FRIENDS FALL GATHERING and ANNUAL MEETING 2026

Date: Wednesday, October 7
Business meeting: 6:30PM
Guest speaker: Philip Eil (journalist), “Understanding A.I. and Misinformation”
Where: The Meeting Room at the library

Every current library donor (anyone who has donated to the GPL in the past 12 months) is a member of the Friends of the Georgetown Peabody Library, which is a new situation this year. And all Friends are needed to vote on the election of new officers and directors to the 2027 Board as well as on bylaws amendments. Please vote through the online ballot (if you haven’t already). Amendments to the bylaws are explained in detail here. 

In addition, please join other library supporters at the Friends Fall Gathering and Annual Meeting on Wednesday, October 7, at 6:30 PM. Bring your friends and family — this Gathering is open to the public!

• The Board of Directors will provide refreshments, a quick update on our year, and a chance to meet other supporters and their families.
• We are also welcoming Providence-based journalist Philip Eil as a guest speaker for your enjoyment!

Eil will present “Understanding A.I. and Misinformation,” a timely discussion about the rapidly changing news and information landscape and the challenges posed by the artificial intelligence. Eil will explore ways he has seen A.I. change the news media landscape, the dangers those changes pose, and practical steps people can take to respond. His discussion will include actions individuals can take in their own lives, how communities can respond, and the role that local, state, and federal governments can play in addressing the challenges created by A.I.-generated misinformation.

About the speaker: Philip Eil is an award-winning freelance journalist based in Providence, his hometown. He is the former news editor of the alt-weekly newspaper, The Providence Phoenix. Since the paper’s close in 2014, he has contributed to The Atlantic, Men’s Health, the Boston Globe, Huffington Post, and the Columbia Journalism Review, among other outlets. He has also taught writing and journalism classes at Brown University, Columbia University’s School of the Arts, and the Rhode Island School of Design. His first book, Prescription for Pain: How a Once-Promising Doctor Became the “Pill Mill Killer,” was published in 2024. For more information about Philip Eil and his work, visit www.philipeil.com.

Library supporters, Georgetown residents, and members of the wider community, please join us for this timely and informative program. We look forward to seeing you there!

You can find more information about the Friends HERE.