Mission
Founded in 1747 on the Enlightenment ideals of intellectual pursuit and civic engagement, and committed to lifelong, interdisciplinary learning, the Redwood Library & Athenæum generates knowledge in the humanities for the benefit of the widest possible audience with “nothing in view but the good of mankind.”
Vision
The Redwood Library & Athenæum is one of the leading cultural institutions in Southern New England, producing programming of the highest rigor— lectures, exhibitions, musical performances—in addition to promoting historical research. With an equal devotion to the visual and the literary, as well as to the necessary dialogue between history and contemporary culture, the Redwood’s preeminent position is the result of the breadth and intellectual value of its programming and collections, exemplifying the belief that the humanities can empower all citizens to create a better world.