Director's Update, May 11, 2025

iPhone and iPad Basics - How to clean up your phone memory (Main)
Tuesday, May 13
11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Learn how to manage and clean up your iPhone's memory. To view and register for other Basic Tech Classes at the Library, please go to tinyurl.com/basictechclass. Registration is encouraged but not required.

Sit 'n' Knit (Main)
Tuesday, May 13
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, May 13, Wednesday, May 14, and Thursday, May 15
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.

John Cassidy presents: Capitalism and Its Critics (Main)
Tuesday, May 13
6-7:30 p.m.

Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome John Cassidy—staff writer at The New Yorker and author of the books Dot.con: The Greatest Story Ever Sold and How Markets Fail, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction—for a discussion of his new book Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI. Registration is required.

'Froca Fitness: Event Series (Main)
Tuesday, May 13
6-7:30 p.m.

Back By Popular Demand: Join us at the Central Square Branch- Lewis Room for an hour of electrifying, hip-whining, and upbeat African and Caribbean fusion dance fitness class with founder and instructor Sylver! Registration is required!

Knitting Group (Boudreau)
Tuesday, May 13
6:30-7:30 p.m.

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

CPL Nature Club: Fresh Pond Nature Walk (Collins)
Wednesday, May 14
10:15 a.m.-11:30 a.m.

Join us for a relaxing walk of Fresh Pond with Park Ranger Tim Puopolo! No two weeks are the same in nature, and Tim will share his insights about what's growing, changing, and blooming in the neighborhood. This walk is not on a paved path. We will walk on uneven terrain, down hills, and over roots. The meeting location for this walk will be in front of the Fresh Pond Ranger Station at 250 Fresh Pond Parkway (under the clock tower). Registration is required. This program is full; a waitlist is available.

Fiber Crafts Group - Drop-In (O'Connell)
Wednesday, May 14
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!

CPL Nature Club: Nature Story Time at Alewife Brook Reservation (O'Neill)
Wednesday, May 14
11 a.m.-12 p.m.

Children and families can join us for an outdoor story time and short walk at Alewife Brook Reservation. We will meet at the seating area on the bike path near the Alewife Brook Pathway and DCR Wetland Boardwalk: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CC32nJqG1Xk3b5zDA. There is no parking available on-site. Parking is available at Alewife MBTA station or limited on-street parking on Cambridgepark Drive. No registration is required. In case of bad weather, this event will be cancelled, and the listing will be updated on the website. Please call 617-349-4023 with any questions, including day-of weather cancellations.

Wednesdays of Wonder - W.O.W.! (O'Neill)
Wednesday, May 14
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 paper garlands.

Wednesdays of Wonder - W.O.W.! (Valente)
Wednesday, May 14
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.

Family Board Game Night (Valente)
Wednesday, May 14
5:30-6:30 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 for this drop-in event. This event is recommended for children ages 5 and up, with their caregivers. Contact the library at 617-349-4015 for more information.

Short Story Reading Group (Central Square)
Wednesday, May 14
6-7:30 p.m.

Drop by the Central Square Branch's Lewis Room to read and discus a short story together. Copies of the story will be provided, along with snacks. No preparation or registration required!

The Captain’s Coup: Reviving Wilfred Burchett's Activist Journalism about the Portuguese Carnation Revolution (Main)
Wednesday, May 14
6-7:30 p.m.

Join Professors Daniela Melo and Timothy Walker, the co-editors of a new scholarly edition of legendary Australian journalist Wilfred Burchett’s writing on the Portuguese “Carnation” Revolution, in a discussion of this new edition-- published in English for the first-time (Verso Books, UK). Melo and Walker will discuss how Burchett’s reporting sought to demonstrate the power and strength of popular mobilizations during the Revolution, shifting the focus away from political elites toward mobilized citizens. This event is cosponsored by the Consul General of Portugal in Boston and the Cambridge Public Library. Registration is required.

CPL Nature Club: Elder Walks (O'Neill)
Thursday, May 15
10:30-11:30 a.m.

Join guide Stefanie Haug while exploring our neighborhood nature and celebrating Elderhood. As a group we'll connect with nature and the neighborhood mindfully with a gentle walk and draw on contemplative practices. Registration is required.

