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Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Harvey C. Mansfield—William R. Kenan, Jr., Research Professor of Government at Harvard University and recipient of the National Humanities Medal—for a discussion of his new book, The Rise and Fall of Rational Control: The History of Modern Political Philosophy. He will be joined in conversation by Eric Nelson—Robert M. Beren Professor of Government at Harvard University. Registration is required.

Join local artist, musician and educator Ben Cunningham for a transformative storytelling performance. The Story Terrarium is not your average storytelling experience—it's an educational, interactive adventure for children and families alike. No registration required. Funding for Vacation Week Programming: Live at the Library has been generously provided by the Cambridge Public Library Foundation.

Learn how to safely navigate the internet using your smartphone (iPhone or Android). You will learn how to use a web browser on your smartphone, how to use search engines, and to stay safe on the internet. This class will be delivered by a DOORS program instructor. To learn more about the DOORS program please go to: https://www.digitalpsych.org/doors-program.html To view and register for other Basic Tech Classes at the Library, please go to tinyurl.com/basictechclass. Registration is encouraged, but not required.

Experience the joy of Hip Hop Xpression with Jarell Howard Rochelle in this fun, high-energy program for kids and teens. Participants will learn simple choreography, explore freestyle movement, and be introduced to authentic hip hop terminology and culture. This interactive class emphasizes connection, creativity, and self-expression, while celebrating the spirit of hip-hop. No prior dance experience is needed — just come ready to move, laugh, and have fun together. Families and youth of all ages are welcome. Funding for Vacation Week Programming: Live at the Library has been generously provided by the Cambridge Public Library Foundation. Live at the Library: Hip Hop Xpression will be this week's Wednesdays of Wonder offering.

Meet Godmother Glitter as she protects the Enchanted Castle from the dragon. Enjoy a selection of fun stories and meet all kinds of puppets from a unicorn and a rabbit to a prince and a frog. Recommended for children ages 3 and up and their caregivers.

Stories and crafts about Pete the Cat and friends. Recommended for ages birth to five with a caregiver.

Severe mental illnesses such as depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia have traditionally been understood through the lenses of neurotransmitters, psychology, and social stressors. Increasingly, however, research is revealing that metabolism—how the body and brain generate and use energy—plays a fundamental role in brain function and mental health. This talk will explore the growing science linking metabolic dysfunction to psychiatric illness and introduce ketogenic therapies as a promising, evidence-informed approach for individuals with serious mental illness. Drawing from clinical research and real-world experience, the presentation will examine how ketogenic interventions may influence brain energy metabolism, inflammation, and neural signaling—and how, for some people, these changes can reduce symptoms and even lead to remission and recovery for people with treatment-resistant SMI. The goal of this talk is to provide education, context, and hope, while emphasizing that ketogenic therapies should be approached thoughtfully, safely, and in collaboration with qualified healthcare professionals.

Join us for a family movie at the Library! We will be screening GOAT - PG (Columbia Pictures, 2026). Light snacks will be provided. You may also bring your dinner to eat while you watch!

Harvard Book Store, the Harvard University Division of Science, the Harvard Library, and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Dr. Anjana Khatwa—award-winning earth scientist, TV presenter, and advocate for diversity in the geosciences and nature—for a discussion of her book The Whispers of Rock: The Stories That Stone Tells About Our World and Our Lives, a 2025 New Scientist Best Book of the Year. Registration is required.

“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.