Director's Update, September 22, 2024

Dear Patrons,  

 

STEAM at the Library

This week is the Cambridge Science Festival, a celebration showcasing the leading edge in Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math (STEAM). We’re excited to be hosting several events throughout the week! The Festival goes hand in hand with our STEAM Initiative, a collaboration between the Library, the City of Cambridge Department of Human Service Programs, and the Cambridge Public School Department. STEAM is an integrated approach to learning that incorporates STEAM Habits of Mind using any combination of the STEAM areas of study as access points for inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking. Using a racial justice lens to frame all of its efforts, the STEAM Initiative works to ensure that Cambridge residents who are most affected by systemic inequities have access to excellent STEAM programming, resources, and skill-building opportunities.  

Here at the Library, you can participate in STEAM learning through classes in our makerspace, The Hive; programs like Cambridge Cooks and the CPL Nature Club; take-and-make STEAM kits; and partner programs like Innovators for Purpose’s STEAM Academy.  

The Hive is a hub for STEAM learning, creativity, and community collaboration in Cambridge. We offer classes in sewing, laser cutting, 3-D printing, videography, and more! All you need to do is have a library card and take a safety class.  

Since 2021, close to 31,000 patrons have built STEAM skills in one or more areas at the Library. In 2024, we held 1,036 STEAM programs with 13,392 attendees, a 61% increase in participation from the previous year. We offer more than 50 public programs, and we’ve strategically partnered with organizations on over 300 engagement visits to date. Check out STEAM at the Library to learn more about how you can discover, create, and learn at the Library! Thank you to our amazing staff here at the Library and at the City for their amazing STEAM work. 

Banned Books Week

This week is also Banned Books Week! Celebrate your freedom to read with readouts, story times, giveaways, and more. Find an event at a branch near you here.Additionally, stop by the Main Library anytime during this week and check out a Banned or Challenged book to receive a prize (while supplies last).

Collins Construction Update

The construction work at the Collins Branch is delayed due to a contract issue requiring the project to be rebid. The closest branch is Boudreau (245 Concord Ave.). We apologize for the inconvenience and will share updates as they are available. Thank you for your understanding. 

Upcoming Events

This Sunday, September 22, join us for coffee, snacks, and library card registration at the Main Library in celebration of National Library Card Sign-Up Month! 

 

 

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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

 

Wellness for Older Adults: Zumba Gold (Virtual)
Monday, September 23
11-11:45 a.m. 

Put on your dancing shoes to improve flexibility and balance, strengthen muscles, and have fun! The certified Zumba Gold instructor Emily B. will lead you through 45 minutes of low-impact and easy choreography in your own home through Zoom. Join us! Registration for each session is required. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event.

Banned Books Readout! (Central Square)
Monday, September 23
4:30-5:30 p.m.

Join the Central Square Branch and the Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission to celebrate Banned Books Week by bringing your favorite banned or challenged book to share. You can read aloud from your book or librarians can read for you! We will provide a selection of banned or challenged books. Snacks and pizza will be provided! 

Chess Hour (Boudreau)
Monday, September 23
5-6 p.m. 

Come join us for a chess challenge. Players of all ages and skill levels are welcome. Chess sets will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. This is not an instructional class, but rather a gathering for individuals who want to test their skills against other members of the community. No registration is required. Simply drop by and challenge yourself to improve your mastery of this classic game! If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 617-349-4017 or via e-mail: ipachoncaballero@cambridgema.gov or mmcglathery@cambridgema.gov.  

CPL and the Harvard Book Store Present Clara Bingham (Main)
Monday, September 23
6-7:30 p.m.

Harvard Book Store and the Library welcome Clara Bingham—an award-winning journalist and the author of Witness to the Revolution, Women on the Hill—for a discussion of her new book, The Movement: How Women's Liberation Transformed America 1963-1973. She will be talking with Judy Norsigian, Joan Ditzion, Jane Pincus, and Norma Swenson, co-authors of the groundbreaking book Our Bodies, Ourselves. Registration is required.

Honoring Choices Webinar: What's in Your Plan? (Virtual)
Tuesday, September 24
10-11 a.m.

Come join the Cambridge Council on Aging and Ellen DiPaola, the president of Honoring Choices Massachusetts, to learn how to make your own care plan and outline your directives to get good care today and throughout your life. We will review a simple step-by-step process to learn how to make your own plan and complete a Massachusetts Health Care Proxy and Personal Directive. This is an online event.

Sit 'n' Knit (Main)

Tuesday, September 24 

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. 

Teen Advisory Board (Main)
Tuesday, September 24
4-5 p.m.

Teens! Help us plan teen programs for the Library! Earn community service hours! Enjoy free snacks! We meet monthly during the school year. No registration is required. Stop by the Teen Room or call 617-349-4027 to learn more.

