Matthews named director of Boston Athenaeum

Paula Matthews has been named the Stanford Calderwood Director and Librarian of the Boston Athenaeum, according to the library. She had been serving as acting director since Richard Wendorf retired last May after 12 years leading the Athenaeum, which was founded in 1807 and is said to be the oldest independent library in the United States.

Matthews joined the Athenaeum in October 2008 to work as its chief librarian and director of operations. Previously, she worked at libraries at Princeton, Oberlin, Iowa City, Boston Public Library, and Bates College in Maine. She’s also worked at the Openbaremuziekbiblioteek in Utrecht, in the Print Room and Rare Book collections of the Yale Center for British Art, Colby College, and Columbia University’s Teachers College.