Public Library

Sawyer Free Library Receives $27,700 Mass Cultural Council Grant

~ Sawyer Free Library

Funding to support operations of expanded Sawyer Free Library  

For Immediate Release (January 27, 2024) Gloucester, MA – – The Sawyer Free Library has been awarded a $27,700 grant from the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency, through its Operating Grants for Organizations Program that provides multi-year, unrestricted operating grants to nonprofit organizations that enrich Massachusetts’ cultural life. This funding recognizes the Library’s commitment to high-quality cultural and educational resources and activities in the arts, humanities and sciences.

“Our Cape Ann residents deserve outstanding opportunities, and that’s exactly what the newly renovated and modernized state-of-the-art Sawyer Free Library will provide – for free to all,” said Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr (R-Gloucester). “This grant from the Mass Cultural Council is a crucial investment in our community, ensuring the Library remains a beacon of equal access and lifelong learning.”

“As the daughter of a school librarian, public libraries hold a special place in my heart,” said State Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante (D-Gloucester). “The Sawyer Free Library fosters a love of reading, inspires learning, and cultivates connections among all the residents of Cape Ann. I am grateful to the Mass Cultural Council for their support at this exciting moment as the Library expands its resources, programs, and services to reach new audiences and build a lasting community.”

“We are deeply grateful to the Mass Cultural Council for recognizing the Sawyer Free Library’s public value,” said Mern Sibley, President of the Sawyer Free Library Board of Trustees. “For nearly 200 years, we have enriched lives, fostered creativity, and built connections. As we move into our newly renovated, expanded, and modernized space, this grant will help us broaden our reach, enhance our services, and continue building a brighter future for Gloucester.”

As the largest free public space in Gloucester, the Sawyer Free Library draws over 275,000 in-person and online visitors annually. Guided by its mission to cultivate community connections, power imaginations, inspire learning, and provide an inclusive, welcoming space for all, it hosts hundreds of free public programs each year. With a newly renovated and modernized building, the Library looks to increase monthly programs by 25% and community-focused events by 50%.

For Fiscal Year 2025, the Mass Cultural Council has adopted a $34 million spending plan, enabling the agency to award at least 2,500 grants totaling approximately $38 million to the Commonwealth’s creative and cultural sector. These funds primarily come from the Council’s $26.7 million state budget appropriation and support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Through initiatives such as the Mass Cultural Facilities Fund in partnership with MassDevelopment, the Council’s unrestricted organizational support grants help cultural organizations innovate, take on new challenges, and expand access for underserved audiences—improving quality of life, creating economic opportunity, and fostering greater cultural participation across Massachusetts.  

Mass Cultural Council funds reach every community in the Commonwealth. Its mission is to advance the Commonwealth’s creative and cultural sector by celebrating traditions and talents, championing its collective needs, and equitably investing public resources.

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Weekly Technology Help at Sawyer Free Library

~ Sawyer Free Library

Looking for some help navigating your personal technology – the Sawyer Free Library‘s Technology Assistant is here to help!

Each Tuesday, 3:00 to 4:00 pm, Tech Tuesday: Drop-in Advice: Drop-in sessions for troubleshooting your digital devices or chat about anything tech related. Learn about library apps, chat about current events in the digital world, set up new devices, or anything else tech-related – Our tech assistant is available from 3-4 to work one on one, or even as a group if there are similar questions. Drop in, bring your device, and let’s chat! No registration needed!

Each Thursday, 11:00 am to 2:00 pm, Device Advice Sessions by Appointment: Register for a 30-minute, one-on-one session with the Library’s Technology Assistant to troubleshoot devices, set up a phone or tablet, or learn digital tasks. Bring your fully charged device, necessary accessories, and passwords. Registration required at sawyerfreelibrary.org or call us at 978-500-5500 to book an appointment.

Although there’s a lot we can help you with, there are some things that we won’t be able to troubleshoot because they are outside our scope and abilities, such as your home WiFi – or cell service – things like that are better remedied by calling your internet or cell phone provider.

All sessions are at Sawyer Free Library located at 21 Main Street, Downtown Gloucester.

