Virtual Visit: Local History with John Seabrook & the Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center

In recent years, public and academic libraries throughout NJ have developed and expanded local history collections, due to popular demand. In collaboration NJLA's History & Preservation Section, join us as we learn more about New Jersey's multifaceted history with local author John Seabrook and archivist Larry Ericksen. 

• John Seabrook has been a contributor to The New Yorker since 1989 and became a staff writer in 1993. He is the author of The Song Machine, Flash of Genius, and other books. His latest book is The Spinach King: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty, a family history of the Seabrook farming empire. His family is the namesake of Seabrook, NJ, and the Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center.

• Larry Ericksen is an archivist and Director of the Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center. He is chairman of the Advisory Board for the Wheaton Arts Folklife Center, and was previously an officer of the Maurice River Historical Society and a trustee of the Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts in Millville.

• The Seabrook Educational and Cultural Center highlights the history of Seabrook (Cumberland County), and presents the stories of relocated Japanese Americans and Japanese Peruvians from U.S. incarceration camps who came to reside there. Seabrook Farm was once called the "largest vegetable factory on Earth," and it's founder, Charles F. Seabrook, came to be known as the Henry Ford of Agriculture for his approach to farming. 

This event is open to all, including library staff looking to start or expand a local history collection as well as anyone interested in learning more about unsung moments from New Jersey's history.

Moderator Stephanie Sendaula is Programming and Outreach Specialist at LibraryLinkNJ.