Director's Update, September 27, 2020
9/27/2020 • 3 years ago
The information on this page may be outdated as it was published 3 years ago.
Dear Patrons,
I'm pleased to share some news about CPL collaborations:
- This fall, the Library loaned 70 Chromebooks to Community Learning Center (CLC) students for remote learning. This is in addition to lending Chromebooks this summer. CLC provides adult learners with life-changing skills via classes including English as a Second Language, reading, writing, math and citizenship classes, certificate programs for Nursing Aides and IT Technicians, as well as education and career advising. The majority of CLC’s students have switched to virtual learning as a result of the COVID-19 closure; yet many students do not have access to a computer, laptop or Chromebook to take online classes or reach online resources for housing, food and unemployment. The CPL is proud to share our devices with these students!
- As part of our continued collaboration with the Public Library Innovation Exchange (PLIX), the Library is partnering to host two half-days of interactive online professional development November 17-18, 2020 to librarians around the country on creative learning and facilitating STEAM activities. This is an Institute of Museum and Libraries funded project. We're excited about this opportunity to connect and learn alongside other libraries. Please stay tuned for more details!
Book Groups
Our CPL book groups, including those at the branches, are starting to meet virtually this fall. The following book groups will be meeting in October:
- Collins Book Group: Thursday, October 8 at 6:00 p.m.
- Boudreau Book Group: Wednesday, October 14, 12:00 p.m.
- Science Fiction & Fantasy: Wednesday, October 14 at 6:00 p.m.
- Contemporary Reading Group: Tuesday, October 20 at 6:00 p.m.
- O'Neill Book Group: Tuesday, October 20, 6:30 p.m.
- Great Books: Tuesday, October 20 at 7:15 p.m.
- O’Connell Book Group: Wednesday, October 21 at 6:30 p.m.
- Mindfulness Book Group: Thursday, October 22, 6:00 p.m.
Registration is required to attend book group events.
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
In addition to the high-beginner ESOL classes we are offering Tuesdays and Thursdays, we will also begin offering intermediate ESOL classes Tuesdays and Thursdays in October. All classes will be held virtually using Zoom.
Registration is required and spaces are limited. Please see our events calendar for more details.
Saeed Jones in Conversation with E. Patrick Johnson
On Tuesday, September 29, from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., author Saeed Jones will discuss his award-winning memoir with E. Patrick Johnson, Dean of the School of Communication and the Carlos Montezuma Professor of Performance Studies and African American Studies at Northwestern University. Haunted and haunting, How We Fight for Our Lives is a stunning coming-of-age memoir about a young, black, gay man from the South as he fights to carve out a place for himself, within his family, within his country, within his own hopes, desires, and fears. This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library. Registration is required.
Collins Branch Offers Kids Books to Go
The next Kids Books to Go event will be on Friday October 2, from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at the Collins Branch (64 Aberdeen Avenue).
At Kids Books to Go pop-up events, youth and families can borrow bags of library books for kids and teens without having to make an appointment or place catalog requests. Selections are curated by Cambridge Public Library Youth Services librarians.
Bins are also available for library returns during these events.
Join us for Story Times
The next Virtual STEAM Story Time will be on Wednesday, September 30 at 11 a.m. Children and their grownups can join us for 20-25 minutes of stories and hands-on activities to explore STEAM. Please gather activity materials before the event.
Registration is required.
We invite children and their grownups to join us from home for Virtual Pajama Story Time on Wednesday, September 30, from 6:45 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. This program includes 20-25 minutes of songs, stories, and rhymes to wind down the day. Feel free to wear your favorite cozy pajamas! Caregivers are asked to participate in the program with their children. Registration is required.
Stay Connected
Best wishes,
Dr. Maria McCauley, Director of Libraries