For questions, call 978-325-5500.

Fall Birding Hot Spots Gloucester’s Hidden Gems: A guided birding tour with Gino Ellison this Sat!

~ Sawyer Free Library

Join expert birder and conservationist GINO ELLISON for a guided bird walk around Gloucester’s hidden fall birding hot spots.

Starting at 7:00 am, on Saturday, October 26, join the Sawyer Free Library for an on-location, guided bird walk around Gloucester! Beginners Wanted and Welcomed!

Please note that patrons will need their own transportation for this event. Registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Patrons will meet at Gloucester’s Fisherman Memorial Statue on Stacy Boulevard, and then car caravan to locations such as: The Jodrey State Fish Pier – Niles Beach – Eastern Point – Brace Cove – The Elks Club Beach Lookout – and finally end at a tbd coffee shop for conversation and sharing ideas on bird books to read!

Patrons should bring the following for this event:  binoculars – weather appropriate clothing – sunglasses – water – camera w/ zoom lens (if so inclined) – a smile, and a positive attitude!

About Gino:

Eugene (Gino) Ellison, is a lifetime resident of Massachusetts. He is happily married to his wonderful wife Kate (38 years) and they have 3 fun kids and 4 active grandkids. Gino is now retired from the investment business as well as the Professional Bass Fishing Tournament circuit. He’s been affiliated with Bass Pro Shops for over 25 years and still makes several store appearances each year. Gino is a hunter, fisherman, conservationist and passionate birder who leads dozens of walks in Massachusetts. Gino greatly enjoys volunteering with Mass Wildlife and with Mass Audubon at their family birding & fishing events. Gino just completed a successful ABA Birding Big Year in 2023 and is scheduled to speak at birding festivals and clubs around New England and nationwide.

 Patrons will need their own transportation for this event. Registration required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. 

The Fool’s Journey: A Tarot Workshop -Thur 10/24

~ Sawyer Free Library

Are you drawn to the tarot cards but aren’t sure where to begin?

Then join Gloucester resident Diane Fraser at the Sawyer Free Library on Thursday, October 24 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm for a presentation on the basics of tarot reading.

In this workshop, tarot reader Diane Fraser will give you tips for learning the cards so you can work with them for insight, direction, and knowledge. Bring a notebook and your own Tarot deck if you have one. 

Tarot reading is an art form that blends history, art, psychology, and mindfulness, and can be used as a tool for insight and transformation.

Diane Fraser has been working with tarot and cartomancy for over 25 years. She received training in shamanic healing from the Four Winds Society and studied the hermetic arts with Brian Osborne and Mark Stavish. She was a Tarot reader at L’Espalier’s Tarot Tea, Joysource women’s retreats,and MATSU Boston. She lives in Gloucester.

The event is open to all. Although registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Live Your Best Life – Session 2: Fuel Your Life with Passion

~ Sawyer Free Library

Discover the driving forces that make life meaningful and fulfilling in the second of the Sawyer Free Library‘s program “Live Your Best Life” taking place on Thursday, October 17 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm at 21 Main Street, downtown Gloucester.

In this dynamic session with professional life coach Marcy Plante, we’ll explore ways to uncover your true passions and align them with your life’s purpose. Expect an inspiring journey that will leave you feeling empowered, excited, and ready to live with intention and zest. 

Registration is required at sawyefreelibrary.org. For question, contact at lryan@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Marcy Plante is a dedicated professional with over 50 years of diverse experience as a coach, wellness industry leader, and educator, holding a master’s degree in education. She successfully managed a health club for 17 years, guiding people toward achieving their fitness goals and continually pursuing personal growth. In her free time, Marcy enjoys boating, collecting sea glass, skiing, and cycling, while her true passion lies in helping others unlock their potential and live life with enthusiasm.

Books & Brunch at SFL: Find Your Next Great Read

~ Sawyer Free Library

Please join the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street on Saturday, October 12 from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm for BOOKS & BRUNCH a readers’ advisory program for 18+ adults who are looking for their next great read!

