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Director's Update, March 21, 2021


3/22/20213 years ago

caution sign The information on this page may be outdated as it was published 3 years ago.

Stone Building Dome

Dear Patrons, 

One way the Cambridge Public Library engages members of our community is through our virtual programming. This week’s programs include a collaboration with the Cambridge Public Library Foundation on its first Voices for Justice event, which is raising funds so that the Library can expand its equity, inclusion, and anti-racism work. Tuesday’s event features Ta-Nehisi Coates and Callie Crossley.

As we continue to witness hateful actions against Black, Indigenous, and People of Color individuals, such as the recent murders of eight people in the Atlanta area, which included six Asian women, I am thankful for the Voices for Justice series. If we are to embrace equity, inclusion and be antiracist, we need to stand up against these kind of attacks and to support our BIPOC community members. As an Asian-American leader, I feel devastated by these murders. I offer my condolences to the victims’ families and support and solidarity with my Asian brothers and sisters in the community and among our staff.  The library fully supports the official statements made by the Mayor and City Manager regarding the recent rise in anti-Asian violence.

This week, the writer Becky Cooper will share her research into a local murder.  

The Hive makerspace continues to offer virtual tours, design workshops, and more for your learning pleasure! You can also engage with our digital magazine and newspaper resources at the latest Library at Home event, happening this Wednesday. Or look ahead to spring by attending our virtual Bike Maintenance Basics event! 

Kiddos can join us to celebrate World Puppetry Day with Fox Fables or come to one of our  
popular Story Time events. It’s always fun to listen, read, and watch stories!!! 

We are also excited to offer Books to Go events at Boudreau and Collins this week, weather permitting. Kids, teens, or adults can pick up a bag of 3-5 library books selected by the library staff.  

Community Quilt on Display at the Main Library  

The Boston Area Mask Initiative (BAMI) community quilt is on display at the Cambridge Public Library's Main location. This quilt, measuring about 84 x 90 inches, is composed of hundreds of scraps from fabric masks sewn together. The quilt was sewn “in memory of those lost, sewn in honor of those struggling to survive, sewn to commemorate the hours of unpaid labor of thousands (maybe millions) of women around the world who cut, stitched, threaded elastic, packed, delivered, and repeated this every day/week/month of 2020.” 

Visitors can view the quilt from outside the Library through the window where the stone building's original entrance once was. The quilt will be on display through Sunday, April 4. It will then be displayed in the window at the Valente Branch Library.  

Fox Fables presented by WonderSpark Puppets 

Celebrate World Puppetry Day on Monday, March 22, at 11 a.m., with WonderSpark Puppets’ delightful show “Fox Fables,” inspired by the works of the 12th-century storyteller Rabbi Berechiah ha-Nakdan and Aesop's Fables. Registration is required

Books to Go (Boudreau & Collins) 

Monday, March 22, 12-3 p.m. 
Boudreau Branch, 245 Concord Ave

Friday, March 26, 2-5 p.m.
Collins Branch, 64 Aberdeen Ave

Borrow a bag of selected books for kids, teens, or adults! Drop by these pop-up events outside these neighborhood branches and pick up a bag of 3-5 library books. The selections will be chosen by the library staff. The books are already checked out and should be returned in four weeks. Bins will also be available for library returns. These events will depend on reasonable weather. 

Virtual ESOL Classes 

Virtual English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes occur on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Introductory ESOL takes place at 11 a.m., beginner ESOL at 1 p.m., and intermediate ESOL at 3 p.m. Registration is required for each class. Please see the Library’s online events calendar for more details. 

Google Drawing 101: Personalized Coaster Set 

On Tuesday, March 23, at 3:30 p.m., learn the fundamentals of Google Drawing to design and edit images for a set of four distinctive coasters. Participants may share a completed design file to be made into coasters in The Hive and arrange to collect them through our Contactless Holds Pickup service. Basic computer skills are necessary for this course. Registration is required

Voices for Justice: Ta-Nehisi Coates in Conversation with Callie Crossley 

The Cambridge Public Library Foundation is proud to present Voices for Justice, a free, virtual event series supporting the Cambridge Public Library's world-class Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programming and initiatives. Join us for the first virtual event, featuring Ta-Nehisi Coates in conversation with Callie Crossley of WGBH Boston's Under the Radar on Tuesday, March 23, at 7:30 p.m. Registration is required

Library at Home: Digital Magazines & Newspapers 

Join us on Wednesday, March 24, at 3 p.m., for a Zoom demonstration of Flipster, OverDrive Magazine Collection, and New York Times Digital. We'll show you how to use your library card to read popular digital magazines and newspapers for free. Registration is required

Tween/Teen Virtual Hangout 

Tweens, teens, and their caregivers are invited to drop in on Wednesday, March 24, at 4 p.m. Say hello to your librarians, get book recommendations and research assistance, find out about the Library's virtual offerings, and bring your suggestions! Registration is required

Wellness for Seniors: Virtual Zumba Gold 

On Thursday, March 25, at 11 a.m., put on your dancing shoes to improve your flexibility and balance, strengthen your muscles, and have a great time! The certified Zumba Gold instructor Emily B. will lead you through 45 minutes of low-impact, easy choreography in your own home. A Zoom link will be sent to registrants one hour before the program starts. Registration is required

Becky Cooper: We Keep the Dead Close  

In 1969, a Harvard archaeology graduate student named Jane Britton was killed in her  
apartment off-campus in Cambridge. Her murder remained unsolved until late 2018, when police announced a break in the case. Join us on Thursday, March 25, at noon for a conversation with Cooper as she discusses her research into a murder that gripped the nation more than 50 years ago. Registration is required

Join us for Story Time 

We invite children and their grownups to join us from home for 20-25 minutes of engaging stories. Plan to join in, sing along, and move around!  

STEAM Story Times include hands-on activities to explore science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math.  

We are happy to offer these Story Time programs this week: 

Registration is required for each event. 

Inkscape 101: Leather Bookmark 

On Thursday, March 25, at 6 p.m., learn the fundamentals of Inkscape to design and edit images for a bookmark. Participants may share a completed design file to be made into a bookmark from recycled leather in The Hive and can arrange to collect their finished work through our Contactless Holds Pickup service. Basic computer skills are necessary for this course. Please download the free Inkscape software before the workshop. Registration is required. Alternative materials are also available. 

Bike Maintenance Basics 

On Thursday, March 25, at 7 p.m., join us for a virtual workshop that will cover how to maintain your bike so that all of your rides are safe and smooth. Knowledgeable instructors from MassBike will go through the basics in an hour-long presentation, followed by Q&A to cover how to check your bike's ABCs (Air, Brakes, Chain). Registration is required

The Hive Open House 

On Friday, March 26, at noon, join us for a virtual tour of the new makerspace, recording studios, and extended reality lab at the Main Library. See what is possible here and learn about upcoming virtual workshops where you can design projects to be produced in The Hive and picked up through our Contactless Holds Pickup service. Registration is required

Stay Connected 

Please subscribe to our email list, follow us on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook, and visit our website

In Peace, 

Maria McCauley, Ph.D. 
Director of Libraries