Director's Update, October 13, 2024

Dear Patrons,     

  

The library is pleased to welcome Christa Kuljian, the author of Our Science, Ourselves: How Gender, Race and Social Movements Shaped the Study of Science, at the Main Library on Saturday, October 19, from 2 to 3:30 p.m. Our Science, Ourselves tells the story of several Cambridge women, including Ruth Hubbard, Rita Arditti, Evelyn Fox Keller, Evelynn Hammonds, and Nancy Hopkins, who developed feminist and anti-racist critiques of science in the 1970s, ’80s and ’90s. This event is cosponsored by the office of Mayor E. Denise Simmons, the Cambridge Commission on the Status of Women, and the Library. No registration is required.  

 

On Tuesday, October 15, from 6:30-7:30 p.m., meet North Cambridge author Alison Goldberg and celebrate the publication of her new book, Eighteen Flowers for Grandma: A Gift of Chai (Red Comet Press, 2024). The author will read from her book and there will be a fun craft! No registration is required. 

 

The Library will be closed on Monday, October 14, for Indigenous Peoples Day.

 

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Weekly Activities for Kids         

     

This week, these programs will be offered at our Boudreau, Central Square, Main, O’Connell, O’Neill, and Valente locations.    

• Sing-Alongs    

• Story Times    
      

Book Groups       

Learn more about our Book Groups.     

    

The Hive Workshops    

Check out this week’s classes in The Hive.     

    

ESOL Classes     

Find an ESOL Class.    

    

Tech Help    

• Basic Tech Classes    

• One-on-One Tech Help

    

Sit 'n' Knit (Main)  
Tuesday, October 15
2:30-3:30 p.m.    

Bring your project and enjoy the company of other fiber crafters. Drop in with this informal group to work on your craft, get inspired, pick up skills, and socialize. Knit, embroider, crochet, spin, and mend. Refreshments will be provided.   

Free Drop-in Tutoring for Teens (Main) 
Tuesday, October 15, & Wednesday, October 17 
5-6 p.m.   
   
Need help with a class? Have a question before an exam? Tutors are available to help you! Cambridge School Volunteers and the Library are pleased to offer tutoring services in the Teen Room. No registration is required. Stop by or call 617-349-4027 to learn more.    

Local author Alison Goldberg presents Eighteen Flowers for Grandma: A Gift of Chai (O'Neill)
Tuesday, October 15
6:30-7:30 p.m. 
 
Meet the North Cambridge author Alison Goldberg and celebrate the publication of her new book, Eighteen Flowers for Grandma: A Gift of Chai (Red Comet Press, 2024). The author will read from her book and there will be a fun craft! No registration is required. 

Board Game Night for Adults (Valente)
Tuesday, October 15
6-7:30 p.m.

Join us for an evening of board games. We have: Wingspan, Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, Azul, Splendor, Scrabble, chess, checkers, Boggle, Bananagrams, and more! Feel free to bring a board game to play with others. We will provide pizza and beverages. Registration is helpful. 

The Highwaymen - Songs & Stories with Matt York (Main)
Tuesday, October 15
6-7:30 p.m.

Longtime New England musician/author Matt York will perform the songs of Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, and Waylon Jennings and tell stories of their careers. The four songwriting legends joined forces in the 1980s to form the country supergroup the Highwaymen. However, before that, they'd each established themselves as stars, and their careers intersected many times since the 1960's. In both 2022 and 2023, York was nominated for the Boston Music Award for Best Country Artist and his album Bruisable Heart was named one of the Boston Globe's best albums of 2021. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Cambridge Arts Council, which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council.  

Wednesdays of Wonder - W.O.W.! (O'Neill)

Wednesday, October 9

2:30-4 p.m.

 

Come to the Library for games and a different activity each week! Kids of all ages can hang out and do crafts or STEAM activities. No registration required.This week we will be making simple masks and costumes!

 

Teen Zone: DIY Dry-Erase Boards (Valente)

Wednesday, October 16

 3-4 p.m.

Join us at the Valente Branch Library after school to decorate a dry erase board. Use permanent markers to create a fun border, a to-do list template, or whatever else you can imagine. When you're done, you'll have a dry erase board and dry erase marker to take home with you. 

