Cape Ann Museum expands Library and Archives team with two new hires
Left to Right: Cassandra Anderson, Librarian and Archivist; Sarah Tripp, Assistant Librarian and Archivist.
GLOUCESTER, MA. (March 2026) – Cape Ann Museum is pleased to announce the appointment of Cassandra Anderson as Librarian and Archivist and Sarah Tripp as Assistant Librarian and Archivist.
Together, Anderson and Tripp will steward the Museum’s extensive Library and Archives, which have been available to researchers and the public since 1875. The Archives include manuscripts and printed materials that provide insight into the daily lives of Cape Ann residents, including letters, business records, cargo manifests, and other historic documents. The Museum’s collection also houses more than 15,000 historic photographs dating from the 19th century to present day.
Anderson graduated in 2022 from Simmons University’s dual master’s degree program in Library and Information Science, with a concentration in Archives and History. She has worked with several university archives, historical societies, and libraries as a consulting archivist and project manager. Her favorite archival materials to work with are letters and diaries, which offer intimate glimpses into everyday life throughout history.
A lifelong Essex County resident, Tripp holds a bachelor’s degree in English and History from Merrimack College and a master’s degree in Library and Information Science from Simmons University, which she completed in 2025. She most recently served as a Reference Assistant at the Phillips Library at the Peabody Essex Museum. Tripp is deeply committed to making local history accessible and looks forward to collaborating with colleagues to share Cape Ann’s stories with the public.
“This is an exciting time to welcome Cassandra and Sarah to Cape Ann Museum as we prepare to reopen our Downtown Campus in June,” said Oliver Barker, Director of the Cape Ann Museum. “Their expertise will be invaluable as we expand access to our collections with a new Archival gallery Downtown, and continue the Museum’s mission of preserving and sharing Cape Ann’s rich history.”
The Museum’s Downtown Campus at 27 Pleasant Street is currently closed for renovations and will reopen on June 30, 2026, unveiling beautifully redesigned and upgraded gallery spaces dedicated to the Museum’s archival collections.
For more information, visit capeannmuseum.org.
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The Cape Ann Museum, founded in 1875, exists to preserve and celebrate the history and culture of the region and to keep it relevant to today’s audiences. Spanning 44,000 square feet, the Museum’s Downtown campus is a major cultural institution on Boston’s North Shore, welcoming thousands of local, national, and international visitors annually to its exhibitions, programs, and community-led events. In addition to fine art, the Museum’s collections include decorative art, textiles, artifacts from the fisheries and granite industries, four historic structures, a Library & Archives, and a sculpture garden in the heart of downtown Gloucester.
The Cape Ann Museum’s Downtown campus is located at 27 Pleasant Street in Gloucester and, beginning June 30, 2026, will be open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. General Admission is $20 for adults and $15 for Cape Ann residents and seniors. Youth (under 18), students with ID, and Museum members are free. Cape Ann residents receive free general admission on the second Saturday of each month. During Avery, Gottlieb & Rothko: By the Sea, additional fees apply and timed ticketing is required. Tickets go on sale June 1, 2026.
The Cape Ann Museum Green (CAM Green), the Museum’s campus off Grant Circle and Route 128 in Gloucester, is home to the 12,000-square-foot Janet & William Ellery James Center, built in 2020. The center includes a flexible exhibition and community programming space designed to reach broader audiences with new exhibits and public programs. CAM Green, which served as the Museum’s base of operations during the renovations, features three historic structures—the White Ellery House (1710), the Babson-Alling House (c. 1740), and an adjacent barn (c. 1740)—as well as a Contemporary Art Wetu (2023–2024) and a Mush8n (mi-shoon) (2023), an Eastern Woodlands boat. From July 10 through September 27, CAM Green will be open Friday through Sunday, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
More information can be found on capeannmuseum.org or please call (978)283-0455 x110.
