Director's Update, January 12, 2025

Dear Patrons,

Celebrate the 50^th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Lecture on Tuesday, January 14, from 6-7:30 p.m. at the Main Library.  Our keynote speaker is Reginald Dwayne Betts, the founder and director of Freedom Reads, an organization that aims to build libraries in prisons all across the country and transform the lives of incarcerated people.

A poet and lawyer, Betts is the author of four books. A 2021 MacArthur Fellow, his latest collection of poetry, Felon, was awarded the American Book Award and an NAACP Image Award. Betts holds a J.D. from Yale Law School. The event will also include a performance of Lift Every Voice and Sing by Pelaiah Auset. This event is sponsored by the Office of Mayor E. Denise Simmons, the City Manager's Office, Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge Public Library Foundation, and MBK Cambridge. Registration is required.

CPL in the News 
I was pleased to speak with Josh Miller, the editor of the Camberville and Beyond newsletter about the popularity of Romance novels in public libraries. You can read more about my conversation with Josh in the most recent edition of the Camberville and Beyond newsletter. The Boston Globe also published a review of the most popular titles across Massachusetts this year: Checking out what’s been checked out in 2024. A few CPL staff members also provided cozy book recommendations for the Cambridge Day. Check out the list if you’re looking for a cozy, winter read!

American Sign Language with Mango Languages

You can now learn American Sign Language with Mango partner ASL Inside! Mango Languages is designed to equip you with conversational abilities from the very start. Whether you're learning how to order a pizza or ask when the game starts, Mango immerses you in real, everyday conversations in over 70 languages and dialects. It also features English language courses designed for speakers of over 20 languages. For a tutorial of the program, you can visit this YouTube video. Learn more about the Library’s E-books and Online Resources.

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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: Low-impact Fitness (Valente)
Monday, January 13
11-11:45 a.m.  
  
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 is required for each session. This is a hybrid event, available online and screened at the Valente Branch. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. Class will not be available at the Valente Branch on January 27 or February 3.

Make your own Slime (O'Neill)
Monday, January 13
3:30-4:30 p.m.

Kids in 6th, 7th and 8th grade can come to the Library to make their own customized slime! All supplies will be provided, as well as snacks. No registration necessary.

Chess Hour (Boudreau)
Monday, January 13
5-6 p.m.

Come join us at the Boudreau branch for a chess challenge. Players of all skill levels and all ages are welcome to participate. Chess sets will be provided, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer. This is not an instructional class, but rather a gathering for individuals who want to play and test their skills against other members of the community. There's no need to register in advance - 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 email: ipachoncaballero@cambridgema.gov or mmcglathery@cambridgema.gov.

Sit 'n' Knit (Main) 
Tuesday, January 14
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.

Board Game Night for Adults (Valente)
Tuesday, January 14
6-7:30 p.m. 

Join us for an evening of board games. We have: Wingspan, Ticket to Ride, Settlers of Catan, Azul, Splendor, Scrabble, chess, checkers, Boggle, Bananagrams, and more! Feel free to bring a board game to play with others. We will provide pizza and beverages. Registration is helpful.

Free Drop-in Tutoring for Teens (Main)
Tuesday, January 14, Wednesday, January 15, and Thursday, January 16
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 or call 617-349-4027 to learn more.

Knitting Group (Boudreau)
Tuesday, January 14
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.

Fiber Crafts Group - Drop-In (O'Connell)
Wednesday, January 15
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. Knit, embroider, crochet, spin, mend, cross stitch, and more. All crafts are welcome! Registration is not required.

Wednesdays of Wonder - W.O.W.! (O'Neill)
Wednesday, January 15
2:30-4 p.m.

Come to the Library for games and a different activity each week! Kids of all ages can hang out and do crafts or STEAM activities. No registration required. This week we will make art inspired by books.

Papercraft: Snowflakes (O'Connell)
Wednesday, January 15
3:30-5 p.m.

Celebrate the winter season with an afternoon craft at O'Connell Branch.  We'll provide supplies and instructions to cut traditional snowflakes and advanced 3-D versions using multiple sheets of paper.  Recommended for ages 5 and up with a caregiver. Teens and adults are welcome!

Tween Hang Out (Main)
Wednesday, January 15
4-4:45 p.m.

Every Wednesday from 4 – 4:45 p.m. we’re opening up the Curious George Room on the third floor for ages 10 –12 to snack, craft, relax, and play video games. We invite all tweens to make this space their own! There are no tickets or registration required. Please call 617-349-4038 for more information.  

Wiggle Party (O'Connell)
Wednesday, January 15
5:30-6 p.m.

Join us for a dance party to get your wiggles out! Play a freeze dance game, shake some shakers, and learn the steps to the Macarena and the Electric Slide! This program will take place indoors at the O'Connell Branch Library. For more information, please call the library at (617) 349-4019. 

Boudreau Movie Night: Winnie the Pooh (Boudreau)
Wednesday, January 15
6-7:30 p.m.

Join us at the Boudreau Branch as we watch the 2011 film Winnie the Pooh. There will be pizza available! No registration required.

Winter Biking Basics Workshop (Valente)
Wednesday, January 15
5:45-6:45 p.m.

