presentation

Shipwrecks of New England

~ Sawyer Free Library

Join maritime researcher, Jon Johansen for an evening discussion on “Shipwrecks of New England” at the Sawyer Free Library on Tuesday, July 14 from 5:30 – 7:00 p.m.

The only easy mode of transportation back in the 1800’s and up until the advent of the automobile and truck was sailing and steam vessels that plied the coast and oceans of the world. Traveling at that time could be dangerous as many of these vessels came to grief along the shores of New England, New York and the Canadian Maritimes. This lecture will cover some of the major disasters starting with the loss of SPARROWHAWK at Orleans, MA in 1626 right up to the loss of the submarine U.S.S. THRESHER off Cape Cod in 1963. Some of the others include: ROYAL TAR (1836), LEXINGTON (1840), ARCTIC (1854), ATLANTIC (1873), CITY OF COLUMBUS (1884), PORTLAND (1898), GENERAL SLOCUM (1904), LARCHMONT (1907), EMPRESS OF IRELAND (1914), and MONT BLANC (1917).

Johansen is the publisher of Maine Coastal News, a monthly publication dedicated to covering the waterfront of the state of Maine. He has a lifelong interest in shipwrecks and maritime history.

The event is free and open to the public. The Sawyer Free Library is located at 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester. For more information visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.

Sparrowhawk‘s sister-ship, Surprise

Gloucester Marine Railways with Viking Gustafson

~ Sawyer Free Library

On Thursday, June 9 from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m., learn more about Gloucester Marine Railways at the Sawyer Free Library.

Marine Railways Director Viking Gustafson will give a presentation on the marine railways in Gloucester in the Library’s Friends Room this Thursday evening.  She will then offer a tour of the railways on site in Rockport on Saturday, June 11, at 10:00 a.m.  

Both the presentation and the tour are free and open to the public. The Sawyer Free Library is located at 2 Dale Avenue. For more information visit, SawyerFreeLibrary.com or 978-325-5500.

Sawyer Free Library to host presentation on the Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s with Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter – Saturday, April 9th

~ Sawyer Free Library

Next in the Gloucester Lyceum and Sawyer Free Library‘s educational series Of Sound Mind: A Series on Dementia will be Ten Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s with Alzheimer’s Association MA/NH Chapter on Saturday, April 9 from 2:00-3:00 p.m.

The program explores common warning signs of Alzheimer’s and other dementias that cause memory, thinking, and behavior problems that interfere with daily living. The Alzheimer’s Association® developed the new 10 Warning Signs of Alzheimer’s education program to help people recognize common signs of the disease and know what to watch for in themselves and others.  

The free one-hour program: 

  • Explores typical age-related changes.
  • Describes common signs of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
  • Offers tips on how to approach someone about memory concerns. 
  • Explains the importance of early detection and benefits of diagnosis.
  • Details possible tests and assessments for the diagnostic process.
  • Identifies helpful Alzheimer’s Association resources.

The presentation will take place at the Sawyer Free Library located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. The event is free and open to all to attend.   

Click HERE to register for the event, or for more information visit sawyerfreelibrary.org

Women’s History Month at Sawyer Free Library: Local Historians to present “Forgotten Women”

~ Sawyer Free Library

In celebration of Women’s History Month, the Sawyer Free Library, this Saturday, March 26 from 2:00 – 4:00p.m. is pleased to present “Forgotten Women.” Local historians Lise Breen and Wayne Soini will discuss the lives of three courageous women who history needs to be shared. Nancy Hanks Lincoln, mother of President Abraham Lincoln, as well as two women enslaved on Cape Ann, Kate Negro and Violet. Join us and learn about these “Forgotten Women” who helped to shape our nation.

This event has been organized and sponsored by the Library’s Gloucester Lyceum.

  • Date: Saturday, March 26, 2022
  • Time: 2:00-4:00pm
  • Location: Main Floor, Sawyer Free Library, 2 Dale Avenue, Gloucester

Registration is not required. For more information visit, SawyerFreeLibrary.org or call 978-325-5555.

Sawyer Free Library’s Technology on the Horizon: Big Data in Small Slices Presentation on Thursday, April 29

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to announce the launch of “Technology on the Horizon,” an informative series that spotlights individuals and organizations on the North Shore working with critical or emerging technologies.

Throughout the year, the Library will be hosting local industry leaders who will share their knowledge, insight, and the economic implications of their work in a way that is accessible to all. The series is intended to inspire and inform individuals about new and exciting innovations happening in our community and the possibilities of new career paths in Technology. The live virtual presentations are free and open to the public with advance registration through the Sawyer Free Library’s website.

The series will kick off with “Big Data in Small Slices” on Thursday, April 29, at 7 pm. Data analysis and visualization expert, author, journalist, and resident of Rockport, Dianne Finch-Claydon, will share how data visualization can be used to combat climate change, better our world, and even help your career. Her newly published book, Big Data in Small Slices: Data Visualization for Communicators, which has been called an invaluable resource for anyone interested in storytelling using data, is available now to checkout at Sawyer Free Library. Click here to register and to receive the Zoom link.

For more information about the “Technology on the Horizon” series and the Library’s other programs and offerings, please visit sawyerfreelibray.org. 

Sawyer Free Library presents Digital Photography Basics with Skip Montello on Saturday, April 17

Skip Montello
~ Sawyer Free Library

Do you have a digital camera and need to learn how to use it? Do you already use your camera but want to know how to take better pictures? The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to offer a digital photography basics class with professional award-winning photographer SKIP MONTELLO on Saturday, April 17, from 2-4 pm.  The virtual presentation is free and open to all. Register here for Zoom link.

During the presentation, Skip will introduce the different camera controls and what they do. He will share his knowledge of digital photography basics, including equipment, components of light exposure, elements of composition, and more.

Skip Montello is a photographer working and living in Rockport, Massachusetts. He is an exhibiting member of the Rocky Neck Art Colony, Rocky Neck Gallery, Rockport Art Association, Newburyport Art Association, and the Griffin Museum of Photography.

His passion for photography developed during his career at the Polaroid Corporation, where he spent more than 30 years as a photographic scientist, engineer, and technology leader.

Over the years, Skip has moved from film-based media to digital. He has a deep love for the area in which he lives and finds himself inspired by the ocean. When not photographing, he is a sport fishing charter captain, sailing instructor, and outdoor writer.

Skip’s photography has earned numerous awards at Rockport and Newburyport’s art associations and the worldwide Nikon Small Wonders Competition. He has exhibited in several solo exhibits, and his work is held in private collections in the United States and Europe.

To register or for more information about this and other programs at the Sawyer Free Library visit, sawyerfreelibrary.org.