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Join us for a beginner-friendly counted cross stitch class for adults at O'Neill! Learn the basics of cross stitching while working on a cute raccoon pattern. All materials provided – no experience needed! You'll leave with materials and a pattern to finish your cross stitch piece after class. Registration required.

Enjoy art, poetry, prose, and good company at the opening reception for the North Cambridge Arts (NoCA) exhibit at the O'Neill Branch Library. Refreshments will be served. NoCa is an association of accomplished, professional visual and performing artists living and/or working in North Cambridge with a strong commitment to the neighborhood and community. NoCa includes painters, woodworkers, sculptors, photographers, jewelry makers, fabric artists, mixed-media artists, musicians, dancers, writers and poets.

Join the Shadow, Sound, Spectacle ensemble for an evening of original live music, shadow puppetry, video projection, and gothic storytelling inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Washington Irving, Emily Dickinson, Bram Stoker, Anne Rice and more. This imaginative multimedia performance reimagines iconic gothic figures—Frankenstein’s creature, Poe’s raven, the Headless Horseman—as symbols of resistance, transformation, and queer identity. Recommended for teens and adults. Shadow, Sound, Spectacle: Literary Monsters is a collaborative performance project led by Northampton-based singer-songwriter Jess Martin (Tiny Desk Contest 2025 entrant), Boston puppeteer Amy West, and musician/visual artist Abby Hanna (Northampton-based).

Join the Shadow, Sound, Spectacle ensemble for an evening of original live music, shadow puppetry, video projection, and gothic storytelling inspired by the works of Edgar Allan Poe, Mary Shelley, Washington Irving, Emily Dickinson, Bram Stoker, Anne Rice and more. This imaginative multimedia performance reimagines iconic gothic figures—Frankenstein’s creature, Poe’s raven, the Headless Horseman—as symbols of resistance, transformation, and queer identity. Recommended for teens and adults. Shadow, Sound, Spectacle: Literary Monsters is a collaborative performance project led by Northampton-based singer-songwriter Jess Martin (Tiny Desk Contest 2025 entrant), Boston puppeteer Amy West, and musician/visual artist Abby Hanna (Northampton-based).

Join us for stories and a craft to celebrate the shortest day of the year. Come read, sing, craft and welcome back the light!

Join us for an evening of collaborative jigsaw puzzle making! Create a puzzle provided by the library or bring your favorite from home. This program is suited for children ages 5+ and their guardians.

Get creative after school! Have you ever tried drawing or writing with gel pens? These vivid and luminous colored inks add pizzazz to doodles, notes and more. See how they pop on contrasting dark papers. Recommended for children ages 6-12 and their caregivers.

September selection: The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science by Dava Sobel Reading Interests: We read mostly contemporary Fiction and Non-Fiction, with forays into older works and classics. Past selections include: Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. How to get the print book: Copies of the book are set aside at the O'Connell Branch. Click here for O'Connell Branch Hours How to get the e-book or digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as a digital audio and e-book through Hoopla. This book group meets in person at the O'Connell Branch. No registration is needed. Drop-ins welcome. For more information contact the branch at 617-349-4019.

What better way to learn about wildlife than by observing them in person? Meet local wildlife ambassadors and discover the amazing adaptations that help them survive in the wild. Ask questions and learn what you can do to protect the wildlife of Cambridge. For children of all ages and their caregivers. Funding for Summer Reading has been generously provided by the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library Foundation and Friends of the Cambridge Public Library.

Visually capture your own story in a short graphic novel format from story planning to character development and illustration. All materials are provided and no prior art experience is needed! Registration is required, and registering for the first session includes the following sessions. This program is for ages 10-18. 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.