Programs hosted by the Library provide an opportunity for civic dialogue, conversation, and learning, which includes exploring a wide-range of views. Programs do not constitute an endorsement of beliefs by the Library, Library staff, the Library's Board of Trustees, or the City of Cambridge. Please contact Zachary Bond at zbond@cambridgema.gov with questions about Library programs and events.
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.
Events
Displaying 22 results
10:30 AM
Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St., Cambridge, MA 02139
Curious about “forest bathing” (spoiler alert: no water required) and "rewilding" yourself?
Come once or join every workshop in this 6-part series to explore the concept of "Shinrin-yoku" (“forest bathing”) which is the practice of being mindful and contemplative within nature, using all your senses. The experiential portion of the workshops will focus on our senses one at a time, workshop-by-workshop, through simple mindfulness exercises, gentle guided nature imagery, and other grounding activities that promote relaxation and (re-)connection with ourselves and with nature.
No level of physical ability or prior experience with meditation or mindfulness is necessary — just an openness to relax and explore a new way of calming and connecting.
Questions? Please email bquinlan@cambridgema.gov or call 617-349-4035.
11:00 AM
Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St., Cambridge, MA 02139
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.
For more information call Maria Balestrieri at 617-349-4013.
11:00 AM
Valente Branch, 826 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 02141
Put on your dancing shoes and join us for 20-25 minutes of songs, movement, and dancing! This event is for children and their grown-ups.
This program will take place in the Community Room. No registration is required. For more information, please call the library at (617) 349-4015.
11:00 AM
O'Neill Branch, 70 Rindge Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
We invite children of all ages and their grown-ups to join us for stories and a simple activity.
11:00 AM
Main Library, Rey Room, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
We invite children and their caregivers for 20-25 minutes of stories and songs. Designed for children 18 months to 3 years and their caregivers.
This program can accommodate 45 people. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis on the day of the program. The entire party must be present to receive a ticket. This program starts promptly. Unclaimed seats will be offered to someone waiting. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Please call 617-349-4038 for more information.
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.
11:30 AM
Main Library, Community Room, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
Join the Cambridge Public Health Department's Cambridge Healthy Smiles Program to learn more about your dental concerns as a senior:
Receive advice on changes to your brushing routine as you advance in age;
Hear a review of how oral health affects your overall health;
Pick up oral health resource sheets for dental care along with a free toothbrush kit.
Reach out to healthysmiles@challiance.org with any questions. Registration is preferred but not required.
1:00 PM
Main Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
During this reservation period, anyone who has completed Hive training and is certified to use equipment or studio(s) can reserve Hive equipment or studio spaces. Staff will assist participants as they are able.
1:00 PM
Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St., Cambridge, MA 02139
Join us for an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Class. This class will be taught at an high beginner level. No testing is needed.. For more information call Maria Balestrieri at 617-349-4013.
2:30 PM
Valente Branch, 826 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 02141
Join us for an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Class. This class will be taught at a beginner level.
All are welcome.
No registration is necessary. No testing is needed.
For more information call Maria Balestrieri at 617-349-4013 or Kerri McQuown at 617-349-4015
2:30 PM
Main Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
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, mend,...
Refreshments will be provided.
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.
3:00 PM
Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St., Cambridge, MA 02139
Join us for an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Class. This class will be taught at an advanced level. No testing is needed.. For more information call Maria Balestrieri at 617-349-4013.
3:30 PM
Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St., Cambridge, MA 02139
Looking for some basic computer or mobile device guidance? Want help using an online resource? Need someone to read your resume and support navigating online job applications? Join us for our drop-in help hours between 4 and 6pm. No registration required.
If you have any questions, please contact library@cambridgema.gov
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.
3:30 PM
Main Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
Innovators for Purpose (iFp) Studio is a teen-powered design and innovation program where teens channel their energy and creative vision to imagine and build a better world. Blending art, design, science, technology, and storytelling within a social justice framework, teens engage in real-world client-sponsored projects. Teens are invited to learn more on the iFp website and submit an application .
4:00 PM
Main Library, Rey Room, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
We invite children and their caregivers for 20-25 minutes of stories and songs. Recommended for children ages 3-5.
This program can accommodate 45 people. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis on the day of the program. The entire party must be present to receive a ticket. This program starts promptly. Unclaimed seats will be offered to someone waiting. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Please call 617-349-4038 for more information.
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.