What to bring: layered clothing, comfortable shoes and water.
Where to meet: O'Neill entrance on Rindge Avenue.

Puzzle Party (Main)
Thursday, May 15
2:30-3:30 p.m.

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

Fiber Arts Circle (Central Square)
Thursday, May 15
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!

The Age of Love Screening at the CPL (Main)
Thursday, May 15
4-6:30 p.m.

The Age of Love follows the poignant adventures of thirty seniors who attend a first-of-its-kind Speed Dating event for 70- to 90-year-olds, and discover how the search for love changes — or doesn’t change — from first love to the far reaches of life. Playful and revealing, wise and inspiring, the speed daters both engage and enlighten with a candor that puts media stereotypes to shame. Just as we’re all destined to age, and the aged were all once young, we suddenly come to realize just how much, and how little, our hearts change over a lifetime. The film's director, Steven Loring, will join us virtually after the film for an audience Q&A. Presented in partnership with the Cambridge Council on Aging and the Living Well Network.

Being with Trees Creatively: Watercolor! (Main)

Thursday, May 15
4:30-6:30 p.m.

Combine your love for art and Spring, here at the Library! This art class will be a hybrid of indoor and outdoor time. Allowing you to get up close with trees and take artistic observations of your surroundings. All supplies will be provided but please bring any protective gear (hats, sunscreen, water) in the event of hot weather. Registration is required.

Jamie Loftus presents: Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs (Main)
Thursday, May 15
6-7:30 p.m.

Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Jamie Loftus—comedian, Emmy-nominated TV writer, and podcaster—to celebrate the paperback release of her New York Times bestseller Raw Dog: The Naked Truth About Hot Dogs. She will be joined in conversation by Tori Bedford—Associate Producer for Boston Public Radio. Registration is required.

Overflow Study and Hang (Central Square)
Friday, May 16
3-5 p.m.

Drop in the Central Square Branch’s Lewis Room for extra space to study and hang out. Supplies will be provided to color, do puzzles, and play games. No registration required!  

Rise Up! / Levé!: Celebrating the Haitian Revolution of 1804 (O'Neill)
Friday, May 16
4:30-5:45 p.m.

Join us to celebrate Haiti's people, culture and history at the O'Neill Branch Library with local organization, Wee the People. We will celebrate one of Haiti's biggest national holidays -- Haitian Flag Day -- and explore the slave revolt that defeated Europe's most powerful armies. Families with children ages 5 and up will make Haitian Hero Shields with the colors of the Haitian flag. No registration required.

Levez-vous !
Célébration de la révolution haïtienne de 1804

Rejoignez-nous pour célébrer le peuple, la culture et l'histoire d'Haïti avec l'organisation locale Wee the People. Pour les familles avec des enfants de 5 ans et plus. Aucune inscription n'est requise.

Levé!
Selebre Revolisyon 1804 Ayisyen an

Rejwenn nou pou selebre pèp, kilti ak istwa Ayiti avèk òganizasyon lokal, Wee the People. Pou fanmi ki gen timoun ki gen laj 5 an oswa plis. Okenn enskripsyon pa obligatwa.

Pysanky Egg Decorating Workshop (Main)
Saturday, May 17
1-3:30 p.m.

In this workshop, you will learn the history of Pysanky, the centuries old tradition of Ukrainian egg decorating. In this process-based workshop, participants will create and take home their very own special Ukrainian pysanka. All materials will be provided. Registration is required.

3rd Annual Spelling Bee Finals (Main)
Saturday, May 17
2-4 p.m.

Join us for the 3rd Annual Spelling Bee. The spelling bee aims to enhance the spelling and vocabulary skills of contestants while promoting reading, writing, and appreciation for the power of words. Cosponsored by the Fletcher Maynard Academy, My Brothers Keeper Cambridge, Sisters with a Dream, and Cambridge Public Library. 

Nintendo Switch Party (Valente)

Saturday, May 17
2-4 p.m.

We will be using library consoles to enjoy multiplayer games. This program is for families with children aged 7-13 and their caretakers. 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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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.