Please join the Sawyer Free Library on Thursday, January 9 from 5:30 to 6:30 pm for an Author Talk with Diane C. Bradley. The Boston-based author Diane C. Bradley will discuss The Summer Before, her gripping novel about trauma, guilt, and the resilience of friendship which explores the shattering impact of abuse and healing journey that follows.
All are invited, no registration required. The discussion will take place at the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street in Gloucester. If you have questions, please contact: lsvensson@sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500.
AboutThe Summer Before:
If the perpetrator is also someone you love, there are no words.
Madeline and Summer are more than best friends. They might as well be sisters; they’ve claimed the title, anyway-and sisters tell each other everything. But Summer has a secret she’s been hiding for years. Someone’s been hurting her, someone close, and when it comes out, it destroys everything around her with the force of dying stars.
Six years after the trial, Madeline is a haunted young woman trying to build a new life in Boston, but the guilt of her betrayal brings her to the brink of suicide. To let go of the past, Madeline must confront her father, mother, and all those involved with the trial that split her family apart-or continue her descent, finishing what she started to escape it.
About the Author:
A raw, gritty New Englander, Dianne C. Bradley, is a registered nurse and freelance writer. Dianne and her family, both human, furry, and feathered, are firmly planted in a small town north of Boston, not far enough away to lose her city edge. After falling in love with Martha’s Vineyard on a weekend visit as a girl, she returns every summer, reigniting her passion for writing in the magical place that inspired it.
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.
Stop by the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street between 2 and 4 pm on Saturday, February 17 to make your own zine! We will provide all the supplies for you to finish something that you’ve been working on, or start something new.
Zines (pronounced “zeen” like “bean”) are self-published magazines with limited print runs. They typically provide an alternative point of view and provide a platform for underrepresented voices. We believe they belong in the library. No registration required. All ages welcome!
What: Drop-In Zine Making Workshop
When: Saturday, February 17. 2:00 – 4:00 PM
Where: Main Floor – Sawyer Free Library, 21 Main Street,Gloucester, MA, 01930
No registration required. All ages welcome!
Questions? contact Julie Travers at jtravers@sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5525.
Please join the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street this Thursday, February 8 at 5:30 p.m. for an author talk with Gloucester resident, Eric Lessinger, who will be discussing his book Stethoscope on Reality: how my journey as a working-class Jew from Brooklyn informed my 50 years of medical practice, opening my heart and mind.
In his book, Dr. Lessinger documents his education as a striving, intelligent, upwardly mobile student in New York City public schools who went to Harvard College and NYU Medical School. He exposes the oppressive nature of medical training, from medical school through the years as an intern and resident. Overwork, exhaustion, humiliation in front of one’s peers, and competition rather than cooperation were routine parts of his daily experience. Still, he refused to relinquish his full humanity in the process. Working as a family doctor, utilizing both science and deep caring, he is not defensive about his mistakes, but rather, honest and remarkably willing to show us his vulnerability.
Eric Lessinger, MD grew up in Brooklyn, New York. He is a family doctor who graduated from NYU Medical School in 1972 and did his internship at Lincoln Hospital in Bronx, New York. He completed his residency in Rochester, New York. He practiced Family Medicine and Hospice and Palliative care in Trumansburg, New York, near Ithaca, for many years. He is now happily retired and lives in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with his wife Meredith and two cats.
No registration required for the event. For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org.
Details: Thursday, February 8, 2024 from 5:30-6:30pm at Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street.
The Sawyer Free Library is thrilled to welcome local jazz guitarist STEVE LACEY on Saturday, January 27 from 3:00 to 4:00 PM as part of the Library’s Local Music Showcase Series @ 21 Main Street.
All are welcome to come and enjoy some live jazz performed by the incredibly talented Steve Lacey at the Sawyer Free Library located at 21 Main Street, 2nd floor, Gloucester.
The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to share that the Gloucester Genealogy Group is back in action and kicking off its monthly meetings this January at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester.
Researching your genealogy can provide information about where your ancestors lived, what they did, and how they may have lived. The Sawyer Free Library holds a vast and diverse collection of resources to help you with your research. In addition, each month, the Library’s Gloucester Genealogy Group will present genealogy-related programming, including lectures from guest speakers with expertise in numerous related topics. All events are free and open to the public. Registration is required at sawyerfreelibrary.org.
On Saturday, January 27 from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m. nationally recognized professional genealogist, author and lecturer, Senior Genealogist Rhonda McClure will present virtually to the group at 21 Main Street on “Getting Started in Italian Research.” This lecture looks at how to start researching your Italian ancestors by examining records generated in the U.S. and Italy and what is most important in effectively researching Italian records.