4:30 PM
Main Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
In Innovators for Purpose (iFp) Labs, students dive into the exciting world of social robots—machines designed to interact, learn, and connect. From brainstorming ideas to building prototypes, students explore how AI and robotics can foster fairer, more inclusive communities. They design robots that serve as friendly companions, offering support, connection, and solutions to real-world challenges. Teens in 7th and 8th grade are invited to learn more and apply on the iFp website: Innovators for Purpose.
Skills Learned: Human-Centered Design, Mechanics, Electronics, Computer Programming, AI, and more.
Innovators for Purpose (iFp) is a Cambridge-based nonprofit that inspires high-potential, diverse young people to discover their passions, develop innovative mindsets and cultivate marketable skills to solve problems they care most about. Summer Studio teens are funded in part through the Mayor's Summer Youth Employment Program. The Cambridge Public Library STEAM Academy is part of Cambridge STEAM Initiative's efforts to enhance and expand students’ access to quality STEAM learning experiences. Made possible by generous support from the Eric and Jane Nord Family Fund and Verizon.
5:00 PM
Main Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
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 required. Stop by the Teen Room or call 617-349-4027 to learn more.
5:30 PM
Central Square Branch, 45 Pearl St., Cambridge, MA 02139
Bounces and rhymes for our youngest library patrons. Recommended for babies 0-18 months and their caregivers.
6:00 PM
Main Library, Lecture Hall, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
Join Ora Grodsky, the author of Justice, Love, and Organizational Healing: A Guide to Transformational Consulting in a discussion about her new book.
Ora Grodsky is a mission-driven organizational development consultant with over 25 years of experience. She is a holistic practitioner who combines training in acupuncture, non-profit management expertise, extensive study of organizational development, and commitment to compassion and justice.
Ora will be in conversation about the book and organizational healing with dear colleagues and friends—consultants and facilitators also dedicated to justice and liberation:
Joyce Shabazz
Melinda Barbosa
Daniel Michaud Weinstock
Jeremy Philips
6:30 PM
O'Neill Branch, 70 Rindge Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140
People of all ages who enjoy children's books can read and discuss together. Food will be provided. This month we will be reading and discussing New Kid by Jerry Craft. Please pick up a copy of the book beforehand at the O'Neill Branch Library.
This book group will meet in person at the O'Neill Branch Library. Please register below.
6:30 PM
Boudreau Branch, 245 Concord Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138
Bring your project, yarn and needles to enjoy an hour in the company of other crafters.
6:30 PM
Main Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
In January 2020, the largest and most eagerly awaited cache of new materials written by the Nobel-Prize-winning poet T. S. Eliot was finally opened: the 1,131 letters he sent Emily Hale, his little-known American love, over the course of their lifetimes. Their relationship was, in their own words, an “unnatural” love affair, one that began in Cambridge in 1913, when Eliot was a graduate student at Harvard and Hale, an aspiring amateur actress, and that played out in Boston, England and California over the years.
Named as one of its "Fifty Notable Non-fiction Books of 2024" by the Washington Post, Fitzgerald's biography of Hale is based on the embargoed letters and extensive research into Hale’s life and times. Hale was much more than just a muse to a literary celebrity. She overcame personal hardship to pursue a career as a professor of speech and drama at prominent American women’s colleges and schools, including Simmons and Smith Colleges and Abbot and Concord Academies. She was a talented amateur actress and director, who performed at many Boston area theaters and later guided Eliot as he tried his hand at playwriting. But in the end, Eliot disavowed her, sending a secret letter to Harvard in 1960 that claimed his love for Hale was that of “a ghost for a ghost,” and confirming that he had arranged for Hale’s side of their 27-year correspondence to be destroyed. In the words of The Washington Post reviewer, “Missing letters, a secret love affair, a famous poet, a beautiful actress—what else could you possibly want in a story?"
Sara Fitzgerald is a retired journalist whose career included fifteen years as an editor and new media developer for The Washington Post. In 2020, she also published The Poet’s Girl: A Novel of Emily Hale and T. S. Eliot. Since then, her essays about Hale have appeared in multiple volumes of the Journal of the T. S. Eliot Society and the T. S. Eliot Studies Annual. She has presented at the annual meetings of the Modern Language Association, the American Historical Association, the International T. S. Eliot Society, and at the T. S. Eliot Summer School at Oxford. She is also the author of the biography, Elly Peterson: “Mother” of the Moderates and Conquering Heroines: How Women Fought Sex Bias at Michigan and Paved the Way for Title IX.
7:30 PM
Main Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138
Are you interested in podcasting, audio production, or video production? The Hive has two state-of-the-art recording studios! Join this workshop to become familiar with studio equipment and software. Registration is required.
You must complete Hive Safety Training before registering for this workshop.