Virtual: Nathan Sanders and Bruce Schneier on AI and Democracy · Nov 3, 2 pm ET

AI is already transforming how we live, work, and communicate. But how will it change democracy?

Join technologist Bruce Schneier and data scientist Nathan E. Sanders as they take us through their new book, Rewiring Democracy: How AI Will Transform Our Politics, Government, and Citizenship. Their work examines AI’s impacts on politics, lawmaking, the executive branch, the courts, and even citizenship.

This program is co-hosted by Boston Public Library’s Digital Services team and kicks off a series of virtual talks examining AI and its impact on the work of public libraries, collections, and civic institutions.

Register for the program → 

Board of Review Member Margaret Wickens Pearce named a MacArthur Fellow

Please join us in congratulating Margaret Wickens Pearce, who has been awarded MacArthur Fellowship in recognition of her extraordinary contributions to the field of cartography. Pearce makes maps that “reflect Indigenous worldviews and modes of knowledge-making." She serves on the Leventhal Center's Board of Review, and has collaborated with us on projects including the essay "Witnesses" for the exhibition catalog America Transformed, and the display of her map “Coming Home” in our exhibition Bending Lines.

Read more about the award → 

Virtual: Katy Lasdow on Women Property Holders of Boston’s Waterfront in the Late 1700s · Nov 13, 7 pm ET

Join us November 13 for a conversation in the Brown Seminar on the Historical Geography of the American Revolutionary Era with Katy Lasdow. In this program, Dr. Lasdow will explore how maps and deeds documenting women property holders on Boston’s waterfront in the late 1700s illuminate women’s persistence in these neighborhoods, in the face of challenges which changed real estate and land use in the early Republic.

This program is part of the American Revolutionary Geographies Online (ARGO) project.

Register for the program → 

In-Person: Creepy Cartography · October 31, 2 pm ET

Be warned: these maps are not for the faint of heart!

Join us this Halloween to take a peek at some Creepy Cartography. These maps may have glimpses of nasty creepy-crawlies or sweep us away to mysterious lands. Let’s see just how far these maps can take us … and be prepared for anything that flies, screeches, or goes bump in the night to make an appearance!

Event details → 

“Revolution! 250 Years of Art & Activism in Boston” opens at the BPL

Featuring over 100 artworks and documentary materials from the Boston Public Library’s Special Collections—prints, photographs, paintings, sculpture, and more—Revolution! 250 Years of Art & Activism in Boston brings to light both familiar and lesser-known stories about America’s ongoing struggle for freedom, civil rights, and belonging for all.

Highlights include early portraits of Benjamin Franklin, General George Washington, and Crispus Attucks, as well as works by Boston-area artists including Toni Pepe, Robert Tomolillo, and Caleb Cole. The exhibition will be on view until April 2026.

More about the exhibition → 

Newsletter Trivia: The Kettle

The Kettle is an iconic relic of nineteenth-century Boston. Currently hanging outside of a recently closed Starbucks, the kettle originally adorned the exterior of the Oriental Tea Company beginning in 1873. In what part of Boston was the Oriental Tea Company (and the kettle) originally located?

1. South End

2. Scollay Square

3. Chinatown

4. West End

The answer to last newsletter’s question is that Africa is 14 times larger than Greenland.

Correct answers will be included in a random drawing—the winner will receive the next three Map of the Month club postcards for free. Congratulations to our last winner, Natalie! In order to enter, make sure you follow us on Bluesky, Instagram or Facebook and direct message or email us the answer to the question. We’ll accept answers until November 3 at 9 am ET.

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