This April, Cape Ann’s public libraries are inviting the community to step away from their screens and into a shared space of curiosity, connection, and conservation. In honor of Earth Day 2025, the public libraries of Gloucester, Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Essex are collaborating on a free, family-friendly event with two of the most beloved voices in nature writing: author Sy Montgomery and wildlife illustrator Matt Patterson.
On Saturday, April 19, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Shalin Liu Performance Center in Rockport, Montgomery and Patterson will present their acclaimed book, Of Time and Turtles: Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell. The event includes a one-hour multimedia presentation followed by a 30-minute audience Q&A, with questions invited in advance via the libraries' websites. Tickets are free but limited.
Montgomery, a National Book Award finalist best known for The Soul of an Octopus, and Patterson, an award-winning illustrator whose vivid turtle portraits have captivated readers of all ages, will share the heartfelt, humorous, and sometimes heartbreaking stories behind their work with injured turtles—and what these resilient creatures can teach us about healing and hope.
“Libraries show us we can dream anything, do anything, be anything,” Montgomery says. “They are more essential today than ever before.”
In a time when so much of life is shifting online, public libraries remain a rare and vital space for hands-on learning and face-to-face engagement. They’re not only portals to digital and print knowledge, but also neighborhood classrooms, tech training hubs, community centers, and trusted spaces for free, lifelong education—regardless of income or background.
In fact, a recent Gallup poll found that visiting the library was the most common cultural activity among Americans—more popular than going to the movies, live music, or museums. And the Institute of Museum and Library Services reports that over 170 million Americans hold library cards, accessing more than 1.3 billion in-person and virtual programs every year.
On Cape Ann, libraries are leaning into their role as community connectors. From story times and STEAM activities to digital literacy workshops and sustainability talks, the region’s four public libraries are committed to serving everyone—from toddlers to retirees.
The Earth Day program with Montgomery and Patterson is part of a larger slate of spring programming across Cape Ann libraries. Throughout March and April, each library will offer Earth Month-themed events, encouraging residents to take small, meaningful actions for the environment—because, as the libraries say, every day is Earth Day.
“This isn’t just a talk about turtles,” said one librarian involved in organizing the event. “It’s a chance to rediscover wonder, to learn how storytelling can lead to action, and to celebrate what makes libraries such powerful, democratic places in our communities.”
Signed copies of Of Time and Turtles will be available through Susie’s Stories in Rockport, with preorders online at susiesstories-107442.square.site.
To reserve free tickets or find out more about Earth Month events, contact your local library: Sawyer Free Library (Gloucester), Rockport Public Library, Manchester-by-the-Sea Public Library, or the T.O.H.P. Burnham Library in Essex.
