Gloucester Lyceum & Sawyer Free Library

See More and RegisterFinding yourself unexpectedly unemployed is deeply unsettling, personally and professionally. When it occurs at midlife, it is all the more challenging. Discover successful strategies that workers who experienced long-term unemployment can use to piece their well-being back together.…Learn More

Join us for an orientation to learn your way around the lab, find out how to book time on the lab workstations, and what equipment and software is available.

Residential Utility Assistance: This assistance is for homeowners, renters, and landlords. Meet with a National Grid Customer Advocate to answer questions about your utility bills and what options may be available to you. HomeWorks Energy and Action Inc.…Learn More

Join us for an orientation to learn your way around the lab, find out how to book time on the lab workstations, and what equipment and software is available.

Looking for a mid-week creative spark? During the month of February, explore the art of book altering! Every week, learn a new way to make art out of old books. Create black out poetry, add collage elements, try your hand at paper folding, and more.…Learn More

Executive Committee Meeting

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See More and RegisterFeminist philosopher Dr. Lindsey Stewart’s book, The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic, tells the stories of Negro Mammies of slavery; the Voodoo Queens and Blues Women of Reconstruction; and the Granny Midwives and textile weavers of the Jim Crow era.…Learn More

Join our new local history discussion group in the Local History Center led by local history librarian, Julie Travers, and historian and author, Bob Booth. Each month we'll have a short presentation and then open it up for discussion. February Topic: The Haskells' Battle Against Slavery - A Glimpse into a Frought EraA West Gloucester farmer from an old line Cape Ann family was a local leader of the anti-slavery movement during the decades leading up to the Civil War.…Learn More

The Neighborhood Resiliency Program through TownGreen builds neighborhood-level climate resilience through emergency preparedness. This Project helps households and communities prepare for floods, power outages, and heat waves to ensure that every household on Cape Ann is prepared for an emergency.…Learn More

In the late 1600s, settlers of Chebacco (now known as Essex) broke away from the town of Ipswich to create their own parish. They built a meetinghouse and designated an acre lot for a graveyard. Nearly a century and a half later, the villagers' sacred burial ground became the site of the largest recorded graverobbing in New England’s history.…Learn More

Drop in and make a Valentine card at the library! Supplies will be provided for children to make cards for Valentine's Day in our children's program room at 2 Dale Avenue. No registration needed, while supplies last. questions: email jvitale@sawyerfreelibrary.…Learn More

Drop into the Youth Programming Room at the Sawyer Free Library for a Valentine’s Day card–making activity. Members of the Cape Ann Museum’s CAM Teen Council will be there to guide you in this hands‐on activity, where you can learn about the beautiful prints of Virginia Lee Burton and the Folly Cove Designers and try your own block‐printing using foam shapes and a pencil.…Learn More

Experience the world’s most famous love story through movement, sound, and play with Lanes Coven Theater Co, a founding partner of Gloucester Center for the Arts. This isn't a lecture—it's an interactive workshop that uses theater techniques to bring Shakespeare's language to life.…Learn More

On Tuesday mornings starting February 10th, bring your baby (birth through 12 months) to Sawyer Free Library for Babies, Books, and Bubbles! Join Miss Nicole from Pathways for a morning of fun designed specifically for our littlest patrons and their grown-ups.…Learn More

Join us to take part in the magic and celebrate the legacy of America’s founding Black women. Together we will watch a 60-minute virtual author talk, a conversation with feminist philosopher Dr. Lindsey Stewart. Stewart's book is entitled The Conjuring of America: Mojos, Mermaids, Medicine, and 400 Years of Black Women’s Magic.…Learn More

Boston Bruins Mascot Blades is coming to The Sawyer Free Library, Gloucester to get the community involved in the Boston Bruins Annual PJ Drive to benefit DCF Kids and Cradles to Crayons. The PJ Drive’s goal is to collect 10,000 pairs of new pajamas for children and teens in need.…Learn More

Craft a stunning custom dice box topped with a glass eye, surrounded by your own unique needle-felted design. Add a personal touch by painting the sides of your box with vibrant acrylics. Use your box to store treasures or your D&D dice. Bring the box to your next campaign and wow your friends!Box measures 3.…Learn More

Looking for a mid-week creative spark? During the month of February, explore the art of book altering! Every week, learn a new way to make art out of old books. Create black out poetry, add collage elements, try your hand at paper folding, and more.…Learn More

Lyceum Meeting

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Zoom Link Coming SoonJoin local author Wayne Soini for a virtual, hour-long "Write Right, Right?" program. This is your chance to practice with other writers in prose or poetry, fiction or nonfiction. Remember that anyone can write, and this program is geared to free you of anxiety or agony in writing!Questions? Contact Meg O'Neill at 978-325-5562 or moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.…Learn More

