SAWYER FREE LIBRARY RECEIVES SUPPLEMENTAL STATE GRANT FOR HISTORIC LIBRARY RENOVATION AND EXPANSIONS

~ Sawyer Free Library

Library grateful to local elected officials for helping to secure critical funding and commitment to 2025 Sawyer Free

The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to announce that the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC), in collaboration with the Executive Office of Administration and Finance of the State of Massachusetts (A&F), has devised a comprehensive plan to address the escalating costs for current public library construction projects within the confines of its regulations and annual cap. As part of this plan, the MBLC has approved a maximum one-time additional grant payment of up to $999,963 to the Sawyer Free Library to mitigate the impact of cost escalation for its renovation and expansion project. These funds supplement the just over $9 million construction grant awarded by the MBLC Construction Grant program to Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library for its comprehensive renovation, modernization, and expansion. 

“The Sawyer Free Library would like to extend its deep appreciation to the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Executive Office of Administration and Finance for recognizing the importance of our historic renovation and expansion project and taking proactive measures to assist us in overcoming the financial challenges associated with cost escalation,” said Mern Sibley, President of the Sawyer Free Library’s Board of Trustees. “We are also especially grateful to our local elected officials including Senator Bruce Tarr, Representative Ann Margaret Ferrante, and Mayor Greg Verga, for advocating on our behalf, leading us to secure this funding and their unwavering support and commitment to our public library. This additional grant payment brings the City of Gloucester closer to realizing its vision of the 21st-century Library it so needs and deserves.”   

The supplemental funding of $999,963 from the MBLC will tremendously help offset the negative impact of pandemic-fueled cost escalation. In fall 2022, the appropriation for the 2025 Sawyer Free Library project was set at a total cost of $29M, including fixtures, furnishings and equipment. Current cost estimates remain on track to be under budget. 

This extraordinary additional one-time grant payment is a crucial boost to the Sawyer Free Library’s fundraising efforts to modernize and expand Gloucester’s Public Library. The Library is obligated to raise the total amount for Gloucester’s revitalized and reimagined Library. Public support for the 2025 Sawyer Free Library continues to be great and grow, evident in the funds it has raised to date. The Sawyer Free 2025 fundraising campaign, now with this grant, has over $17.5 million in committed funds, with more each day. 

The Library is grateful for the tremendous engagement and investment at every level from all parts of the community. While the campaign is now over half way to its goal, the Library project still need everyone’s support. For those interested in learning more or for ways to donate to this historic project, visit www.sawyerfree2025.org

When doors open at the 2025 Sawyer Free Library, the building will exemplify what a 21st-century public library can and should be in terms of architecture, sustainability, accessibility, use of natural resources and light, wayfinding, lines of sight, air quality, and public safety. The 2025 Sawyer Free Library project will preserve the original exterior, housing an entirely redesigned interior, and will also double the size of the existing Library’s footprint with a 14,000-square-foot addition. 

The Library will be designed for collaboration, creativity, and life-long learning featuring a digital makerspace, audio, and video recording studios, a 100-seat community room with state-of-the-science media presentation assets, a climate-controlled center for Gloucester history, a dedicated teen room, a beautiful expanded children’s room, study rooms for individual and group study, a 16-seat conference room, and much more. 

The Sawyer Free Library Board will officially break ground on the 2025 Sawyer Free Library this Fall. The project will take approximately eighteen months. The Library is currently operating at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester.  For more information on the Sawyer Free Library’s services and summer programming, visit, sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Rending of the 2025 Sawyer Free Library Dale Street Entrance

THIS WEEKEND: Seaside Vintage Market at Second Glance

~ todtheopendoor

Shop for vintage-style home décor, housewares, linen, art, furniture, jewelry, and clothing!

WHEN: Saturday June 10 and Sunday June 11 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

WHERE: Second Glance, Thrift Store of The Open Door, at 2 Pond Road Gloucester MA 01930

WHAT: Don’t miss the vintage shopping event of the season!

Revenue at Second Glance supports the hunger-relief programs of The Open Door.

In 2022, The Open Door helped stabilize the lives and health of 8,486 people (4,872 households) through the distribution of 1.78 MILLION pounds of food. Learn more at FOODPANTRY.org

Storytime Yoga at Treetop Yoga: THIS TUESDAY!