The library will provide all materials. Snacks will be provided. No registration is required for this drop-in craft event, but supplies are limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. 

This program is for teens and tweens ages 11-16. Contact the library at 617-349-4015 for more information. 

Bicycle Maintenance Workshop (Valente)
Wednesday, October 16
5:45-6:45 p.m.
Join the Cambridge Community Development Department for a bicycle maintenance workshop at the Valente Branch. Registration is required.

Marshall Ganz Presents: People, Power, Change: Organizing for Democratic Renewal (Main)
Wednesday, October 16
6-8 p.m.

The Library and Harvard Book Store welcome Marshall Ganz, the Rita T. Hauser Senior Lecturer in Leadership, Organizing, and Civil Society at the Harvard Kennedy School, for a discussion of his new book, People, Power, Change: Organizing for Democratic Renewal. He will be joined in conversation with Doran Schrantz, the founding executive director of ISAIAH and Faith in Minnesota, a statewide, multiracial, grassroots membership organization comprising community-based institutions. Registration is required.

Hand Embroidery (O'Neill)
Wednesday, October 16
6-7:30 p.m.

Hand Embroidery will cover an assortment of basic embroidery stitches that can be used to embellish your clothing and hide (or highlight!) holes and stains! Leave class with a sampler of stitches you can refer back to, along with the knowledge of tools, materials, and techniques for stitching up embroidered designs. Suitable for beginners with little or no experience or those who want a refresher on the basics. 

Jessamy is a textile artist and sustainable fashion designer in Somerville specializing in creative mending and upcycling. She earned a BFA in Fibers and a Certificate in Fashion Design from the Massachusetts College of Art & Design and has taught mending at the Library, Make & Mend in Somerville, and the Eliot School of Fine & Applied Arts in Jamaica Plain. See her work at www.jessamyshay.com.

Wednesday Night Creative Writing Group (Central Square)
Wednesday, October 16
6:30-8:30 p.m.

Writers at all experience levels are invited to join a casual, peer-supported writing group. Participants take turns bringing short in-progress or completed pieces of any genre. The group reads several pieces each month, sharing feedback and constructive criticism in an inclusive environment. We may practice writing exercises in class and read samples of published writing as time allows. Registration is required. For more information, please e-mail Susannah at sbtkacz@cambridgema.gov.

Wellness for Older Adults: Let Your Yoga Dance (Main)
Thursday, October 17
11-11:45 a.m.

A fun, dynamic, and ultimately blissful class. Work your way through the seven energy centers (chakras) with Let Your Yoga Dance. You will leave with a good workout and a peaceful, happy mind/body/spirit. Good for everybody! Registration for each session is required.
  

Puzzle Party (Main)  
Thursday, October 17
2:30-3:30 p.m.  
 
Join our librarians for tea, cookies, and a jigsaw puzzle. It’s an hour of fun and conversation. Registration is not required.   

  
Fiber Arts Circle (Central Square) 
Thursday, October 17 
7-8 p.m.  

Bring your project and come join other fiber crafters in your community! Crochet, sew, embroider, knit, and more at this informal, drop-in group. All crafts are welcome!  

Creative Aging: Drawn to Nature (Main) 
Friday, October 18
1:30-3:30 p.m. 
 
This introductory drawing course focuses on the plant world as a basic subject. Botanical drawing is an ancient art, and we will examine how scientists and artists have drawn the natural world through the ages. Over 10 weeks, we will focus on a variety of plant life as we explore line, volume, space, and color with graphite and watercolor. Students will keep notebooks recording both the plants they draw and the techniques they learn. All levels are welcome. Space is limited to 10 participants. To gain the most out of this popular program, we expect all participants to commit to all 10 sessions. Registration is required. 

Kids’ Zine Collective (O’Neill)
Friday, October 18
4-5 p.m. 

What's a zine? And how do I make one? Come find out! Kids are invited to explore making, copying, sharing, and swapping zines. Making zines will include activities like writing, drawing, and using a photocopier. For kids age 7 and up. Snacks are provided! 

 

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All the best!    

Maria McCauley, Ph.D.   
Director of Libraries