Join young Gloucester poet Willa Brosnihan to explore & enjoy poetry this Friday afternoon, August 26th at the Sawyer Free Library.
12:00 to 1:00 p.m. – For children entering grades 3 to 6 and younger. Write & read poems, try out rhyme, personification and haiku. Register here.
1:30 to 3:30 p.m. – For kids entering grades 6 to 12. Poets from various eras and movements will be explored. Writing in response to prompts and investigating the mechanics of poetry will be explored. Register here.
All workshops are free and open to all! If you have questions, contact: crosso@sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.
The Sawyer Free Libraryis pleased to offer an author talk with New York Times Bestselling author Liz Moore as she discusses her international bestseller, Long Bright River,and her other works.
The virtual event will take place on Tuesday, August 9 from 9:00 to 10:00pm.Register here to receive the zoom link.
The novel takes place in Philadelphia, where Moore has lived for a decade. She traces the story of two sisters estranged from each other but bonded by their choices. Mickey is a cop, and Kacey lives on the streets in the vice of addiction. When Kacey disappears, Mickey panics over her sister’s safety—obsessed with finding the culprit and her sister before it’s too late.
Drawing on deeply personal volunteer work, Liz Moore spins a story that is both graphically honest and dignified. Long Bright River puts a very human face on the effect that addiction can have on generations of families and communities.
About the Author
Liz Moore is the author of four novels, a winner of the 2014 Rome Prize in Literature, and she teaches in the MFA program in Creative Writing at Temple University.
Community Concert with THREE libraries! Join Sawyer Free, Rockport & Manchester-by-the-Sea libraries at Masconomo Park in Manchester for a great family outdoor summer show! Lots of fun with TWO musical groups: Ants on a Log joins Bee Parks & the Hornets for this fun community event!
Saturday, July 30 at 11:00am! Open and free to all!
Rick Roth and the Cape Ann Vernal Pond Team will bring their exciting presentation, SNAKES OF THE WORLD, to the Sawyer Free Library outdoor amphitheater on Saturday, July 23 from 11am -12pm.
Join Rick and his team as they introduce many snakes, large and small, and some local! You will have the opportunity to hold and handle the snakes or admire them while learning about the amazing creatures.
The event is free and open to all. In case of inclement weather, the presentation will be held in the Library’s Friends Room. Questions? Contact: jvitale@sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5505.
Sawyer Free Library is hosting an evening with Eric Klinenberg, Carnegie Medal-winning and New York Times bestselling author of Palaces for the People, on Thursday, July 14 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m.
Klinenberg’s work tells us about how physical places bind us and libraries — where everyone is welcome — can heal divisions and inequalities in our society.
Library Board Trustee and former City Councilor Jenn Holmgren will make opening remarks about Sawyer Free 2025. The author talk and a dialogue with the audience will be followed by a dessert reception in the Library’s outdoor amphitheater.
This event is free and open to the public.
The Sawyer Free Library is located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester. For more information visit, SawyerFreeLibrary.org or 978-325-5500.
Eric Klinenberg, is the author of the award-winning book, “Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life.”
The Friends of the Sawyer Free Library want to thank all our wonderful “friends” who donated, sorted or purchased books over these past 10 years since we opened for business. The Friends Book Shop will be closing temporarily for the renovation and expansion of the Sawyer Free Library, which is tentatively slated to begin in early 2023 and reopen again in 2025.
Please note, that as now, book donations will no longer be accepted.
Here are a few key dates to keep in mind:
July 1-31 Bonanza book sale will be held – 50 % off all books!!!
Mid -August Book Shop will cease operations until the SFL reconstruction is completed in 2025.
Please stop by the Book Shop to stock up on your summer reading while we still have an abundant supply of “gently used books”. We appreciate your many years of support and look forward to seeing you in our new library location in 2025.
Library kicks off summer reading fun with a family friendly concert on June 28at 11AM
The Sawyer Free Library (SFL) will officially be the hottest place to be this summer!
The Sawyer Free Library is excited to announce the launch of its annual “Summer at the Library,” offering free programs for all ages to entertain, spark, and encourage a lifelong love of reading and learning. From innovative reading challenges to ukulele lessons and shark week adventures to book discussions, author talks, and much more, there’s something for everyone. The summer fun kicks off on Tuesday, June 28 at 11:00 am with a family-friendly concert featuring Elijah T. Grasshopper’s Rainbow Dance Party in the Library’s outside amphitheater.
Family Concert at Library on Tuesday, June 28 at 11AM
The theme for this year’s annual summer reading challenge, “Read Beyond the Beaten Path,” encourages readers of all ages to explore new worlds and experiences in books that expand their imaginations. The Library’s innovative incentives and activities encourage kids and teens to stay active and read for fun and help them avoid the black hole that is the summer slide, when critical skills learned during the school year are lost over the summer.