~ Sawyer Free Library

Namaste! Enjoy yoga with your little ones at Treetop Yoga!

Join Erin McKay and Sawyer Free Library for Storytime Yoga – FREE yoga for children exploring stories, movement and fun this Tuesday, June 6 at 10:45 a.m. at Treetop Yoga!

Hosted by Sawyer Free Library, the free program will be held at Treetop Yoga Studio, 3A Pond Road.  Yoga for children 5 and under and their caregivers. 

Register at sawyerfreelibrary.org. Questions? Contact: jvitale@sawyerfreelibrary.org

G400+ Athletic Committee Presents Youth Track & Field Day!

~ g400+events

G400+ Athletic Committee presents Youth Track & Field Day! Join us on June 18th from 10am-1pm for this FREE event for K – 8th grade aged kids; no experience necessary but pre-registration is required! This will be a fun day outside at Newell Stadium at GHS with a number of events, including: 100M & 200M race, softball throw, (soft) javelin, and long jump.

You can register your kiddo’s at this link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdZzooz8n2J6tNNbMhzQyXCPzkASVG2OvfyOlS3-i8CfcG4GA/viewform

Backyard Growers Workshop: Tomato Care Tips & Tricks

~ backyardgrowersgloucester

Keep your tomatoes healthy so they can produce the most delicious fruit this season!

In this workshop, Backyard Growers Program Coordinator Xavier will share the most important things to take care of to ensure good tomato health, including tomato ailments and challenges to watch for. We’ll also give examples of different trellising styles and their uses to give you a range of methods to keep your tomato plants growing upright.

Join us to keep your tomato skills sharp!

📆 June 8, 4:30-5:30pm

📍 Burnham’s Field Community Garden (Courtside – by the basketball courts)

🎟 FREE for Backyard Growers program participants (eg 2023 Backyard Garden, Community Garden, GrowBag Garden Programs)

🎟 $15 general admission – proceeds support Backyard Growers’ work to build healthy, connected, resilient communities by empowering people to grow their own food

Learn more & purchase your tickets.

Hayley Reardon kicks off Sawyer Free Folk Showcase on Thursday, June 1!

~ Sawyer Free Library

Critically acclaimed local singer songwriter Hayley Reardon to perform at SFL @ 21 Main Street on Thursday evening!

Sawyer Free Library is excited to announce its Sawyer Free Folk Showcase this summer, a series spotlighting local singer-songwriters. The showcase will be held on the first Thursday of the summer months at its 21 Main Street location in downtown Gloucester. The first one is this upcoming Thursday, June 1, with Gloucester-based singer-songwriter Hayley Reardon from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.

Hayley will perform a 45-minute set of her music followed by a brief discussion about her approach to songwriting and lyrical composition. The evening is free and open to all to come and enjoy.  No registration is required.

Hayley Reardon is a critically acclaimed folk-pop artist and a storyteller in the truest sense of the word. Her songs are postcards from an artist brave enough to take the road less traveled. Raised in Massachusetts, Reardon dove headfirst into music at 15 and honed her craft for over a decade, sharing the stage with acts like Lori McKenna, Rodney Crowell, and Anaïs Mitchell, among others. Her raw artistry boasts a lyrical and melodic weight far beyond her years. Her music has been described as “brilliantly moving folk/pop with a lyrical depth and soul” (Performer Magazine) and “a melancholy little masterpiece” (American Songwriter Magazine). She recently made a splash with her single, “Losing From Within,” grabbing the attention of Spotify Editorial Playlists like Fresh Folk, Folk Pop, Morning Coffee, and Today’s Singer/Songwriters. Her latest EP, In The Good Light, was recorded in Barcelona with Catalan collaborator Pau Figueres (one of Spain’s finest guitarists). Having recently made her home here in Gloucester, Hayley wowed audiences at the 2023 Singer/Songwriter Challenge at Machaca, winning first prize and making a memorable impression on the Cape Ann music scene.

The Sawyer Free Library is honored to have her perform for its first Sawyer Free Folk Showcase series. 

For more information, visit the calendar at sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5571. 

