Director's Update, January 5, 2025

Dear Patrons,

Happy New Year! Kick off 2025 with some Library events. On Tuesday, January 7, from 6-8 p.m., join us at the Central Square Branch for a cozy evening crafting your own vision board. Supplies will be provided, just bring your merry self!

On Wednesday, January 8, from 7-8:30 p.m., you’re invited to our January Brewery Book Club, where Lamplighter and the Cambridge Public Library team up to highlight contemporary works from marginalized voices while having a beer. This month we’ll read The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley.

Celebrate the 50th year of the Library’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day Lecture Series on Thursday, January 9, from 7-8:30 p.m. Lady Lee and the New Awakenings Band bring the fun and the tunes to the Central Square Branch's Lewis Room - the original location of the lecture series. Check out the Central Square Branch's Black Voies Collection, learn the history of the MLK, Jr. Day Lecture Series, and help us celebrate this iconic milestone!  Refreshments will be provided. Registration is preferred but not required.

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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                   

• One-on-One Tech Help
• Basic Tech Class

Wellness for Older Adults: Low-Impact Fitness (Valente/Virtual)
Monday, January 6
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 for each session is required. 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 27th or February 3rd.

Board Game Afternoon for Teens (Valente)
Monday, January 6
3:30-5 p.m.

Join us for a chill afternoon of gaming with friends! The library will provide food. This event is recommended for teens and preteens.

Intro to LinkedIn Learning (Main)
Tuesday, January 7
11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Learn how to access LinkedIn Learning with your Cambridge Public Library card, for free! LinkedIn Learning is an online educational site with thousands of courses in business, software, technology, and creative skills. LinkedIn Learning can be used in English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, and Portuguese.  To view and register for other Basic Tech Classes at the Library, please go to tinyurl.com/basictechclass.

Sit 'n' Knit (Main)
Tuesday, January 7
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.  

Free Drop-in Tutoring for Teens (Main)
Tuesday, January 7, Wednesday, January 8, and Thursday, January 9
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. 

Collage Event (Central Square)
Tuesday, January 7
6-8 p.m.

Join us at the Central Square Branch for a cozy evening crafting your own vision board. Supplies will be provided, just bring your merry self!

Knitting Group (Boudreau)
Tuesday, January 7
6:30-7:30 p.m.

Bring your project, yarn and needles to enjoy an hour in the company of other crafters.

Fiber Crafts Group Drop-In (O’Connell)
Wednesday, January 8
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.

Baby Sign with Sheryl White of Baby Kneads (O’Neill)
Wednesday, January 8
11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Join Sheryl White of Baby Kneads for an introduction to sign language for caregivers and babies. In this one-hour class, participants will:

• Learn the benefits of signing with babies
• Learn and practice several signs
• Watch the instructor sign with your baby
• Learn how to teach American Sign Language to your child

This program is appropriate for babies two months of age or older and pre-verbal. The program can accommodate 15 babies and their caregivers; multiple caregivers are welcome. Please contact the Library if you will be bringing more than one child, including an older sibling.

iPhone and iPad Essentials for Better Tech Habits (Main)
Wednesday, January 8
11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Want to learn more about the basic functions of an iPhone or iPad? Learn how to get online, identify common apps, and build your confidence in using your device safely. To view and register for other Basic Tech Classes at the Library, please go to tinyurl.com/basictechclass.

Wednesdays of Wonder - W.O.W.! (O'Neill)
Wednesday, January 8
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 be doing activities inspired by characters from Mo Willems' books!

Tween Hangout (Main)
Wednesday, January 8
4-5 p.m.

Every Wednesday from 4 – 4:45 PM 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.  

Family Board Game Night (Valente)
Wednesday, January 8
5:30-7 p.m.

Challenge your family or meet new friends over board games in the Community Room at Valente. The library will supply games and snacks. No registration is required.

Cambridge Cooks with Tasty Mo:Mo! (Main)
Wednesday, January 8
6-7 p.m.

Chef Sophie Thakali, owner of Tasty Mo:Mo teaches how to make momos, a dumpling found in Nepal and Tibet. Cambridge Cooks invites local chefs for a free cooking demonstration, followed by a Q&A with the chef.  Registration is required. This event is full, but a waitlist is available.

Brewery Book Club (Lamplighter)
Wednesday, January 8
7-8:30 p.m.

You’re invited to our January Brewery Book Club, where Lamplighter and the Cambridge Public Library team up to highlight contemporary works from marginalized voices while having a beer. This month we’ll read The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley.

Aging with Mindfulness (Virtual)
Thursday, January 9
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. Registration is required.

Puzzle Party (Main)
Thursday, January 9
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 Main Library.

Read to a Dog (Valente)
Thursday, January 9
3:30-5 p.m.

Read to Dante, our local cuddly therapy dog! Trained therapy dogs provide warm and non-judgmental reading companions for new or experienced readers up to age 14. Registration for each 15-minute time slot is required and begins on Thursday, January 2 by calling or visiting the Valente Branch (617-349-4015). 

Fiber Arts Circle (Central Square)
Thursday, January 9
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 9

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.

The four workshops are as follows:

• January 9, 2025: Finding The Topic Within The Topic
• 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. Follow the links above to each session's registration page.

MLK Jr. Day Celebration (Central Square)
Thursday, January 9
7-8:30 p.m.

The Cambridge Public Library celebrates the 50th year of our Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Lecture Series with festivities for all. Lady Lee and the New Awakenings Band bring the fun and the tunes to the Central Square Branch's Lewis Room - the original location of the lecture series. Check out the Central Square Branch's Black Voices Collection, learn the history of the MLK, Jr. Day Lecture Series, and help us celebrate this iconic milestone!  Refreshments will be provided. Registration is preferred but not required.

Coffee and Games for Adults (Valente)
Friday, January 10
11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Join us at the Valente Branch for coffee and games. We have Scrabble, cribbage, cards, Bananagrams, chess, checkers, Boggle and more!

Expressive Art for Older Adults: Open Studio (Main)
Friday, January 10
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 is required for each session. 

Kids’ Zine Collective (O’Neill)
Friday, January 10
4-5 p.m.

What's a zine? And how do I make one? Come find out! Kids are invited to explore making, copying, sharing, and swapping zines. Making zines will include activities like writing, drawing, and using a photocopier. For kids ages 7 and up. Snacks are provided!

Family Switch Party (Valente)
Saturday, January 11
2-4 p.m.

Join our Nintendo Switch party! We will be using library consoles to enjoy multiplayer games. This program is for children ages 5 and up and their families.

This program can accommodate 16 gamers. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis on the day of the program. The gamer must be present to receive a ticket. This program starts promptly, and any unclaimed spots will be offered to someone waiting. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Please call 617-349-4015 for further details.

 

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Stay Connected                          

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All the best!
Maria McCauley, Ph.D.                       

Director of Libraries                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  +++

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.