“Learning for kids and teens goes on all year round at Sawyer Free Library, and we know how important free ways to keep learning through the summer are for families,” said Library DirectorJenny Benedict. “Summer is the perfect time for all ages to read, create, engage and have fun discovering new interests and exploring new topics. We hope all children and families make the Sawyer Free Library a regular stop this summer.”
To get started, young people and their families can pick up their “Welcome to Summer Reading Packets” Summer Reading and Activity Log at the Library, which has program information, the event calendar, activities, and fun summer treats. Children can stay on top of their summer reading with their “Read Beyond the Beaten Path” time-tracking reading logs. Then from June 28 to August 6, after reading for 500 minutes (or are read to), they win prizes, including tickets to the Topsfield Fair. People can register in person or online for the program.
Highlights of Summer at the Library programming for children include (with all details sawyerfreelibrary.org):
Learn to play campfire songs on the Ukulele with Julie Stepanek on July 5 and enjoy musical story time with Ruthanne Paulson on Friday, July 22, and August 19.
Move your body with Creative Movement in the Library’s Amphitheater on July 7 and be wowed by Jungle Jim’s Camp balloon magic on Wednesday, August 3.
Children can get an up-close look at exotic and native animals on zoom presented by Wildlife Encounters Ecology Center on Tuesday, July 12, and then learn about the snakes of the world with Rick Roth on Saturday, July 23.
Kids can get their hands dirty on select Thursday mornings with Backyard Growers while learning about gardening and planting in the Children’s Library garden.
And all are invited to a midsummer celebratory outside concert featuring the two bands, “Ants on a Log” and “Bee Parks and the Hornets,” in collaboration with Rockport and Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Libraries, on Saturday, July 30.
SFL has big plans for middle school kids and teens this summer too. Students entering grades 6-12 are encouraged to track their Summer Reading on the custom form available on the Library’s website to qualify for weekly prize drawings and the grand prize drawing of two whale watch tickets, courtesy of Cape Ann Whale Watch. There is also a full summer schedule of weekly programs, including Stem-tastic Thursdays, Science Saturdays, Tween Nights, Gaming Club, Summer Reading Help, and much more.
Due to last year’s success, SFL is once again giving adults the chance to get in on the summer fun with Adult Book Bingo 2022. From now until September 1, 2022, those 18 and older can keep track of the books they read on the Library’s downloadable custom bingo card by writing the title and author in the matching square. Each completed horizontal, vertical, or diagonal line enters you into a raffle to win $25, $50, or $75 Cape Ann Gift Certificates. In addition to the programs the Library always offers adults—technology training, job search help, author talks, etc.—there will also be summer-themed special programs available.
Thanks to the generous support of the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners, and the Gloucester Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, program participation is free. Registration is now open for all children, teens, and adult programs.
Sawyer Free Library’s summer operating hours beginning on June 18, will be Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday 8am to 6pm, Thursday 10am to 7pm, Friday 10am to 5:00pm and Saturday 10:00am to 1pm and 24/7 at sawyerfreelibrary.org.
For more information about the “Summer at the Sawyer Free Library” and to register for programs, visit: sawyerfreelibrary.org or call 978-325-5500.
This Saturday, June 25, from 10:00am to 12:00pm drop into the Sawyer Free Library’s Children’s Servicesand make your own mini STEM Sail Boat in celebration of Fiesta Weekend!
No registration required. While Supplies Last. For questions, call 978-325-5505, email mhall@sawyerfreelibrary.org or visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Sawyer Free Library is located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester.
A special evening celebrating author Edith Wharton and the complicated splendor of the 20th Century Gilded Age on Thursday, June 30th
The Sawyer Free Library, in collaboration with the Gloucester Stage Company, is hosting a special event, Edith Wharton: Between the Sheets (and the Pages), on Thursday, June 30 from 6:00 – 8:00 pm at the Library located at 2 Dale Avenue in Gloucester.
The evening will explore some lesser-known aspects of the life of celebrated novelist Edith Wharton’s (House of Mirth, The Age of Innocence, Ethan Frome), including her passionate affair with Morton Fullerton in Paris.
Massachusetts Playwright Anne Undeland will discuss the correspondence between Wharton and Fullerton that inspired her award-nominated play, MR. FULLERTON, BETWEEN THE SHEETS, a turn-of-the-century tale of unbridled passion set to be staged by the Gloucester Stage Company. Professor M.M. Dawley of Boston University will speak about Wharton’s work and how, under the surface, the Gilded Age, and Wharton herself, were not that innocent. Actors from Gloucester Stage will then present a scene from the production which will open on July 1 and run through July 24.
Light refreshments will be offered in the Library’s amphitheater to conclude the event. The special evening is free and open to the public. For more information, visit Sawyer Free Library.org and for information on the play, visit gloucesterstage.com.
Cape Ann Community 