The Friends of the Georgetown Peabody Library and the Boxford Town Library are pleased to host author Stephen Puleo and hear him discuss his latest book, Voyage of Mercy on Saturday, April 23 at 10:30AM.

Following the presentation will be a book signing from 12pm until 12:45pm. Book sales will be handled by the book distributor: at the back of library’s Meeting Room will include Voyage of Mercy and other Puleo titles as well.

About the Author: Stephen Puleo is an author, historian, teacher, public speaker, and communications professional. He has published seven narrative history books, including his most recent: Voyage of Mercy: The USS Jamestown, the Irish Famine, and the Remarkable Story of America’s First Humanitarian Mission, published in March 2020. He is at work on his eighth book, which will also be published by St. Martins. Learn more about Puleo HERE.

About the Book: More than 5,000 ships left Ireland during the great potato famine in the last 1840s, transporting the starving and the destitute away from their stricken homeland. The first vessel to sail in the other direction, to help the millions unable to escape, was the USS Jamestown, a converted warship, which left Boston in March 1847 loaded with precious food for Ireland.

Captain Robert Bennet Forbes and the crew of the USS Jamestown began a massive eighteen-month demonstration of soaring goodwill against the backdrop of unfathomable despair – one nations’ struggle to survive, and another’s effort to provide a lifeline. Forbes’ undertaking inspired a nationwide outpouring of relief that was unprecedented in size and scope, the first instance of an entire nation extending a hand to a foreign neighbor for purely humanitarian reasons. It showed the world that national generosity and brotherhood were not signs of weakness, but displays of quiet strength and moral certitude.

On Thursday, April 21 at 11AM via Zoom, NASA Solar System Ambassador Pat Monteith will lead you through the journeys of Katherine Johnson and some of the other pioneering women and courageous female astronauts at NASA including women who are training to go on a 3-year mission to Mars.

Monteith received a BA in Math with the hope of working in Mission Control for NASA. But, as happens with most of us, life took a different turn. Over the years her interest in Space Science never waned and after retiring from her full-time job, she became a NASA Solar System Ambassador. Over the past 6 years, Monteith has conducted more than 50 programs for youth, families and adults about the Moon, Mars, the ISS, Women of NASA, the James Webb Telescope and more.

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual program is a collaboration between the libraries of Georgetown and Tewksbury. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tewksbury Public Library. 

How did the United States achieve the goal of landing on the moon by 1969? On Tuesday, April 5 at 2PM via Zoom, go behind the scenes of the Kennedy space program with photographs and stories from the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum collections. Enjoy a slide presentation with live commentary and Q&A from Rick Elias, a docent at the presidential library. 

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual program is a collaboration between the libraries of Georgetown and Tewksbury. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tewksbury Public Library. 

Looking for a way to brighten your yard and mood this winter? Backyard bird feeding is a wonderful way to attract birds to your property, still feel connected to nature while inside, and get to know the characteristics and behaviors of common birds. Explore different feeder types, the best seed to put in them, the birds they’ll attract, how to outsmart squirrels, and other ways to encourage birdlife into your yard and community on Wednesday, March 30 at 11AM via Zoom.

Scott Santino, Education Manager and Teacher Naturalist at the Ipswich River Wildlife Sanctuary in Topsfield, has been leading nature education programs for Mass Audubon since 1999. He coordinates the sanctuary’s volunteer Nature Guide program, training adults in natural history interpretation and is a faculty member of Mass Audubon’s Birder’s Certificate Program.

Register on Zoom HERE. This virtual program is a collaboration between the libraries of Georgetown and Tewksbury. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tewksbury Public Library. 

Author Neal Thompson will discuss his new book, The First Kennedys: The Humble Roots of an American Dynasty, on Tuesday, March 29 at 7PM via Zoom.

Explore the inspiring story of the poor Irish refugee couple who escaped famine, created a life together in a city hostile to Irish, immigrants, and Catholics, and launched the Kennedy dynasty in America. Their Irish ancestry was a hallmark of the Kennedys’ initial political profile, as JFK leveraged his working-class roots to connect with blue-collar voters. Today, we remember this iconic American family as the vanguard of wealth, power, and style rather than as the descendants of poor immigrants.

Register on Zoom HERE. This virtual program is a collaboration between the libraries of Georgetown and Tewksbury. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tewksbury Public Library. 

Join Kristen Weiss, Cape Ann Site Manager at Historic New England, for a virtual adventure on Tuesday, March 29 at 2PM via Zoom.

With 38 historic properties and 1,284 acres of landscapes, farms and gardens in five New England states, Historic New England is the oldest and largest regional heritage organization in the nation. This virtual tour will showcase examples from the vast collection of buildings, landscapes, and objects, and feature properties such as Roseland Cottage in Woodstock, CT; Eustis Estate in Milton, MA; Beauport in Gloucester, MA; Gropius House in Lincoln, MA; Lyman Estate Greenhouses in Waltham, MA; and Casey Farm in Saunderstown, RI.

Register on Zoom HERE. This virtual program is a collaboration between the libraries of Georgetown and Tewksbury. Sponsored by the Friends of the Tewksbury Public Library.