Learn the basics of biking in winter offered by the Cambridge Community Development Department. Registration is required.

Wednesday Night Creative Writing Group (Main)
Wednesday, January 15
6:30-8:30 p.m.

Writers of all experience levels are invited to join a casual, peer-supported writing group. In this group, participants take turns bringing short in-progress or completed pieces of any genre. The group reads several pieces each month, sharing feedback and constructive criticism in a supportive and inclusive environment. We may practice in-class writing exercises and read samples of published writing as time allows. Registration is required. This workshop is full; a waitlist is available. For more information, please email Susannah at sbtkacz@cambridgema.gov.

Aging with Mindfulness (Virtual)
Thursday, January 16
9-10 a.m.

This program, led by Zeenat Potia, will introduce and utilize mindfulness techniques to help us examine and regulate everyday life changes with a focus on aging.  Participants will learn and benefit from the development of a mindfulness practice to enable responding to getting older in a calm, clear and thoughtful manner. Presented in Partnership with Cambridge Insight Meditation Center (CIMC).  Rooted in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, CIMC is a welcoming refuge and teaching Center for all who seek inner peace through the liberating practice of Insight Meditation (vipassana).  As an urban center, and now as an online community, CIMC is dedicated to the integration of practice into every aspect of community and daily life.  Visit the CIMC Website. Registration is required.  This is a virtual event. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event.

Puzzle Party (Main)
Thursday, January 16
2:30-3:30 p.m.

Join our librarians for tea, cookies and a jigsaw puzzle. An hour of fun and conversation on a Thursday afternoon at the Cambridge Main Library.

Fiber Arts Circle (Central Square)
Thursday, January 16
4-5 p.m.

Bring your project and join other fiber crafters in your community! Crochet, sew, embroider, knit, cross stitch, spin, mend, and more at this informal drop-in fiber arts circle. All crafts are welcome!

Writing Workshop: Finding and Refining Your Voice in Nonfiction (Main)
Thursday, January 16
6:30-8 p.m.

This series of four workshops – which can be taken independently or sequentially – will help you nurture your unique perspective in nonfiction. We will cover how to refine your topic, research effectively, define your point of view, and build effective arguments and narratives. This will be suitable for writers of many types of nonfiction – essays, feature writing, creative nonfiction, biography, cultural criticism, memoir, and more. This workshop is full; a waitlist is available.

The four workshops are as follows:

• January 16, 2025: Fruitful (And Less Boring) Research
• January 23, 2025: Argumentative Makeover! Defining Your POV
• January 30, 2025: Building An Argument That Sticks

Note: Because these workshops can be taken independently, patrons must register for each session they wish to attend.

Expressive Art for Older Adults: Beading Workshop (Valente)
Friday, January 17
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Join jeweler Zanga Freeman and Learn the basics of beaded jewelry making and the difference between semi-precious stones and precious stones.  Participants will keep all the pieces they make. This will be an in-person program at the Valente Branch. Registration is required.

Central Square Shares the Love: Community Mosaic (Central Square)
Friday, January 17
1-2 p.m.

Contribute to the Central Square Library Branch's Community Mosaic and share what you love about Central Square and the Central Square Branch Library. In February, we'll display our community contributions on our On the Wall gallery. Throughout the month of January, we're inviting patrons of all ages into the Library to contribute through our community art sessions. For this session, we'll have drawing supplies. All supplies will be provided.

Expressive Arts for Older Adults: Open Studio (Main)
Friday, January 17
1:30-3:30 p.m.

Looking for a space to unleash your creativity? Join instructor Marguerite White, Friday afternoons January 10 through February 28, for two hours each week to work on a drawing or watercolor project of your choice.  A still-life arrangement and basic supplies will be provided.   If you have any questions, please reach out to Brynne Quinlan at bquinlan@cambridgema.gov or (617)349-4035. Registration required for each session.  

Cambridge Young Authors' Squad - CYAS (O'Neill)
Friday, January 17
4-5 p.m.

Young people ages 10 to 14 who love to write are welcome to share their ideas and writing. There will be time for share-outs/workshopping, as well as group or solo writing. Snacks are provided! If you are attending for the first time, registration is helpful but not required.

Drop-in Maker Studio (O'Neill)
Friday, January 18
1-3 p.m.

Come to the Library to create something special! Use your own supplies or try out our equipment! You can use our 1-inch button maker, 2.5-inch button maker, 3-D Doodle pens, or Janome sewing machines. The Library will provide basic supplies. This drop-in program is for people who feel comfortable using these machines on their own. The Library will not provide instruction. Anyone wishing to use the sewing machines must have completed a Sewing 101 training through the Library. Children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by an adult.

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Stay Connected                      

Please subscribe to our e-mail list, follow us on X, Instagram, or Facebook, and visit our website.                        

All the best!

Maria McCauley, Ph.D.
Director of Libraries      

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About the Cambridge Public Library:
At the Cambridge Public Library, we welcome all, inspire minds, and empower community. We support a Cambridge where everyone has equitable opportunities to learn, people live their best lives and democracy thrives. The Library’s programming provides an opportunity for civic dialogue, conversation, and learning, which includes exploring a wide range of views. Visit our website to learn more. Subscribe to our email list to stay up to date on our events here.