Tree Talks will bring local and regional experts together to share knowledge about native trees, plants, and Gloucester’s ecosystem through engaging programs for community members of all ages. In 2026 and beyond, 400 Trees is growing into a new multi-year phase.…Learn More

Zoom Link Coming SoonJoin local author Wayne Soini for a virtual, hour-long "Write Right, Right?" program. This is your chance to practice with other writers in prose or poetry, fiction or nonfiction. Remember that anyone can write, and this program is geared to free you of anxiety or agony in writing!Questions? Contact Meg O'Neill at 978-325-5562 or moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.…Learn More

Dive into a world of textures!Drop in for a fun, unstructured play session where we provide the stimulating sensory bins—filled with things like sand, pasta, water beads, shaving cream, and more—and kids provide the imagination! A perfect opportunity for little hands to explore and learn through touch.…Learn More

Discussion with Senator Bruce TarrQuestions: email valerie. i. nelson@gmail. com

The Gloucester Genealogy Group welcomes those new to family history research for an introductory, hands-on meeting. Local History Librarian, Julie Travers will begin with a brief overview of Ancestry Library Edition, covering the basics of searching records using the library's database.…Learn More

Join us to learn Boston's 400-year African-American history! We will delve into the rich narratives of neighborhoods and pivotal sites, events, and figures from the eras of Faneuil Hall and Long Wharf, which marked Boston's connection to the Atlantic world, all the way to the vibrant Black communities that flourished in Beacon Hill in the early republic, and the South End and Roxbury in the early 20th century.…Learn More

On Tuesday mornings starting February 10th, bring your baby (birth through 12 months) to Sawyer Free Library for Babies, Books, and Bubbles! Join Miss Nicole from Pathways for a morning of fun designed specifically for our littlest patrons and their grown-ups.…Learn More

Board of Trustees Meeting

See More and RegisterCompanies in 2026 employ a vast array of tools to find the perfect hire. Job seekers must be prepared to deal with AI, neuroscience, and a host of possible behavioral assessments. Do these tools actually work? Is it possible to beat them? How can we best prepare, so we present our best self? Ed will discuss why companies use assessments; what they really want to learn; and how you can best prepare for them.…Learn More

Homeschoolers, come hang out at the library! The Teen Room is open to patrons ages 11-19 and we're having an open house just for you. Come study, play board games, check out the Library of Things, or try one of our Switch games. We can't wait to see you!Ages 11-19 (grades 6-12) welcome.…Learn More

Looking for a mid-week creative spark? During the month of February, explore the art of book altering! Every week, learn a new way to make art out of old books. Create black out poetry, add collage elements, try your hand at paper folding, and more.…Learn More

Ready to fill the walls of our Teen Room with amazing art? First we've got to plan it! Join Bruce Orr of Inkwell Arts and the Sawyer Free Library for an art brainstorming session. Bruce is known for his large-scale dioramas made of recyclable materials, so this is bound to be a unique project inspired by the city of Gloucester and made entirely by YOU.…Learn More

Cape Ann resident Susan Wadia-Ells is an investigative journalist and cultural change agent. After losing too many friends to recurrent metastatic breast cancer, after having been "successfully treated early" for breast cancer, they each died a very early and painful death.…Learn More

Experience the world’s most famous love story through movement, sound, and play with Lanes Coven Theater Co, a founding partner of Gloucester Center for the Arts. This isn't a lecture—it's an interactive workshop that uses theater techniques to bring Shakespeare's language to life.…Learn More

On Tuesday mornings starting February 10th, bring your baby (birth through 12 months) to Sawyer Free Library for Babies, Books, and Bubbles! Join Miss Nicole from Pathways for a morning of fun designed specifically for our littlest patrons and their grown-ups.…Learn More

On Tuesday mornings starting February 10th, bring your baby (birth through 12 months) to Sawyer Free Library for Babies, Books, and Bubbles! Join Miss Nicole from Pathways for a morning of fun designed specifically for our littlest patrons and their grown-ups.…Learn More

See More and RegisterJoin us in conversation with bestselling author and humorist Michael Perry, whose collection of genre-spanning works encapsulates the experiences–and the magic–of rural town communities and the everyday people who reside in them.…Learn More

Lyceum Meeting

Informational session on volunteer opportunities with Backyard Growers programs, in the garden, for events, and in the office. No previous gardening experience required. Backyard Growers is a Gloucester-based 501C3 nonprofit organization committed to cultivating healthy, connected, resilient communities by empowering people to grow their own food.…Learn More

