Summer Reading: An Evening with Lola the Plant Lady (Main)
In this 60-minute workshop, participants will learn the fundamentals of houseplant care, including how to choose the right plants for their space, understand light and watering needs, and troubleshoot common issues. The session also introduces the concept of “plantuition”—a more intuitive approach to plant care that encourages observation and confidence. This workshop is especially suited for renters, beginners, and anyone working with limited space or budget.
Medicinal Plant Walk (O'Neill/Danehy Park)
Join herbalist Mo Katz-Christy for a walk through Danehy Park to identify plants and their medicinal uses! We will explore weeds and cultivated plants, trees and shrubs, with plenty of time for questions and conversation. Bring a notebook if you like. Meet us at the parking lot on Sherman Street (if you’re late you should be able to find us – we won’t move too far too fast!). Registration is required.
CANCELLED: Intermediate ESOL Class (Saint James Church)
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.
CPL PARK SOUNDS 2025: Juneteenth Celebration with the Dave Macklin Band
The Library celebrates Juneteenth with the Dave Macklin Band as they pay tribute to the musical contributions of Black artists.
PARK SOUNDS 2025 brings free outdoor musical performances featuring local artists to the front lawn of the Cambridge Public Library Main Branch. These events are all-ages. Bring a chair, food, and loved ones to celebrate the summer! Funding is provided by the CPL Foundation.
Teen Advisory Board (Main)
Teens, we need YOU:
Earn community service hours while you help to plan programs and activities for other teens.
Practice collaboration, communication, leadership and social skills.
Learn more about the Library’s mission and values.
Be a creative force for positive change in your community!
Are there programs and activities you would like to see at the Library? Come share your ideas! We meet monthly during the school year. No registration is required, and new members and guests are always welcomed. Stop by the Teen Room or call 617-349-4027 to learn more.
Reading of the Combahee River Collective Statement (Central Square)
“If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression.”
- Combahee River Collective, April 1977
Come to the Central Square Library to gather for a reading of the Combahee River Collective (CRC) statement. Centered in Black feminist lesbian socialist politics, the CRC argued for the centering of anti-racist and anti-sexist politics within feminist and civil rights organizing respectively. Though the CRC is no longer active, its work and its members continue to have deep influence in Black feminism and beyond.
We will read the statement aloud together, sharing the words and wisdom of the Combahee River Collective with opportunity to discuss their continued resonance.
This event will be followed by a 4-session reading group to discuss the second edition of How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. For more information and to register for the reading group, please see here.
This event was created in partnership with Community Conversations: Sister to Sister, the Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission, and the Cambridge Women’s Commission.
Dove of Peace: Art Treasures and History from the Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association (Main)
Join us as we celebrate the official acceptance of the Cambridge-Yerevan Sister City Association Records into the Cambridge Public Library’s Archives and Special Collections. Learn about the collection and three significant objects given by Yerevan to the city of Cambridge with guest speaker, Gary Lind-Sinanian, Collections Curator of the Armenian Museum of America. We’ll be treated to a selection of traditional Armenian music sung by a local student. A sampling of hors d’oeuvres and Eastern Armenian desserts will be served following the program.