Remembering Hard Histories: Slavery in New England (Main)
Please join Kyera Singleton, Executive Director of the Royall House and Slave Quarters in Medford, MA, for a presentation about the history of slavery in the North, the origins of the Royall House and Slave Quarters and the importance of remembering hard histories.
As one of the only remaining freestanding quarters where enslaved people lived and worked in the North, the Royall House and Slave Quarters bears witness to the lives of its residents, to the intertwined stories of wealth and bondage in pre-Revolutionary Massachusetts, and to the resistance and political and legal activism of enslaved and free Black people in the eighteenth century. The Cambridge Public Library is proud to offer passes to the museum during its tour season (June to October).
Grand Reopening Party! (Valente)
Join the Valente staff to celebrate the reopening of the Valente Branch Library! Reconnect with neighbors and enjoy refreshments, crafts, and games.
Weather permitting, the party will take place on the front patio space.
Objects of Memory: Washington and Material Culture (Main/Virtual)
To mark the 250th anniversaries of the American Revolution and the founding of the United States, a coalition of local non-profits and government agencies will present Washington in American Memory, a seven-part speaker series.
Consider how Americans understand the material culture of Washington and the Revolution, including art and clothing, featuring:
Zara Anishanslin, author of The Painter’s Fire: A Forgotten History of the Artists Who Championed the American Revolution and Associate Professor of History and Art History at the University of Delaware
Horace Ballard, author of Superfine: George Washington and the Free and Enslaved Men Who Dressed Him (forthcoming) and the Theodore E. Stebbins, Jr. Curator of American Art at the Harvard Art Museums
Summer Reading: Last Day of School Celebration (O'Connell)
This event has been relocated to the O'Connell Branch parking lot.
Join us outdoors at the O'Connell Branch to celebrate the end of the school year and the start of the summer!
Come for free ice cream while supplies last. No registration is required. All ages are welcome!
Create your own terrarium! (Main)
In honor of Earth Day, spend your afternoon at the Library creating your own terrarium. In partnership with Emerald City Plant Shop, you will have the opportunity to learn more about different kind of plants and plant care. This event will be conducted in the front park area of the Library. In the case of rain, the class will be moved to the community room. The Library will provide needed supplies.
Member Sought to fill Cambridge Library Board of Trustees Vacancy
Library trustees are volunteer community representatives, library advocates, and leaders in the establishment of goals and policies for the Cambridge Public Library system. Trustees are a vital link between the library staff and the community and work to ensure the quality of library services, collections, and programs, and to make certain that the library reflects and is relevant to the community.
True Crime Book Group (Main)
This month's book: The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century, by Kirk Wallace Johnson
Audience: Adults who are true crime fans.
How to get the print book: Copies of the print book are set aside at the Main Library. Visit the Main Library Q&A Desk at 449 Broadway during service hours and a staff member can help you check out a copy.
How to get the e-book or digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as an e-book and digital audiobook through the Libby app.
How to register: Click the registration link below to register.
We'll meet in the Rossi Room on the first floor of the Main Library.
For more information, contact Amie at alemire@cambridgema.gov.