Then on Saturday, February 17, from 10:00 to 11:00 a.m., Rhonda McClure will again join the group virtually to share about the importance and details of “Organizing Your Family Papers.” The March meeting will be presented in partnership with the Rockport Public Library. On March 9 from 2:00 to 3:00 p.m., the Libraries will welcome Michael Brophy, a nationally known, professional genealogical researcher, heir search specialist, and lecturer from the Boston area. This event will occur in the Brenner Room of the Rockport Public Library.
Registration is now open for all three Gloucester Genealogy events at sawyerfreelibrary.org or by calling 978-325-5500.
Currently the Sawyer Free Library offers a wide variety of local history resources, in person and online, at its temporary location at 21 Main Street. The Library’s Local History Collection contains materials about Gloucester and Cape Ann and written by and about Gloucester and Cape Ann authors. Subjects include local history, genealogy, biography, and some fiction. Materials are in the form of books, hand-printed items, maps, city documents, and more.
The Sawyer Free Library is looking forward to officially opening its renovated, expanded, and modernized space in the fall of 2025 which will feature a Local History Research Center. This new center will revolutionize how Gloucester’s historical research materials are curated, archived, preserved, and accessed, offering an insider’s passport to the rich cultural history of the city and region.
For more information about Sawyer Free Library’s digital archives, local history resources, and services or to register for the Gloucester Genealogy Events, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or 978-325-5500
To learn more about or to invest in the 2025 Sawyer Free Library’s History Research Center, please visit sawyerfree2025.org.
Library’s most-borrowed books give a glimpse into what Gloucester was reading in 2023
Have you ever wondered what everyone around the community has been reading? Look no further as Sawyer Free Library has dug into its data and compiled a list of some of the most popular books from 2023, sharing its top checkouts for adults, teens, and children.
With SFL’s total circulation last year close to 170,000, new authors and familiar favorites, including Geraldine Brooks, Jodi Picoult, and Barbara Kingsolver, were among the most read books, eBooks, and audiobooks. Royalty graced the list with Prince Harry Duke of Sussex’s memoir Spare, which became a must-read for many library users. Bonnie Garmus’ debut novel Lessons in Chemistry was another favorite, along with Pulitzer Prize–winning science journalist Ed Yong’s New York Times bestseller An Immense World, a multisensory exploration of the many ways in which animals perceive their environment.
Of the thousands print, digital, and audiobooks borrowed from the Sawyer Free Library, these were Gloucester’s favorites in 2023:
Top Adult Fiction:
Horse by Geraldine Brooks
Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Verity by Colleen Hoover
Top Adult Nonfiction:
Spare by Prince Harry Duke of Sussex
An Immense World by Ed Yong
Downshiftology: Healthy Meal Prep by Lisa Bryan
The Healthy, Happy Gut Cookbook by Dr. Heather Finley
Poetry Unbound: 50 Poems to Open Your World, by Pádraig Ó Tuama
Dinners with Ruth by Nina Totenberg
The top checkouts for children’s books featured titles from popular series, including Dog Man by Dav Pilkey, Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, and The Babysitter Club based on the novel by Ann M. Martin.
The Young Adult titles with the highest circulation were The Tryout, a graphic novel about courage and friendship by Christina Soontornvat, Throne of Glass, the first in Sarah J. Maas’s popular fantasy book series along with the classic novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and the powerful nonfiction book, Killers of the Flower Moon by journalist David Grann.
Top Teen Fiction:
The Tryout by Christina Soontornvat
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald
Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann
The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Top Children’s:
Dog Man and Cat Kid by Dav Pilkey
Dog Man: Brawl of the Wild by Dav Pilkey
Dog Man: Fetch-22 by Dav Pilkey
The Babysitter Club: Karen’s Worst Day by Katy Farina
The Babysitter Club: Kristy and the Snobs by Chan Chau
Diary of the Wimpy Kid Greg Heffley’s Journal by Jeff Kinney
Find these and millions of other books through the Sawyer Free Library. Visit the Library at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester or sawyerfreelibrary.org where Librarians are always there to help you find a new book to read and much more.
Approximately 14,000 people currently possess Sawyer Free Library cards. Anyone who resides or attends school in Gloucester can obtain a Library card for free by applying in person, online, or by mail. For more information, visit sawyerfreelibrary.org or call 978-325-5500.
