**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Meeting via email.** 

From the early days of European settlement to the present, Boston and Massachusetts have been friendly to the printed word. In fact, the first printing press in British North America arrived at Harvard in 1636. Libraries — private, public, and academic — quickly followed. Massachusetts author and historian Alan Earls will present a slideshow and discussion of some of the important milestones, architectural gems, and key figures in this story as well as an overview of just how richly endowed we are with libraries of all kinds today. Highlights include Ben Franklin’s gift to found the first free public library in Franklin; the first library for industrial workers; the first children’s library; and the first tax-payer funded town and city libraries, as well as pioneering cataloging systems, philanthropists, architects, and more. 

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries.

NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 24 hours of the program.