Director Resigns from the Library Company of Philadelphia

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - June 9, 2016 - The Library Company's Board of Trustees announced today that Dr. Richard S. Newman, the Edwin Wolf 2nd Director, will resign this summer due to family health issues.  "It is with deep regret that I announce Richard Newman's resignation," Hal Rosenberg, President of the Board of Trustees, stated. "I want to thank Dr. Newman for his service on behalf of the Library Company during these past two years and wish his family well in the coming months." Since his arrival in June 2014, Dr. Newman helped raise over $1,000,000, including federal matching funds to endow the Program in African American History. He also diversified and enhanced the Library Company's public programming and worked closely with the Board of Trustees to secure new properties in Center City for future growth. He will step down as the Library Company's leader on August 1st.  The Board of Trustees has appointed a committee to conduct a national search for the Library Company's future director, as well as a transition committee to oversee institutional affairs until the search has been completed. 

In a statement to shareholders and members, Board President Hal Rosenberg expressed his great confidence in the Library Company's present and future. "During this time of transition, I want to assure you that the Library Company remains in a very strong position," he wrote. "As always, our curators and staff are dedicated to excellence and will carry on with the many tasks that have made the Library Company such a renowned institution through the years." Mr. Rosenberg also thanked the shareholders for their continuing support of the Library Company. "Few places have a membership that is as passionate about their institutions as you are about the Library Company. Your on-going dedication as shareholders assures the Library Company's future for a long time to come."

The Library Company of Philadelphia

Founded in 1731 by Benjamin Franklin, The Library Company of Philadelphia is an independent research library and educational institution specializing in American and global history from the 17th through the early 20th centuries. The Library Company is America's oldest cultural institution and served as the Library of Congress from the Revolutionary War to 1800. It was the largest public library in America until the Civil War and remains one of North America's most important research repositories. Claiming one of the world's largest holdings of early American imprints, the Library Company also has internationally-renowned collections in early African American history, economic history, women's history, the history of medicine, and visual culture. The Library Company promotes access to these collections through fellowships, exhibitions, programs, and online resources. To find out more, please visit www.librarycompany.org