questions, and lent 100,000 items over 130,000 times.

The Atheneum hired Youth Services Librarian, Sierra Hurd. Sierra came to us from Kansas City, KS, with a BA in Anthropology, Minor in African Studies and her Master of Library Science. Sierra’s work revolves around our teen population, increasing the delivery of services and increasing program attendance for teens and young adults.

The Atheneum promoted Samantha Aguilar as Head of Adult Programs. Samantha joined the library’s team in March 2022. She was born and raised on Nantucket and after graduating from NHS, she attended the University of Vermont and received her graduate degree from Savannah College of Arts and Design. Sammy has breathed new life into adult programs, and as a result of her innovative approach, The Atheneum is welcoming a growingly diverse audience.

In 2022, we were also fortunate to have Suzanne Keating join our Circulation team. A native of Nantucket, not only does Suzanne know many of our regular patrons, but she brings multiple talents and specialized knowledge to the Atheneum. Suzanne is a born natural at intricate book-mending, as well as a decades-long student and teacher of astrology and certified astrologer who leads tarot and horoscope classes at the Atheneum. These contemplative classes attract a crowd widely diverse in the range of ages and backgrounds.

Nantucket Atheneum numbers, Annual Report Nantucket Atheneum

2022 also brought the installation of new technology for hybrid programming to our Great Hall, expanding our programming reach even farther for homebound and off-island members. Building on this theme, we grew the Atheneum’s YouTube Channel as an increasingly robust source of recorded classes and events for your continuing education and pleasure. And we happily returned adult programming to in-person status, including the Atheneum’s special events, such as One Book, One Island, the Geschke lecture series and our annual fundraisers, such as our beloved and successful Cold Turkey Plunge.

We went on to make the Atheneum’s digital services a top collections priority, adding more e-books for checkout, as well as online services such as digital access to The New York Times. On the flip side of the virtual resources, we had extra fun with the expansion and promotion of our “Library of Things,” such as a telescope, STEM kits for kids, and future seed library.

STRENGTHENING PERCEPTION AND AWARENESS OF THE ATHENEUM

With all of this great news, we consistently want and need to tell our community about these projects, and we hired Anastasia Tumash, a versatile professional with over 10 years of design experience and her Master of Graphic Design degree from NCSU’s College of Design. As our manager of marketing and public relations, Anastasia has initiated fantastic social media strategies, brought our design work in-house, and refined how advertising dollars are best spent to reach new audiences.

One of the ways we expand our reach is through Janet Forest’s creation and refinement of the Nantucket Atheneum podcast, highlighting History, Special Collections, Treasures from the Vault, and “Behind the Shelves.” If you haven’t had a listen, these treasured conversations feature library staff, and in particular, reference staff from Lincoln Thurber’s team, such as Jim Borzilleri and James Grieder, who newly joined our reference staff in the Great Hall. You may recognize James’s voice from 97.7 ACK FM or have seen his writing for DayBreak Nantucket. Over the past twenty years, James has also worked in town government and as a writer for Yesterdays Island/Today’s Nantucket.

Through the ongoing work of employees like Gillian Lewis, we grew personal outreach through home book delivery. Pamela McGrady continued to curate books for the adult services collection. And the whole circulation team delighted our patrons with their knowledge of materials and services.

The Weezie Library for Children, headed by Librarian Leslie Malcolm, nurtured relationships with the schools, delivered expansive outreach to every daycare and school-aged child on island, and initiated new programs for teens. The Weezie team, which included the artistically talented Jeanne Van Etten, continued creating the ever-popular StoryWalk, storytimes, garden events and grab-and-go bags.

Cheryl Creighton, our Operations Manager and so much more, continued shepherding the library’s English Language classes, while managing human resources, trustee logistics, and with the help of Maintenance Technician, Miguel Morocoima, ensuring care for our beautiful historic building.

FINANCIAL RESILIENCE

Making Library magic takes more than imagination, collaboration and passion. The Nantucket Atheneum, unlike other public libraries, must raise 75% of its operating budget every year. I am in awe of our Development Director, Maggie O’Reilly, Lisa Lothian, and our Development Committee for delivering and exceeding the expected revenue for the Atheneum’s operational budget. I am especially proud of the relationships we cultivate and steward with our donors and volunteer fundraising committees.

We have a proven track record in adjusting our approach to fundraising – to meet the growing needs of the Atheneum, and 2022 has provided many opportunities to demonstrate this. We delivered a highly lauded 15th anniversary year of our major fundraiser, the Nantucket Atheneum Dance Festival, and we are excited to be in co-creation with our staff and fundraising committees to deliver our next great event, “Weekend at the Library!” featuring thought leader David M. Rubenstein, a Family Fun event filled with refreshments and activities for all ages, and an intimate evening with singer-songwriter, Lori McKenna. With your help, we will meet and exceed all revenue goals set for FY23.

ENABLING AND EMPOWERING STAFF

I cannot stress enough how the staff of the Atheneum are the verb “public library” and the most essential element of our success. This is just one of the reasons that I deeply credit our board and supporters for enabling and empowering us to face the existential problem of Nantucket’s housing crises with employee housing at 9 Cachalot Lane. With supporters help, our housing initiative will ensure library services for years to come.

Employee housing has made it possible for the Atheneum to hire qualified staff that expand the quality service our community deserves. One of our newest recruits, Kristin Nelson, serves as Assistant Director of Adult Services. She received a Bachelor of Arts in English and her Master of Library and Information Science degree from Rutgers University. She led the Fairview Free Public Library as their Director for seven years, and prior to that, was Director of the North Arlington Public Library. She has also served as a Reference Librarian, advocated for programs and collections in Spanish, and has well-rounded experience with budgets, collection development, programs, outreach, grants and organizational management.

Since her arrival, Kristin has initiated knowledge assessments for all staff, employee feedback surveys, policy and procedure reviews, and is getting to know our Board of Trustees and committees. Kristin is creating more professional development opportunities for our staff and is helping to grow cultural competence related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.

LOOKING AHEAD

2022 was such an amazing year! Thank you for all that you do to ensure our success, and we look forward to the opportunity to get to know you even better in 2023. Share suggestions, collaborate with us to deliver our mission, and ardently support this essential work. An amazing community deserves an amazing Atheneum, and a library where everyone belongs.

Sincerely,

Ann Scott

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