The Gloucester Lyceum is looking for volunteers interested in bringing together national, regional, and local contemporary speakers with community members to explore pressing issues and ideas of our time.
If you are interested in joining the Lyceum Committee, please send a letter of interest to GloucesterLyceum@sawyerfreelibrary.org explaining why you are interested in joining this exciting new chapter of the Lyceum.
In the meantime, stay tuned for the first Lyceum event in October 2025!
The Sawyer Free Library proudly announced the winners of the 2025 Poetry Without Paper contest during an inspiring awards ceremony held on Tuesday evening, June 17, 2025, at the Gloucester High School Library. A standing-room-only crowd of friends, families, and community members gathered to celebrate Gloucester’s young literary talents. The evening featured moving readings from the student winners, showcasing both creativity and emotional depth across all age groups.
Now in its 23rd year, Poetry Without Paper continues to ignite imagination and passion for writing among Gloucester’s youth. This year’s contest, themed New Chapter, New Stories, New Beginnings, invited students to reflect on fresh starts and new possibilities—a timely prompt as the Library prepares to move into its newly renovated and expanded space.
From nearly 200 submissions, winners were selected from three categories: elementary, middle, and high school. The contest awarded over $1,000 in prizes, including Cape Ann gift certificates for top winners and poetry books for honorable mentions. In addition to certificates and public recognition, winning poets were invited to appear on The Writer’s Block with John Ronan, a 1623 Studios production. Their work will also be featured on the Sawyer Free Library’s website.
The awards were presented by former Gloucester Poet Laureate and contest co-founder John Ronan, with newly appointed Gloucester Co Poet Laureate Heidi Wakeman. Together, they honored the accomplishments of the young poets and emphasized the importance of poetry in giving voice to the next generation.
“For more than two decades, the Sawyer Free Library has fostered a love of poetry, providing young writers with a space to express themselves,” said Library Director Jenny Benedict. “This year’s entries were particularly powerful and deeply reflective—proof that poetry continues to thrive among Gloucester’s youth.”
John Ronan shared in his opening remarks, “Over the years, we’ve received thousands of poems from hundreds upon hundreds of students. And this year—like every year—I was once again impressed by the maturity, insight, and intelligence in their work. These young poets are paying close attention to the world around them and are sharing their hopes, fears, and reflections through poetry.”
Heidi Wakeman followed by saying, “Poetry is a powerful way of expressing language,” and added, “What a great night for Gloucester as we celebrate these talented young writers.”
The Poetry Without Paper contest is open each spring to Gloucester students in grades K–12. Participants are encouraged to explore a theme but may write on any topic in 30 lines or fewer.
For more information about Poetry Without Paper, to read the winning poems, or to learn more about Sawyer Free Library’s youth programming, visit www.SawyerFreeLibrary.org
The Sawyer Free Library extends heartfelt congratulations to all participants and winners and looks forward to the continued growth of Gloucester’s young literary voices.
Sawyer Free Library: 2025 Poetry Without Paper Winners
Elementary School Winners
1st Place: Laszlo Jablanczy, Plum Cove, Grade 3, “Bird House”
2nd Place: Freja Hinderlie McLanahan, Beeman, Grade 2, “The Worst Life of Bad Luck!”
3rd Place: Sophia Deoliveira, West Parish, Grade 5, “Take care of Your Self”
HM: Ilani Mione, East Veterans, Grade 5, “Moving On”
HM: Sigrid Fishburn, West Parish Grade 4, “New Chapter”
Middle School Winners
1st Place: Iona Fishburn, Waring School, Grade 7, “A Poem for Francie”
2nd Place: Yenssi Erazo, O’Maley Innovation Middle School, Grade 7, “Doubts that Won’t Go Away”
3rd Place: Elizabeth Olson, O’Maley Innovation Middle School, Grade 8, “My Chance”
HM: Addy LeClaire, O’Maley Innovation Middle School, Grade 7, “Heal the Woes”
HM: Kendall Brown, O’Maley Innovation Middle School, Grade 7, “Growing My Wings”
High School Winners:
1st Place: Aleena Brown, GHS, Grade 10, “Where I Belong”
2nd Place: Emma Wilt, Essex North Shore Agricultural & Technical School, Grade 11, “Reflection”
3rd Place: Lacey Barry, GHS, Grade 9, “Surviving”
HM: Emma Hoke, GHS, Grade 9, “Notes Between the Margins”
HM: Vivian Payne, Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School, Grade 9, “Canary in the Coal Mines”
This fall, Sawyer Free Library is offering a new internship opportunity for Gloucester High School students in support of its innovative Digital Learning Lab. The Library is hiring student interns as Digital Tutors to assist with the inaugural Computer Basics Course, a community program designed to help adults gain essential digital skills.