Sawyer Free Library wants to hear from YOU! Virtual Public Meeting on Friday, June 2nd!

~ Sawyer Free Library

Gloucester’s Public Library seeks the community’s input for its strategic plan: Our Library. Our Future.

The Sawyer Free Library is eager to engage the community and gather valuable input for its 2025-2029 Strategic Plan.

Community Conversations will be held in over Zoom on Friday, June 2, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. and Tuesday, June 13, from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Click HERE for meeting zoom links! Or go to the calendar on SawyerFreeLibrary.org

Community Conversation In Person on Monday, June 5 from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Sawyer Free Library’s temporary space at 21 Main Street.

Gloucester Conversations will moderate these public forums, which are open to everyone to attend, and share their thoughts, ideas, and insights about how the 2025 Sawyer Free Library can best serve them and the greater community. 

All Gloucester residents and visitors are also encouraged to fill out the Sawyer Free Library’s Community Input Survey. Regardless of how much or how little individuals use its services, everyone’s perspectives are welcome and encouraged.

The online survey is available online at www.SawyerFreeLibrary.org and will be open through July 1, 2023. 

The Sawyer Free Library expects to analyze the results this summer and compile a summary report, which will be shared with the community when the Library Board of Trustees finalizes the new 2025-2029 Strategic Plan. 

Community members can visit sawyerfreelibrary.org for more information and updates on ways to participate in the strategic planning process. The Library will also provide regular updates to keep community members informed and engaged throughout the process.

1st Annual GCACC NEXT GEN Corn Hole Tournament is on Sunday June 4th! Sign up now!

~ oliviaperezodess

The 1st Annual GCACC NEXT GEN Cornhole Tournament is presented in partnership by the Greater Cape Ann Chamber’s NEXT GEN Cape Ann Young Professionals Committee and the American Legion Post 98.

Please join us on Sunday, June 4 for a day of fun competition! Food and beer will be available for purchase as well as raffles!

To sign up, please click here. The deadline to sign up and pay is June 1st

Sawyer Free Library Wants To Hear from YOU!

~ Sawyer Free Library

The SAWYER FREE LIBRARY is excited to be kicking off the community consultation for its new STRATEGIC PLAN: OUR LIBRARY. OUR FUTURE.

As part of the planning process, Sawyer Free Library wants to hear from the community and gather its valuable input. The 2025-2029 strategic planning process is especially important due to new opportunities that will be possible with the opening of the renovated, modernized and expanded 2025 Sawyer Free Library.

The Library will be hosting a series of 4 PUBLIC COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS, and an ONLINE SURVEY and wants to hear from YOU! The Library encourages individuals from all backgrounds and age groups, community organizations, local businesses, and other stakeholders, to participate and provide their unique perspectives. 

Community Conversations will be held IN PERSON on:

  • Monday, May 22, at Cape Ann YMCA from 6:00 -7:30 p.m.
  • Monday, June 5, at the Sawyer Free Library’s temporary space at 21 Main Street from 2:00-3:30 p.m.

Community Conversations take place VIRTUALLY over Zoom:

  • Friday, June 2, from 6:00-7:30 p.m.
  • Tuesday, June 13, from 10-11:30 a.m.

Gloucester Conversations will moderate these public forums, which are open to everyone to attend, and share their thoughts, ideas, and insights about how the 2025 Sawyer Free Library can best serve them and the greater community.

All Gloucester residents and visitors are also encouraged to fill out the Sawyer Free Library‘s new COMMUNITY SURVEY. The online survey is available online at SawyerFreeLibrary.org and will be open through July 1, 2023. 

Regardless of how much or how little individuals use its services, everyone’s perspectives are welcome and encouraged to participate! This survey is the first piece of research that will help to inform the new strategic plan and will be critical in influencing the Library’s priorities for the next five years.

The Sawyer Free Library expects to analyze the results this summer and compile a summary report, which will be shared with the community when the Library Board of Trustees finalizes the new 2025-2029 Strategic Plan. The Library’s most recent five-year strategic plan was completed in 2020, which runs through 2024. 

Community members can visit sawyerfreelibrary.org for more information and updates on ways to participate in the strategic planning process. The Library will also provide regular updates to keep community members informed and engaged throughout the process.