The Betsy - South Beach Welcomes Historian & Scholar Dr. Annette Fromm as its Hotel Librarian
- wgclients01
- Mar 2
- 3 min read
The Betsy Hotel, known widely as a leading literary hotel, welcomes Dr. Annette Fromm as its first ever community librarian. The 130-room, family-owned and -operated luxury boutique resort boasts over 10,000 books throughout its dedicated traditional library, guest rooms and public spaces. With over 40 years of literary and scholarly experience, Dr. Fromm will curate and expand the hotel’s collection, further enhancing its reputation as a haven for book-loving travelers and locals.
Dr. Fromm brings a wealth of literary and historical expertise to her new role at The Betsy Hotel. She earned her doctorate from the University of Indiana with a focus on Jewish anthropology, art history and culture and most recently served as The Betsy’s Community Liaison for the Jewish American and Holocaust Literature Symposium (JAHLIT), which just completed a 15-year residency at The Betsy Hotel. Fromm has also served Miami’s art scene as a coordinator and assistant professor of museum studies and a grants manager at the Patricia & Phillip Frost Art Museum and as the director of education and public programs at the Jewish Museum of Florida. She also served as the executive director of the Gershon and Rebecca Fenster Museum of Jewish Art (now the Sherwin Miller Museum of Jewish Art) in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
“As a long-time witness and collaborator of The Betsy’s commitment to fostering a vibrant literary community, I am elated to step into this new role,” said Dr. Fromm. “This unique position allows me to blend my passion for literature, history and community engagement in a way that enhances the guest experience. This hotel is a living, breathing cultural hub where guests find a restful retreat and embark on a rich, immersive experience. I am honored to contribute to expanding and curating its library collection, ensuring that this haven continues to serve as a space that connects people to the broader stories, traditions and intellectual pursuits that shape our world.”
The Betsy’s dedication to literature showcased throughout the property yet especially in The Writer’s Room, is an intimate space offering coveted (competitively awarded) residencies to visiting writers and artists. Honoring the pre-war tradition of hotel writing rooms, this harborage of storytelling is centered around an historic desk once belonging to three-time Pulitzer Prize finalist Hyam Plutzik, father of The Betsy’s owner, Jonathan Plutzik. With over 1,200 creatives hosted, The Writer’s Room fills an important space in the cultural ecosystem of South Florida.
The Betsy’s passion for the written word is woven throughout the hotel, from in-room libraries and a vast property-wide collection, to the striking Poetry Rail - located in the breezeway adjacent to the hotel featuring works by 12 iconic poets; an immersive “Book Elevator” by artist Max Steven Grossman showcases book covers of alumni visiting authors and iconic legacy literary figures.. Regular poetry readings, literary salons, and significant organizational partnerships strengthen a ‘Betsy Literary Experience’ for tourists and locals, alike.
“We are honored to welcome Dr. From, our very first scholar to hold this position at The Betsy, where the written word serves as both a foundation and a source of inspiration,” said Jonathan Plutzik, The Betsy’s co-owner. “Books create a welcoming experience for guests in public and private spaces. And by empowering Annette to more deeply curate our collections, Betsy guests will more readily see themselves in our selections: of titles and authors, and the stories they tell”.
Dr. Fromm’s role at The Betsy is currently supported by the Plutzik Goldwasser Family Foundation, and Jorge Perez Family Foundation CreARTE program, with literary initiatives historically supported by The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Arts Challenge Program . Additional Betsy literary partners include, the Academy of American Poets, Cave Canem, Supporting Women Writers in Miami and O, Miami Poetry Festival, among many others.