The Nantucket Atheneum brings its summer event home...literally, with “Weekend at the Library!”

Calling all Library Lovers. On Thursday July 20 through Saturday, July 22, 2023 - The Nantucket  Atheneum will host its new major fundraiser Weekend at the Library! - three days of fun for all ages in  its iconic library building and grounds, at 1 India Street. 

Thursday, July 20: the weekend kicks off with a special dinner in the Great Hall, featuring a  conversation with David M. Rubenstein, one of the most impressive patriotic philanthropists of  our day. This conversation will be moderated by best-selling author, journalist and historian,  Evan Thomas. 

Friday, July 21: the power of Children’s Literacy is celebrated in an afternoon filled with fun  activities and refreshments, designed to engage every member of the family. 

Saturday, July 22: features an intimate concert in the Atheneum’s Great Hall, with Grammy  award winning singer-songwriter, Lori McKenna, AND a summer bash in the library’s garden.  

Weekend at the Library! honors outstanding thought leaders, musicians and authors at its inaugural  event, and provides library lovers with an opportunity to help the library raise the necessary 75% of its  annual budget, sustaining its mission to transform lives with resources and experiences that support  lifelong learning for all. The attached PDF shares further details about this year’s honorees 

The Nantucket Atheneum’s Chair of the Board, Tracy Flannery, shares that “throughout time, the  Nantucket Atheneum has presented empowering opportunities to encounter inspiring cultural events,  educational archives, resources and programming, including some of the best thought leaders of our  day. Weekend at the Library! draws focus on this work while raising critical funding to support  children's literacy and adult learning opportunities all year long.”  

This year the Atheneum attracted over 50,000 visits and generated 14,000 program experiences,  increased its pre-pandemic usage by 25%, researched roughly 2,000 questions, and lent  100,000 items over 130,000 times. The Nantucket Atheneum’s Executive Director points to the  importance of that work, "Providing fair and equal access to knowledge is essential to connecting and  empowering an informed community, free to make choices in the best interest of their happiness and  well-being. We expect that sponsorships of Weekend at the Library will sell out quickly in support of this  vital work.”