SFL City Building Committee Meeting

Saunders House Stewardship Committee Meeting

Calling all young artists!Is your refrigerator ready for some new art? Join us for an unstructured, hands-on exploration of different art materials. Each month features a new, exciting process with no right or wrong way to create. It's all about the joy of making! We provide the materials--from paint and glue to more unconventional materials--kids only need to bring their imaginations.…Learn More

Experience the world’s most famous love story through movement, sound, and play with Lanes Coven Theater Co, a founding partner of Gloucester Center for the Arts. This isn't a lecture—it's an interactive workshop that uses theater techniques to bring Shakespeare's language to life.…Learn More

Corporate Communications Meeting

On Tuesday mornings starting February 10th, bring your baby (birth through 12 months) to Sawyer Free Library for Babies, Books, and Bubbles! Join Miss Nicole from Pathways for a morning of fun designed specifically for our littlest patrons and their grown-ups.…Learn More

See More and RegisterVirginia Franco, founder of Virginia Franco Resumes, will hold an AMA ("Ask Me Anything") for job seekers. She welcomes any questions about resumes and LinkedIn writing. Franco is a 5X Certified Resume Writer & LinkedIn Profile Expert (NCRW, NCOPE, MRW, CPRW, CEIP).…Learn More

Executive Committee Meeting

March Topic: Gloucester's Water-Powered MillsSome of the earliest enterprises in a colonial town would have been water-powered mills, where grain was milled and wood was sawn. What can we learn from public records about this early economy? Gloucester's Town Records reveal the location and grantees of the privileges granted by the Selectmen.…Learn More

See More and RegisterYou’re invited to join us for a virtual conversation with acclaimed author Kate Quinn about her latest fantastical work, The Astral Library, which poses the question: Have you ever wished you could live inside a book? Welcome to the Astral Library, where books are not just objects, but doors to new worlds, new lives, and new futures.…Learn More

TBD

Lanes Coven presents Romeo & Juliet, a 75-minute performance by professional actors that tells the complete story of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. Co-Artistic Directors Lily Narbonne and Justin Genna have condensed the full-length play while preserving the original language.…Learn More

Lanes Coven presents Romeo & Juliet, a 75-minute performance by professional actors that tells the complete story of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. Co-Artistic Directors Lily Narbonne and Justin Genna have condensed the full-length play while preserving the original language.…Learn More

On Tuesday mornings starting February 10th, bring your baby (birth through 12 months) to Sawyer Free Library for Babies, Books, and Bubbles! Join Miss Nicole from Pathways for a morning of fun designed specifically for our littlest patrons and their grown-ups.…Learn More

Lyceum Meeting

City of Gloucester Department Leaders and the Metropolitan Area Planning Council first meeting to discuss the City's hazard mitigation plan update methodology. Contract:Collin BucknerCity of Gloucester, Assistant Emergency Management Director & Compliance Officer(978) 491-1704cbuckner@gloucester-ma.…Learn More

Zoom Link Coming SoonJoin local author Wayne Soini for a virtual, hour-long "Write Right, Right?" program. This is your chance to practice with other writers in prose or poetry, fiction or nonfiction. Remember that anyone can write, and this program is geared to free you of anxiety or agony in writing!Questions? Contact Meg O'Neill at 978-325-5562 or moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.…Learn More

Shake off the workday and join us for a mocktail-making experience! Participants will learn the basics of crafting delicious, alcohol-free drinks using fresh ingredients, simple techniques, and creative flavor combinations that you can use at home. Questions? Contact Meg O'Neill at 978-325-5562 or moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.…Learn More

Zoom Link Coming SoonJoin local author Wayne Soini for a virtual, hour-long "Write Right, Right?" program. This is your chance to practice with other writers in prose or poetry, fiction or nonfiction. Remember that anyone can write, and this program is geared to free you of anxiety or agony in writing!Questions? Contact Meg O'Neill at 978-325-5562 or moneill@sawyerfreelibrary.…Learn More

Dive into a world of textures!Drop in for a fun, unstructured play session where we provide the stimulating sensory bins—filled with things like sand, pasta, water beads, shaving cream, and more—and kids provide the imagination! A perfect opportunity for little hands to explore and learn through touch.…Learn More

Lanes Coven presents Romeo & Juliet, a 75-minute performance by professional actors that tells the complete story of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. Co-Artistic Directors Lily Narbonne and Justin Genna have condensed the full-length play while preserving the original language.…Learn More

On Tuesday mornings starting February 10th, bring your baby (birth through 12 months) to Sawyer Free Library for Babies, Books, and Bubbles! Join Miss Nicole from Pathways for a morning of fun designed specifically for our littlest patrons and their grown-ups.…Learn More