Get book suggestions from our community librarian, chat amongst one another with guided questions for book lovers, and learn all about the most recent buzzworthy books! The program will conclude with book and book lover’s trivia for a chance to win a prize! Light brunch and refreshments will be provided.

Register today at sawyerfreelibrary.org and join the fun! Space is limited!

Gloucester 400+ and Gloucester Celebration Corp Announce $20,000 investment in the Sawyer Free 2025 Capital Campaign

~ Sawyer Free Library

The Gloucester 400+ and Gloucester Celebration Corp have made a $20,000 investment in the Sawyer Free 2025 capital campaign. This generous gift will fund the innovative Gloucester Timeline touchscreen wall located in the Library’s new Local History Research Center. The Local History Research Center will connect residents and visitors with our local history through compelling special and circulating collections, expert assistance, engaging programs and thought-provoking exhibitions.

“On behalf of Gloucester 400+ and Gloucester Celebration Corp, I am pleased to announce a $20,000 gift to Sawyer Free Library’s Local History Research Center for the Gloucester Timeline interactive touchscreen wall,” said the organization’s Executive Director Elsje Zwart. “We are thrilled to be able to participate in this important space within the newly renovated and expanded Sawyer Free Library, where people can come and explore not only the hundreds of stories about the people of Gloucester collected over our quadricentennial plus year and continue to add to them, but also to research Gloucester history and the people who lived and worked here for 400+ years.”

“We are grateful to the Gloucester 400+ organization and the Gloucester Celebration Corp for their generous $20,000 donation to the 2025 Sawyer Free Library,” said Mern Sibley, President of the Sawyer Free Library’s Board of Trustees. “The Library’s Local History Research Center will be a groundbreaking resource for our city, revolutionizing how we preserve, curate, and access our historical treasures. The interactive touch screen wall, funded through this generous donation, will be a signature feature of the center, providing an innovative and engaging way for residents and visitors to connect with Gloucester’s 400+ years of heritage. We are honored that our longstanding community partner, who shares our same commitment to preserving and sharing Gloucester’s rich history, is now a part of the Library’s transformative building project.”

The centerpiece of the Local History Research Center is the 85-inch interactive digital touchscreen wall, designed to enhance research through the Gloucester Timeline. This online research tool chronicles the city’s history. Launched in January 2024, the Timeline already boasts over 1,500 entries covering notable events, people, and places that have shaped Gloucester’s identity. Accessible both in the Library and online, the Timeline has attracted more than 21,000 visitors, providing a captivating and comprehensive resource for historians, scholars, and residents alike.

The new touchscreen wall in the Local History Research Center will make exploring Gloucester’s past a more engaging and collaborative experience. Visitors can interact with the Timeline, searching through categories, subcategories, and keywords to uncover stories of Gloucester’s history over the past 400+ years.

In addition to historical records, the Gloucester Timeline features the Digital Gloucester 400 Stories Project, bringing a modern, dynamic element through personal narratives and oral histories that reflect the strength and diversity of Gloucester’s people. These stories, compiled during the city’s 400th anniversary, ensure that Gloucester’s evolving history remains inclusive and vibrant for future generations.

The Gloucester Timeline is a living online resource that chronicles the key events and figures that have defined the city. Covering everything from art and literature to Gloucester’s vital maritime heritage, the Timeline weaves together stories from over four centuries. It draws from various assets, including photographs, videos, newspaper articles, and other historical documents, serving as an invaluable research tool.

The 2025 Sawyer Free Library historic renovation, expansion, and modernization project began last September and is now halfway completed. With two-thirds of the $29 million fundraising goal already reached, community engagement remains strong. However, there is still much more to raise, making this significant investment from the Gloucester 400+ and other local businesses and community organizations essential to the project’s success.

Expected to open in 2025, the newly renovated Sawyer Free Library will feature a 14,000-square-foot addition, beautifully restored buildings, and sustainable design elements, all of which will support the greater Cape Ann community.

The renovated Gloucester Public Library will offer current and emerging public technology, diverse collections, engaging programs, and new dedicated spaces for collaboration, learning, and relaxation.  It will feature a 100-seat Community Room, meeting rooms, study rooms, a digital learning lab, a teen room, an expanded children’s room, an enhanced Matz Art Gallery, and ample space for its book collection.  

