NEWS RELEASE

Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) members Joyce Linehan and Jessica Vilas Novas joined Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll, State Senate Minority Leader Bruce Tarr, State Representative Ann-Margaret Ferrante, and local and state officials to congratulate the Gloucester community on the opening of the new Sawyer Free Library.

Three days of celebrations and fun family activities were held to welcome the community into its new library. From the library trustees, "For nearly 200 years, the library has been a trusted source of knowledge, culture, and connection. Now, thanks to incredible community support, the 2025 Sawyer Free Library carries that legacy forward with a vision rooted in inclusion, sustainability, innovation, and lifelong learning."

The MBLC supported the project with a grant for over $9 million from its Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program. Mern Sibley, President of the Gloucester Lyceum and the Sawyer Free Library Board of Trustees, said it was "privilege of a lifetime to steward this project" and thanked the MBLC for its support.

The new library integrated three distinct structures, with complete renovations of the library's 1976 and 1913 additions and an expansion of the footprint with a new 14,000 square foot addition. utilizes the latest in sustainability and green building technology in an effort and zero net energy. This commitment to sustainability will make the new library the first building of its kind on Cape Ann.

Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll congratulated residents on their "collective investment to lifelong learning" and gave a heartfelt thank you to "librarians and staff who will bring this building to life every day."

Residents will enjoy new and expanded services in the new library building. The entire second floor is a dedicated space for children and teens with an Early Literacy Center for toddlers. The library also features a local history center, a large community room, a digital makerspace where people can access and learn the latest technology, two rooms for recording podcasts and other audio, and a conference room. It is fully accessible to all and provides a variety of spaces for studying, meeting, learning, creating, and performing.

The Massachusetts Public Library Construction Program benefitted more than 250 towns and cities since its inception in 1987. Funding to support the MPLCP was included in the Mass Leads Act. MPLCP projects are underway in the following communities: Amherst, Deerfield, Fitchburg, Shutesbury, Swansea and Westford. Sharon Public Library recently celebrated their ribbon cutting, and fifteen more communities are in the planning and design phase as part of the 2023-2024 grant round. Learn more about the program on the MBLC website, the Building Literacy podcast, and the MPLCP Municipal Impact website.