Search

Uncover the radical roots of urban gardening with Kate Brown, author of Tiny Gardens Everywhere (2026). The history of gardening in European and North American cities in the 20th century is a story about ordinary people working with each other—and with plants and microbes—to cultivate life in the unlikeliest of places. Using the deluge of nutrients that flow into cities, working class gardeners regenerated wasteland, built the first garden city communities, and engaged in the most productive agriculture in recorded human history. Following the plants and microbes, urban gardeners also built mutual aid societies that advocated for equity, social welfare, and rights—rights not to liberty and the pursuit of happiness (who can eat that?) but to food, fuel, and shelter; to well-being for all. Kate Brown is the Thomas M. Siebel Distinguished Professor in the History of Science at MIT. Her prize-winning books include Manual for Survival: A Chernobyl Guide to the Future (2019), Plutopia: Nuclear Families in Atomic Cities and the Great Soviet and American Plutonium Disasters (2013), and A Biography of No Place: From Ethnic Borderland to Soviet Heartland (2004). Presented in partnership with City of Cambridge Community Garden Program.

Join guide Stefanie Haug while exploring our neighborhood nature and celebrating Elderhood. As a group we'll connect with nature mindfully with a gentle walk and draw on contemplative practices. What to bring: layered clothing, comfortable shoes and water. Where to meet: outside the Boudreau entrance. Stefanie Haug, LICSW (she/her) guides people on journeys of self-awareness and relationship with nature as a local psychotherapist and certified Mindful Outdoor Guide (Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership).

February Selection - East: 120 Vegan & Vegetarian Recipes from Bangalore to Beijing by Meera Sodha Join friends and neighbors for a potluck! Try a recipe and bring your results or thoughts to share and discuss with other cooks. All experience levels welcome. No need to bring a dish to join. Books will be available for pick up at the Boudreau and Collins Branches during library hours. This event will take place indoors at the Boudreau Branch (245 Concord Ave). For more information contact Jo at jpercell@cambridgema.gov or call the Boudreau Branch at 617-349-4017.

Join friends at the O'Neill Branch to build, build, BUILD! Let your imagination run wild with LEGOs, Magna-Tiles and other building toys. The Library has plenty of LEGO pieces, so you don't need to bring your own. For children ages 5 and up. Children under age 7 must be accompanied by a caregiver. LEGO pieces are choking hazards for young children.

Socialize, Create, Play, Snack. Rotating weekly activities for Teens aged 12-18. No registration required! The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

Socialize, Create, Play, Snack. Rotating weekly activities for Teens aged 12-18. No registration required! The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

January 2026 classes will be held at Saint James Church, 1991 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140 due to repairs to the O'Neill Branch Library. Join us for an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Class. This class will be taught at an intermediate level. No testing is needed.

Join the Cambridge Public Library in welcoming Jeremy David Engels for a reading and discussion of his latest book, On Mindful Democracy: A Declaration of Interdependence to Mend a Fractured World. We find ourselves living through a time when much-needed political discourse seems to be getting increasingly inflammatory and partisan—Jeremy David Engels, in On Mindful Democracy, proposes the benefits of mindfulness in the sociopolitical sphere. Smithsonian called the book "a practical guide to staying open and curious while engaging with all sorts of people and ideas." Registration is required.

Challenge your balance and willpower, build strength and confidence! Join us for a fun intro to martial arts! We will introduce basic kicks and self-defense. Recommended for kids aged 5 to 11, along with their caregivers (kids at heart). Children under the age of 7 must be accompanied by an adult.

This class is designed for people of all levels to strengthen the muscles, the heart and the brain--all while having fun and moving to great music! Come as you are and take everything at your own pace. You will feel the benefits in mind and body! Registration for each session is required. This is a virtual event. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event.