Cruise into 2024 amidst the waves and beneath the stars aboard Beauport Cruiselines!
Our can’t-miss New Year’s Eve Cruise will feature a sparkling Champagne Toast, Lively DJ Entertainment, delectable Passed Hors D’oevres, a delicious Mac & Cheese Martini Bar a Chinese Food Feast, and more! What better way to sail into the New Year?
Cash bar available.
Tickets are $96.00 per person. Guests 21+ only.
Reserve your spot today: https://beauportcruiselines.com/cruise-schedule/
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12 at 11:00 a.m. at Cape Ann Museum
On Tuesday, December 12 at 11:00a.m. Cape Ann Museum will be presenting a panel discussion, Equity in the Archives: How History is Told with Julie Travers, Local History Librarian at the Sawyer Free Library; Miranda Aisling, CAM Head of Education & Engagement; and Trenton Carls, CAM Head Librarian & Archivist
Presented in conjunction with Above the Fold: The Photographers of the “Gloucester Daily Times,” 1973-2005, this panel discussion explores how archives, timelines, and historical language have been newly examined and intentionally expanded during the Gloucester 400+ Anniversary in 2023, which marks 400 years since English settlement.
Julie Travers, Local History Librarian at the Sawyer Free Library and Miranda Aisling, CAM Head of Education are both members of the Gloucester 400+ Diversity & Equity committee. They will share the efforts that went into drafting the Gloucester 400+ DEIA Framework which has been used by organizations across the region to expand their storytelling during the anniversary year. This framework was used by Travers to help guide the creation of the Gloucester Timeline, a massive undertaking from the Sawyer Free Library in association with the Cape Ann Museum, and by Aisling in the development of the CAM Native Initiative.
They are joined by Trenton Carls, CAM Head Librarian & Archivist who will share the impact of the 2021 acquisition of an estimated 1 million photographs from the Gloucester Daily Times collection to the CAM Library & Archives. The photographs provide a wide lens on the Gloucester community from 1973-2005, bringing photographs into the Museum’s collections that highlight the breadth of the Cape Ann community during those years.
The event will take place at Cape Ann Museum located at 27 Pleasant Street, Gloucester, MA. It is Free for Museum members, $10 for non-members. Click HERE to register. It will also be Livestreamed on Vimeo and Facebook.
For more information about Sawyer Free Library’s digital archives, local history resources, and services, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Gloucester ladies, Thursday, December 7th is your day… and night! It is the 50th Annual Ladies Night and to celebrate, the first 20 ladies to come to the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street between 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. will receive a swag bag including a holiday romance novel or a cozy holiday mystery! So be sure to stop by and happy holidays from Sawyer Free Library!
For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or call 978-325-5500.
The SAWYER FREE LIBRARY has kicked off its 2023 Annual Appeal campaign, “Create the Future.”
Operating in its temporary location at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester, the Sawyer Free Library is a vibrant hub where the future comes alive through education and cultural enrichment and where knowledge is accessible to all, free of charge. From early literacy programs nurturing the youngest minds to cutting-edge STEM after-school programming for students to assisting digital learners in finding their way in the online world to a plethora of local community events for every age, the Library plays an integral role in shaping Gloucester’s educational, cultural, and social fabric.
The Sawyer Free Library relies on this important yearly fundraising effort to provide a wide range of new collections and resources, technology, innovative programming, and critical services to respond to the changing needs of the greater Gloucester community.
“The Library enriches, informs, and strengthens every corner of our city,” said Mern Sibley, President of the Library’s Board of Trustees. “We hope the community will carefully consider our appeal and join us in supporting the vital work of the Sawyer Free Library. Every contribution ensures that the Library can be exceptionally agile, relevant, and inventive while remaining completely accessible and free of charge.
“We provide library services that make a significant difference in the lives of our patrons and our community,” said Sawyer Free Library’s Director Jenny Benedict. “Every contribution to the Annual Appeal is a direct investment in the Library’s meaningful programming, diverse resources, and crucial services that create opportunities for individuals of all ages to connect, learn, grow and thrive throughout Gloucester and beyond.”
Contributions to the year-end Annual Appeal can be made online at www.sawyerfreelibrary.org or by check to the Sawyer Free Library, Annual Appeal, P.O. Box 415, Gloucester, MA 01930.
