The Providence Athenaeum Strategic Plan
This is an exhilarating moment for the Athenaeum. After a rigorous year-long planning effort, we have outlined a plan for the future. Vision 2015 sets a strategic course of action that recognizes our distinguished past and builds on our current successes. It incorporates substantive input of board, staff, members, and community stakeholders; takes into account the changing nature of libraries and new technologies; and recognizes the Athenaeum’s evolving position in the community. We conducted board and staff assessments, evaluated the external environment, surveyed the membership and other membership libraries, and sought the views of representatives and experts. This has been an opportunity to hear many voices as well as make new connections.
As one of Providence’s oldest cultural institutions, the Athenaeum is a model of resilience, maintaining its relevancy while remaining true to its original mission and the spirit of its founders. Established by talented, dedicated, and visionary individuals, the Athenaeum is a living example of democracy, resourcefulness, and ingenuity. We are sufficiently interconnected to know that an Athenaeum experience extends beyond our own immediate gratification . . . to an understanding of human dignity and conviction about our obligations to each other and to the larger community. These strengths have sustained the Athenaeum throughout its history and make possible the ongoing, thoughtful change that is the institution’s hallmark.
We have made significant progress since our previous plan and are ideally positioned to move forward to accomplish the mission, vision, and goals of our new plan. The next several years offer great opportunities – and challenges. How we respond to these will determine whether or not the Athenaeum will become a catalyst among its peers. The realization of this vision will require vigorous investment of resources. With Vision 2015 and our first year Operations Plan, we are pressing ahead to ensure the Athenaeum’s future.
~Alison Maxell
Executive Director
Vision 2015 is available for printing here.