Digital Tutors will serve as trusted guides, helping participants navigate internet use, computing devices, and common digital applications. The course includes 15 hours of self-paced, hands-on training. Qualified adult participants who complete the program will receive a free Chromebook and a one-year internet service plan.
“Student interns will gain valuable work experience while making a meaningful impact on closing Gloucester’s digital divide. “Students will be developing two sets of skills,” said Assistant Director Lisa Ryan. “They’ll build hard skills such as setting up and troubleshooting devices, using Google applications, navigating the internet safely, and practicing email and telecommunications best practices.”
“We’ll also focus on soft skills,” Ryan continued. “Through on-the-job experience and a weekly workshop, students will strengthen their communication, teamwork, critical thinking, and problem-solving—skills that colleges and employers are increasingly prioritizing alongside technical knowledge.”
Interested students should send their application to jobs@gloucester-ma.gov or drop them off or mail them to Gloucester City Hall, 9 Dale Avenue, Gloucester, MA 01930. References may be from a teacher, coach, employer, or guidance counselor—but not family or friends. The application deadline is June 18, 2025, with interviews scheduled between June 23 and 27.
Interns will complete paid training in early September. After training, they may work up to 16 hours per week through December 12, 2025, with shifts available on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday afternoons, and Saturdays. Interns will be paid $18/hour, and those who complete at least 54 hours of tutoring may earn high school credit.
Students interested in pursuing careers in technology, education, psychology, social work, or digital literacy are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to juniors and seniors.
An information session will be held Wednesday, June 11 at 2:10 p.m. in the Guidance Conference Room at Gloucester High School. For more information, contact Assistant Director Lisa Ryan at lryan@sawyerfreelibrary.org with your contact information, a brief summary of relevant experience and interest, and availability.
This first of its kind digital intern program at the Sawyer Free Library is funded through the generosity of an Essex County Community Foundation Digital Equity Partnership Grant.
Dear Friends of the Gloucester Meetinghouse,
The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation will present the last concert of our 2024-25 season on Saturday, May 17th at 7:30pm with Charles and Gregory Tompkins, a talented father and son duo that will combine the sounds of the organ, piano and violin. This is a wonderful program you do not want to miss!
PROGRAM:
Concerto in F major after Albinoni…Johann Gottfried Walther (1684-1748)
Solo in D major, Opus 4 No. 5…John Stanley (1712-1786)
Passacaglia in G minor, “The Guardian Angel”…from the Mystery (Rosary) Sonatas for Violin Heinrich Biber (1644-1704)
Sonata in B-flat, Opus 65 No. 4…Felix Mendelssohn (1809-1847)
Capriccio… Naji Hakim (b. 1955)
Adoration… Finale (from First Sonata for Organ) Florence Price (1877-1953)
Tickets are available at the door and online, with more information on our website, www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org
The future of the Sawyer Free Library is rising on Dale Avenue—and it’s breathtaking. On schedule and on budget, our modernized library is nearly complete and set to open its doors to the Gloucester community this fall!
This transformation is about more than a building. It’s about what happens inside, and every floor tells a story of inclusion and innovation.
On the Ground Floor
On the First Floor
On the Second Floor – 9,500 square feet devoted to Young Minds
We’re building more than a library—we’re creating a future where knowledge, equity, and opportunity can thrive. This is a library for everyone: every age, every voice, every dreamer. But we’re not quite there yet.
To everyone who has supported the Sawyer Free Library project—thank you. Your generosity has brought us this far, and we’re proud of what we’ve built together. Now, as we prepare to open the doors, we invite you to help us complete this transformational project by donating to the 2025 Sawyer Free Library 🌸 Spring Appeal.
💛 Let’s Finish This Together
Your gift will help turn this shared vision into reality. It’s an investment in Gloucester’s wellbeing, culture, and future. Please consider donating today at 2025.sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Whether you’ve already contributed, are considering an additional gift, or are giving for the first time—your support matters.
Together, let’s build a space where ideas grow, stories are shared, and our community shines! ☀️
Any questions, email Tricia at tbalsan@sawyerfreelibrary.org, call 978-325-5555 or stop by the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street!
Cape Ann’s public libraries—Rockport Public Library, Sawyer Free Library in Gloucester, Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library, and the TOHP Burnham Library in Essex—extend their heartfelt thanks to everyone who joined them for a very special Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 19, at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport.
This unique collaborative event brought together four libraries and hundreds of community members to honor the wonders of the natural world. The highlight of the afternoon was a captivating conversation with acclaimed author and naturalist Sy Montgomery and award-winning wildlife illustrator Matt Patterson, who shared insights from their latest book, Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell.