Join us for a 3-hour fantastical adventure at the Sawyer Free Library this Saturday, November 18 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. with local Dungeon Master (DM) Ephraim Weaver. Beginner and experienced Dungeons & Dragons players in grades 5-12th graders are welcome! Pizza will be served. No registration necessary. Event at Sawyer Free Library located at 21 Main Street, Gloucester. For more information visit, SawyerFreeLibrary.org or 978-325-5500.
The Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library Corporation will be hosting its Annual Meeting on THIS Wednesday evening, November 15 at the Gloucester Stage located at 267 East Main Street in Gloucester from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. with corporators sign-in beginning at 6:00 p.m. The meeting will kick off at 6:30 p.m. with a welcome by the President of the Library’s Board of Trustees, Mern Sibley, followed by remarks by Mayor Greg Verga. A construction update of the 2025 Sawyer Free Library renovation, modernization, and expansion project will be provided by Jon Rich, president of the construction management firm W.T. Rich. In addition, new members of the Library Corporation and Board of Trustees will be elected, and the Mary M. Weissblum Volunteer Award will be presented to Kecia German. The evening will also pay tribute to Beth Pocock, who recently retired after a decade of exceptional service as the Assistant Library Director.
Refreshments will be served. The meeting is open to the public, but only corporators can vote. For more information, please visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.
All are welcome to the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street on Thursday, October 19 at 5:30pm for an engaging talk with local author Karin Gertsch, who will discuss her debut novel Five Wishes, a heartwarming Massachusetts-based story about history, love, and lore. All are welcome. No registration is required.
Five Wishes is about the MacInnes family, who live in a small New England town called Hamlet. Husband, Delbert MacInnes, was born and raised in Hamlet and is content to remain grounded, while his wife, Matilda, has been itching to make her dreams come true. Over the years her wish list was amended several times—her patience is wearing thin. When an unexpected event happens, Matilda learns that Delbert has kept a secret from her for decades. But, then, she’s never shared her precious secret with him. Five Wishes takes the reader on journeys from Hamlet to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, then overseas to an ancient castle in Scotland, before venturing back to the cozy Cape Cod-style home at Five Cedar Street, where a freshly-brewed cup of Darjeeling tea is waiting at the breakfast table.
Karin Gertsch is the author of Cape Ann & Vicinity: A Guide for Residents and Visitors, as well as Flora Has an Adventure, a children’s book for ages 3-8. The author is currently working on her second novel as well as a series of Flora stories for children. Karin will share about the research process for her novel, as well as the processes for researching and creating a travel guide and a children’s book.
All are welcome. No registration required. For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.
This Saturday, October 14th, the Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation presents its fifth annual classic car show on the green in front of the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church from 10am to 2pm. The event was postponed due to bad weather from last Saturday. The show is free and open to the public. You vote in nine categories for the trophy winners, including Best in Show. There are tours of the historic Meetinghouse, an art show and a 50/50 raffle to add to the excitement. Proceeds benefit the ongoing restoration of the building and grounds. Show cars (entrance fee $20) should arrive around 9am. Preregistration is recommended due to limited space on the green, but not required, email: c.nazarian@gloucestermeetinghouse.org Coffee, pastry and sandwiches available nearby on Main Street. The green is located at the corner of Middle and Church Streets, with the show car entrance between the stone pillars. GPS: 50 Middle Street, Gloucester, MA
Join Sawyer Free Library and Backyard Growers on Saturday, October 14 from 10 to 11 a.m. to hear pumpkin stories while decorating your own pumpkin. All supplies and pumpkins will be provided.
Best suited for school aged children ages 4 and up. Registration required.
This event will be held at Backyard Growers (107 Rear Maplewood Avenue.) Questions? visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or call 978-325-5500.
Socktober is here! For the month of October we will be collecting socks for Action Inc., a champion for the people and communities of Cape Ann. The mission of Action Inc. is to build an equitable and resilient community by creating opportunities for all on Cape Ann. Throughout the month of October, donate a new pair of socks at Beauport Hotel, 1606 Restaurant & Oyster Bar, or Seaport Grille and help improve the lives of Cape Ann residents in need!
Preferred Donation: Adult Men & Women warm winter socks in any color, pattern, or design.
Cape Ann Community 