The Library invites the community to learn how to get involved and support this vital project at 2025.sawyerfreelibrary.org.

The Gloucester 400+ Tri-chairs Bob Gillis, Bruce Tobey, and Executive Director Elsje Zwart were with Sawyer Free Library Director Jenny Benedict and Board Trustee John Day to present a $20,000 donation to the Sawyer Free 2025 Capital Campaign at the Library’s temporary location, ahead of the organizations’ co-sponsored event, Gloucester 400 Storytellers: New Discoveries and Mysteries about Leonard Craske, featuring James F. Clark. 

Culture Splash Spotlight: “Fishermen’s Ballads and Songs of Sea 150 Years On” at Sawyer Free Library

~ Sawyer Free Library

Sawyer Free Library is thrilled host Discover Gloucester’s Culture Splash spotlight event on Thursday, August 22, 5:00 to 6:30 pm. Gloucester singer and song-searcher Michael O’Leary will share a talk and performance based on pieces in the book Fishermen’s Ballads and Songs of the Sea, published in 1874 by the Procter Bros. of Gloucester. It is a collection of 120 pieces by a wide array of authors, both women and men, a few known widely, many known only locally or not at all, and some anonymous or pseudonymous. It’s a literary, musical, and folkloric time capsule of Gloucester, and 2024 is the 150th anniversary of its publication.  Registration for this special event is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org

This program is supported in part by grants from the Gloucester and Manchester Cultural Councils, local agencies supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

The event will take place at the Sawyer Free Library located at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester. Registration for this special event is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. Space is limited. For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org, call 978-325-5500 or email jtravers@sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Digging into Gardening at the Library with Cheryl Rafuse of Plant Magic Gardens

~ Sawyer Free Library

On Wednesday, August 21 from 4:30 to 5:30 pm join the Sawyer Free Library for “Digging into Gardening with Cheryl Rafuse of Plant Magic Gardens” at 21 Main Street in Gloucester.

Are you interested in planting native plants to support local ecosystems? Would you like insight into what’s a weed and what you should leave and not pull? North Shore native plant gardener Cheryl Rafuse will share all about the bees and butterflies, flowers and shrubs, and the easiest ways to start incorporating keystone species into your gardens during this hands on presentation.

Registration required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. The first 20 attendees will receive free gardening supplies. 

If you have questions, contact: moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.org, call 978-325-5500 or visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.

Gloucester Genealogy Group: On the Trail of Your English Ancestors

~ Sawyer Free Library

Join genealogist Linda MacIver on Saturday, August 17, 10:30 to 11:30 am at the Sawyer Free Library as she takes you through the path of research in the U.S. that prepares you to “hop the pond” to find civil registration and census records in England from 1837 to 1939. 

Registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org. Space is limited.

Linda B. MacIver is an educator, lecturer, librarian and genealogy researcher.  She retired from a 27-year career at the Boston Public Library where she inaugurated the BPL patron genealogy classes.  She taught the multi-week beginners genealogy course, organized two extremely popular seasons of the Local and Family History Lecture series and developed the Intermediate Genealogy Summer Lecture series.   Linda is the past Secretary and Director for Federal Records of the Massachusetts Genealogical Council (MGC), a member of the Massachusetts Society of Genealogists (MSOG) and the Essex (MA) Society of Genealogists (ESOG) and the Essex (Eng.) Society for Family History (ESFH.) She serves as the New England Representative for the Essex (England!) Record Office.  Linda has a BA in History from the University of New Hampshire, an MEd from Boston University and earned her MLIS at Simmons College. Linda was presented the 2018 Lackey Scholarship award for attendance at the week-long Genealogical Institute for Federal Records (GEN-FED) at the National Archives in Washington, DC. Linda was also the inaugural recipient of the 2019 “Senior at the Center of Excellence Award” sponsored by Xerox Corporation and the City of Boston.

If you have questions, email jtravers@sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.