See More and RegisterJoin us for a special conversation between award-winning journalist Shoshana Walter and bestselling and award-winning author Barbara Kingsolver as they chat about Walter’s book Rehab: An American Scandal. In this work, Walter, a Pulitzer finalist, exposes the country’s failed response to the opioid crisis, and the malfeasance, corruption, and snake oil which blight the drug rehabilitation industry.…Learn More

Board of Trustees Meeting

Planning for Medicare is a presentation and discussion led by Heather Hurd, Field Outreach Consultant for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts. It’s geared towards individuals approaching Medicare Eligibility. Topics covered include health insurance information outside of employer sponsored coverage, such as an explanation of Medicare, the Medicare enrollment timeline, Medigap and Medicare Advantage plans and programs available to early retirees, and COBRA.…Learn More

TBD

Topics & Comments to accompany his Matz Galley photographic installation -’Stone Wave’Questions:Leslie D. Bartlett email: lesadept@me. comphone: 978-325-2965www. lesliebartlett. com

On Tuesday mornings starting February 10th, bring your baby (birth through 12 months) to Sawyer Free Library for Babies, Books, and Bubbles! Join Miss Nicole from Pathways for a morning of fun designed specifically for our littlest patrons and their grown-ups.…Learn More

Lyceum Meeting

Lyceum Meeting

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners are nine residents of the Commonwealth who have been appointed to serve as Commissioners by the governor. Their April Board meeting will be hosted by the Sawyer Free Library. For more information, contact Library Director Jenny Benedict.

Tree Talks will bring local and regional experts together to share knowledge about native trees, plants, and Gloucester’s ecosystem through engaging programs for community members of all ages. In 2026 and beyond, 400 Trees is growing into a new multi-year phase.…Learn More

Saunders House Stewardship Committee Meeting

Calling all young artists!Is your refrigerator ready for some new art? Join us for an unstructured, hands-on exploration of different art materials. Each month features a new, exciting process with no right or wrong way to create. It's all about the joy of making! We provide the materials--from paint and glue to more unconventional materials--kids only need to bring their imaginations.…Learn More

How has our downtown changed? Come see images of former businesses and street views as we stroll down Main Street. Stay tuned for Part 2 on Saturday, April 25 at 2 pm!Beth WelinAfter 21 years as an elementary teacher, most of that time at Gloucester’s St.…Learn More

On Tuesday mornings starting February 10th, bring your baby (birth through 12 months) to Sawyer Free Library for Babies, Books, and Bubbles! Join Miss Nicole from Pathways for a morning of fun designed specifically for our littlest patrons and their grown-ups.…Learn More

Executive Committee Meeting

The History Exchange is a Gloucester-centric approach to understanding the past and its meanings. Often, American history—as taught or encountered in the media—is presented as something that occurred elsewhere: remote both in time and distance, and conducted by the famous and powerful.…Learn More

More information to come

Popular Music and Veterans is an offshoot of the "Roots of American Popular Music" program with an exploration through songs of some of the experiences and sacrifices of veterans throughout American history. The program consists of songs, history, and an accompanying slideshow pertaining to some of the experiences of veterans of World War I, World War II, the Civil War and other conflicts alongside the history of popular music in America.…Learn More

Corporate Communications Meeting

On Tuesday mornings starting February 10th, bring your baby (birth through 12 months) to Sawyer Free Library for Babies, Books, and Bubbles! Join Miss Nicole from Pathways for a morning of fun designed specifically for our littlest patrons and their grown-ups.…Learn More

Lyceum Meeting

Gloucester rightly honors the sailors and soldiers who fought in the Revolutionary War, as well as the privateers who were captured and imprisoned in Halifax. But to truly understand what the war meant to the people of Gloucester, we must also look to those who stayed behind.…Learn More

Dive into a world of textures!Drop in for a fun, unstructured play session where we provide the stimulating sensory bins—filled with things like sand, pasta, water beads, shaving cream, and more—and kids provide the imagination! A perfect opportunity for little hands to explore and learn through touch.…Learn More

On Tuesday mornings starting February 10th, bring your baby (birth through 12 months) to Sawyer Free Library for Babies, Books, and Bubbles! Join Miss Nicole from Pathways for a morning of fun designed specifically for our littlest patrons and their grown-ups.…Learn More

More information to come.

Heeler Horde Unite!Special guest storyteller Strega Mama will visit the Sawyer Free Library on April 22nd for a Bluey-themed storytime. Hear a Bluey story, play Keepy-Uppy, dress up like a granny, and do the floss. Everyone will be barking with delight!Children of all ages are welcome.…Learn More

Join author Jeff Romano for a slideshow presentation highlighting hiking opportunities throughout New England. The program will cover destinations in all six states with a focus on itineraries featured in his latest guidebook, an updated edition to 100 Classic Hikes New England (June 2023).…Learn More