Free Drop-in Tutoring for Teens (Main)
Tuesday, September 24, & Wednesday, September 25
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 the Teen Room or call 617-349-4027 to learn more.

Banned Books Week/Celebrate Freedom to Read: Quiet Reading Party & Discussion (Valente)
Tuesday, September 24
6-7:30 p.m.

Join us to celebrate Banned Books Week by reading quietly for one hour followed by an optional brief discussion of what you've read. We will provide a selection of banned and challenged books; you are welcome to bring your own as well. We will provide pizza and snacks. Registration is required.

Knitting Group (Boudreau)

Tuesday, September 24 

6:30-7:30 p.m. 

 

Bring your project, yarn, and needles to enjoy an hour in the company of other crafters. Registration is not required.

 

Wellness for Older Adults: Tai Chi Paradigm-Intermediate (Main)

Wednesday, September 25 

10-11 a.m. 

  

Join us in this 12-week Tai Chi Paradigm practice, which focuses on the mind and body connection. Tai Chi is a fluid sequence of movements choreographed in a low-impact routine. Due to the popularity of Sifu Diaz's classes, we expect participants to attend all sessions. Participants are decided by lottery and have been notified.

 

Fiber Crafts Group, Drop-In (O'Connell)

Wednesday, September 25 

11 a.m.-12:30 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. All crafts are welcome! Registration is not required.

Read to a Dog (O'Connell)
Wednesday, September 25
4-5 p.m.

Read with Bowie the Therapy Dog from Pets & People! Therapy dogs provide warm and nonjudgmental reading companions for new or experienced readers of all ages. Registration for each 10-minute time slot is required and begins a week in advance. Sign up by phone or in person at the O'Connell Branch (617-349-4019).

Aging with Mindfulness (Virtual)
Thursday, September 26
9:30-10:30 a.m. 

This 8-week program will use mindfulness techniques to help us examine and regulate everyday life changes with a focus on aging. Participants will benefit from the development of a mindfulness practice to enable responding to getting older in a calm, clear, and thoughtful manner. It is led by Zeenat Potia, a meditation teacher with over 15 years of training and experience. Registration is required. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. 

Puzzle Party (Main)
Thursday, September 26
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.

Read to a Dog (Valente)

Thursday, September 26

3:30-5 p.m.

 

Read to Dante, our local cuddly therapy dog! Trained therapy dogs provide warm and non-judgmental reading companions for new or experienced readers up to age 14. Registration for each 15-minute time slot is required and begins on Thursday, September 19 by calling or visiting the Valente Branch (617-349-4015). 

 

Latinísimo! (Main)
Thursday, September 26
6-8 p.m.

Opera on Tap Boston celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month with "Latinísimo," a concert highlighting the substantial musical heritage of the Spanish-speaking world.

Join us for an unforgettable evening of the countless musical contributions of Hispanic and Latino composers in opera, art song, folk music, and more. This rare program offers a special opportunity to experience the rich and vibrant contributions of Latin American composers to the classical music landscape.

Mark your calendars and be a part of this joyous celebration of music, culture, and community! 

 

Fiber Arts Circle (Central Square)

Thursday, September 26 

7-8 p.m. 

  

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

 

Wellness for Older Adults: Tai Chi Paradigm-Beginner (Main)

Friday, September 27 

10-11 a.m. 

  

Join us in this 12-week Tai Chi Paradigm practice, which focuses on the mind and body connection. Tai Chi is a fluid sequence of movements choreographed in a low-impact routine. Due to the popularity of Sifu Diaz's classes, we expect participants to attend all sessions. Participants are decided by lottery.

 

Coffee, Cribbage, and Chess! (Boudreau)
Friday, September 27
11 a.m.-Noon

Join us on the fourth Friday of the month for coffee, treats, and games (chess, cribbage, Rummikub, etc.). Bring a friend or meet a new one at the Library! 

CPL Nature Club: Elder Walk (Main)
Saturday, September 28
10:30-11:30 a.m.

Join our guide Stefanie Haug while exploring nature and celebrating Elderhood. Dr. Louise Aronson has named "Elderhood" as the penultimate vital and rich phase of human life. Nature likewise offers many examples of nonhuman Elders that also continue to grow, connect, and contribute to the world around us. As a group, we'll connect with nature mindfully with a gentle walk and draw on contemplative practices. We'll explore how nature invites us to connect from the inside out and the outside in. Come share your wisdom and celebrate your Elderhood. Please bring layered clothing, comfortable shoes, and water. 

Stefanie Haug, LICSW (she/her), guides people on journeys of self-awareness and relationship with nature as a psychotherapist and certified Mindful Outdoor Guide (Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership). 

Stay Connected

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All the best! 

Maria McCauley, Ph.D.
Director of Libraries