The Sawyer Free Library, temporarily located at 21 Main Street and online 24/7, remains committed to providing a dynamic and enriching environment for all and looks forward to officially opening its newly renovated, expanded, and modernized space in the fall of 2025. For details on the 2025 Sawyer Free Library and the many ways to support this historic project, visit sawyerfree2025.org.
The Sawyer Free Library is pleased to announce the recent appointment of Lisa Ryan, who is returning to the Library as the new Assistant Director, and the promotion of Annalise Nakoneczny to the position of Young Adult Librarian.
Library Director Jenny Benedict expressed excitement about the appointments, saying, “We are delighted to welcome Lisa back to the Sawyer Free Library in her new role as Assistant Director. Her past contributions, extensive experience, and life-long connection to the Gloucester community make her an ideal fit for this position. Additionally, we are thrilled to see Annalise take on the role of Young Adult Librarian. Her passion for serving our community and her innovative approach to library services will undoubtedly enrich the experiences of our young adult patrons.”
Benedict also added, “Lisa and Annalise are an incredible addition to our talented and dedicated team, who each day continue the important work of elevating the Library’s impact on our community, especially with an eye toward all that the 2025 Sawyer Free Library will bring.”
Lisa Ryan, a familiar face to the Sawyer Free Library, rejoins the staff as the Assistant Director. The Gloucester native’s connection to the Library is deep-rooted, having previously worked at the Library for close to fourteen years, serving as the Information Service Librarian, Assistant Children’s Librarian, and Assistant Librarian. Her wealth of experience, and comprehensive understanding of the community’s needs make her an invaluable asset to the Library’s leadership team. Before rejoining Sawyer Free Library, Lisa spent seven years as the Head of Reference at the Beverly Public Library, where she further honed her skills in library management, program development, and community engagement. She has her Master of Library and Information Science from Simmons College and Bachelor of Science from American International College.
In her new position, Lisa will advance the Library’s public services for adults, teens and children. Her responsibilities include overseeing library operations, implementing innovative programming and educational initiatives, and enhancing the public’s experience.
In addition, the Library is pleased to announce the promotion of Annalise Nakoneczny to the crucial role of Young Adult Librarian. In her previous role as the Library Public Technology Assistant, Annalise demonstrated exceptional skills in facilitating learning that bridged technology and library resources. Her commitment to fostering a welcoming environment and her creative approach to engaging learners set her apart. Annalise’s promotion to the position of Young Adult Librarian reflects her dedication and the Library’s commitment to recognizing and nurturing talent within its team.
In her new role, Annalise will coordinate youth-focused initiatives, curate an engaging collection of young adult literature, and develop exciting programs that cater to the diverse interests of our community’s youth. She will work closely with local schools, community organizations, and, most importantly, Gloucester’s young people to create a welcoming space that promotes literacy, critical thinking, and personal growth. Annalise received her Master’s in Library Science from the University of Kentucky and her Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing from Gordon College.
The Sawyer Free Library invites the community to welcome Lisa Ryan and congratulate Annalise Nakoneczny on their new roles. The Library, temporarily located at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester and online 24/7, remains committed to providing a dynamic and enriching environment for all and looks forward to officially opening its newly renovated, expanded, and modernized space in the Fall of 2025. For details on the 2025 Sawyer Free Library and the many ways to support this historic project, please visit sawyerfree2025.org.
Join Heather Atwood as she presents her video series “The Color of Light” on Saturday, January 6, 2024 at 2 pm at the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street in downtown Gloucester.
Cape Ann’s past and present swells with important artists who have responded both to history’s artistic movements and to this region’s specific inspiration. Many of these artists’ works are represented in museums and collections around the world, but history has dimmed our awareness of them. “The Color of Light” is a series of videos telling the lives and exploring the works of many of these artists, making certain their influence and significance on Cape Ann endures.
Artists have been coming to Cape Ann for over 200 years, inspired by its alchemical mix of rock, sea, and air. In “The Color of Light,” Atwood tells the stories of some of Cape Ann’s most talented artists, some of whose influence has been at the national level but about whom little is known. By sharing these stories, Atwood seeks to demonstrate how rich and significant the Cape Ann artistic tradition has been and continues today.
It is Downtown Gloucester’s Men’s Night this Thursday evening, December 14! Come visit downtown businesses and shops, including the Sawyer Free Library at 21 Main Street. The first 20 men who come to the Library between 4:00 -6:00 pm will receive a swag bag with a free book! While there, be sure to browse the shelves, including our Season’s Readings selections, Festive Films on DVD, and holiday music albums.
For more information, or to learn more about the fun happenings, services and more at the Sawyer Free Library check out sawyerfreelibrary.org!
Cape Ann Community 