“It was a joy to witness our communities come together to celebrate nature, storytelling, and the enduring power of libraries,” said event organizers. “This Earth Day event reminded us of the vital role libraries play in inspiring imagination, fostering empathy, and encouraging stewardship of our planet.”
Sy Montgomery, author of more than 30 books including The Soul of an Octopus, a National Book Award finalist, is renowned for her ability to bring readers into the heart of the animal world. Her latest work explores the resilience, beauty, and mystery of turtles—and of time itself.
Matt Patterson’s intricate wildlife illustrations, featured in The Book of Turtles—a Robert F. Sibert Honor Award recipient—showcase the rich biodiversity of turtle species and emphasize their importance within global ecosystems.
Sy beautifully captured the spirit of the day when she said, “A library is a portal not just to our own world, but to worlds unknown… a refuge, a space rocket. Libraries show us we can dream anything, do anything, be anything.”
The four Cape Ann libraries are deeply grateful to the nearly 300 attendees who made this Earth Day gathering so memorable. We hope the event sparked a renewed sense of connection—to nature, to community, and to the incredible institutions that are our public libraries.
For those inspired to take further action in support of turtle conservation, Sy and Matt recommend two local organizations doing vital work: Turtle Survival Alliance, dedicated to saving turtles from extinction and Turtle Rescue League, a Massachusetts-based group rescuing and rehabilitating injured turtles, relocating eggs from hazardous areas, and rehoming unwanted pet turtles.
Together, let’s keep celebrating, learning from, and protecting this extraordinary planet we call home.
The Gloucester Meetinghouse Foundation presents Charles Tompkins and son Gregory Tompkins in concert on Saturday evening, May 17th. Charles Tompkins (organ and piano) and Gregory Tompkins (violin) will perform in the Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church. They are a dynamic and talented father and son duo who have performed in venues such as Trinity University in San Antonio, TX, Harvard Memorial Church in Cambridge, MA, and at the Piccolo Spoleto Festival in Charleston, SC.
Dr. Charles Boyd Tompkins is the Distinguished University Organist and Professor of Music Emeritus at Furman University, Greenville, South Carolina, where as a member of the music faculty he taught organ, harpsichord, church music, and music theory from 1986 until his retirement in December 2022. He currently serves as the accompanist for the University’s outstanding choral ensembles (the Furman Singers, Furman Chamber Choir, and Belle Voci Women’s Chorale), directs Furman’s Hartness Organ Recital Series, and plays for academic convocations and weddings. Charles was central to the commission of a Fisk concert organ, completed in 2003, for the Charles E. Daniel Memorial Chapel.
Gregory Tompkins is a versatile violinist who regularly performs in solo, chamber and orchestral settings throughout the United States. Gregory is a member of the New Haven Symphony Orchestra, the Cape Cod Symphony Orchestra, and serves as principal second violin Opera Theater of Connecticut and Orchestra New England. He is a member of the faculty of Gateway Community College and the Hopkins School in New Haven, CT.
The Gloucester Unitarian Universalist Church is located at the corner of Church and Middle Streets (GPS 50 Middle Street) where parking is available on the green. An elevator is available from the side door at 10 Church Street. Admission for the event is $30 General, $10 Students (all ages), under 12 free. For advance ticket purchases and more information please visit: www.gloucestermeetinghouse.org
Find out at the Sawyer Free Library on Tuesday, April 29, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM!
Local tweens and teens are invited to design and plant their very own mini garden with the help of Backyard Growers. All materials will be provided—including everything you need to start growing your own garden at home.
This special event will be held at Sawyer Free Library, 21 Main Street, Gloucester.
Open to students in grades 6–12 (ages 11–19). Space is limited, so registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Have questions? Contact Annalise at anakoneczny@sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Do you have what it takes to survive the wild? 🐾
Step into the pawprints of local predators—think coyotes, fisher cats, and bobcats—in this wild and wildly fun outdoor adventure with Kestrel Educational Adventures and Sawyer Free Library on Friday, April 11 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at Stage Fort Park in Gloucester – meet at the gazebo!
Designed for curious minds in grades 6–12 (that’s ages 11–19), this hands-on program brings the science of predator ecology to life through games, crafts, and energetic discussions. You’ll track, play, and learn your way through the habits and habitats of some of New England’s most elusive carnivores.
Whether you’re a future wildlife biologist, a nature lover, or just ready to get outside and do something cool, this event is your ticket to adventure.
The program will take place at Stage Fort Park located at 24 Hough Avenue in Gloucester.
No experience necessary—just bring your sense of curiosity and maybe a friend or two! Registration required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. Questions? Contact: anakoneczny@sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Cape Ann Community 