Director's Update, June 5, 2022
6/5/2022 • 1 year ago
The information on this page may be outdated as it was published 1 year ago.
Dear Patrons,
Happy PRIDE! June is PRIDE month, when we celebrate the LGBTQIA+ community and advocate for a culture of respect and inclusiveness for LGBTQIA+ community members and staff. We are committed to presenting LGBTQIA+ authors and hosting related programs. In a time when books featuring nonbinary, queer, and trans characters and topics are being questioned and banned, it is important that our programs highlight LGBTQIA+ lives and amplify LGBTQIA+ authors. Last week, we were delighted to host Malinda Lo, author of the award-winning Last Night at the Telegraph Club and a story time with Drag Kings, Queens, and Friends. We also host a Books Not Binaries Reading Group, which is a monthly virtual book discussion and hangout. All readers ages 11-14 are welcome. (Pictured above, from left to right: Director McCauley, Malinda Lo, and Deputy Director Joy Kim at Malinda Lo's talk at the Main Library.)
We hope you will continue to celebrate PRIDE in your own way, including participating in the City’s PRIDE Brunch which will be hosted by Mayor Siddiqui at City Hall on Saturday, June 11, from 9-11 a.m.
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The Friends of the Cambridge Public Library is bringing back the popular Secret Gardens of Cambridge tour. The tour will take place on Sunday, June 5, from 10 a.m.- 4 p.m., rain or shine. For more information, see the Secret Gardens of Cambridge webpage.
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The Library will be closed on Friday, June 10, for our annual Staff Development Day—a very special day when all staff from across seven libraries get to see and learn from each other. I want to thank the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library for supporting this very important day. The Library will reopen on Saturday, June 11, at 9 a.m.
Book Groups
Learn more about our Book Group offerings this week.
Outdoor Programs for Kids
This week, these outdoor programs for young children will be offered (weather permitting) at our Central Square, Collins, Main, O’Connell, O’Neill, and Valente locations:
• Outdoor Baby Lapsit: Just for you and your baby! Enjoy time with other parents, caregivers, and babies to play and develop language and motor skills.
• Outdoor Songs & Stories: All ages are invited to sing, dance, and share a story!
• Sing-Along: Put on your dancing shoes and head over for a morning of singing and dancing! All ages invited.
• Story Time: All ages are invited to join us for a half hour of stories!
Please see the events calendar for further details. Registration is not required.
Zing Laser Cutting 101 (Main)
Monday, June 6
3:30-4:30 p.m.
Complete this workshop to earn a badge for the Epilog Zing laser cutter. You must complete Hive Safety Training before registering for this workshop. Registration is required.
Note: The Epilog Zing laser cutter and Glowforge laser cutter require separate training. You must participate in the Glowforge 101: Creative Laser Cutting workshop in order to operate our Glowforge Pro laser cutter.
ESOL Classes (Central Square)
Tuesdays and Thursdays
11 a.m.-12:30 p.m., 1-2:30 p.m., and 3-4:30 p.m.
Wednesdays and Fridays
10:30 a.m.-Noon
English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes occur at the Central Square Branch on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, Intermediate ESOL is at 11 a.m., High Beginner ESOL is at 1 p.m., and Advanced ESOL is at 3 p.m. Beginner ESOL is at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesdays and Fridays. Registration is required for each class.
The Future of HIV Research (Virtual)
Tuesday, June 7
6-7 p.m.
The Yu lab studies HIV viruses in diverse groups of participants to investigate possible ways in which the immune system can recognize and combat HIV infection. The lab also looks at how certain innate immune responses can be trained to support other immune responses to HIV.
Join the Library as we welcome the Ragon Institute and its scientists Xu Yu, MD; Benjamin Bone, Ph.D.; and Aischa Niesar, M.Sc., as they share their findings when combining basic science immunology with clinical and translational perspectives for improving clinical treatment options for viral infectious disease. Registration is required.
Knitting Group (Boudreau)
Tuesday, June 7
6:30-7:30 p.m.
Bring your project and enjoy an hour in the company of other crafters. Learn more.
Hive Safety Training
Tuesday, June 7
6:30-7:30 p.m.
In this workshop, you will learn about our makerspace, how to use our resources, and how to keep safe in The Hive. Before attending workshops in The Hive, all makers must bring signed copies of The Hive User Agreement and Waivers. Registration is required.
Cambridge Room Lecture Series: Reading the Gravestones of Old Cambridge (Virtual)
Wednesday, June 8
Noon-1 p.m.
The burial grounds of old New England hold a wonderful range of poetic messages in the epitaphs carved on their gravestones, each a profound expression of emotion, culture, religion, and literature. Join John Hanson, expert on early New England epitaphs, as he shares some outstanding verses on old stones in Cambridge's Old Burying Ground. He will reveal their sources of inspiration, including Scripture, hymnody, poetry, and epitaphs made-to-order for a particular individual. We will consider what these very personal choices tell us about early New Englanders’ attitudes towards life, death, and eternity. Registration is required.
Equipment and Studio Reservation (Main)
Wednesday, June 8
1 -4 p.m.
Thursday, June 9
1-4:30 p.m., and 6-8:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 11
1:30-4:30 p.m.
During this time period, anyone who has completed Hive Safety Training and is badged to use equipment or studio(s) can reserve Hive equipment or studio spaces. Learn more about becoming a badged maker. Staff will assist participants as they are able. Learn more.
Outdoor Gardening Fun (Boudreau)
Wednesday, June 8
3-3:45 p.m.
Listen to stories, plant flowers for the Library, and grab seeds to take home! Children of all ages welcome. Learn more.
Sewing 101 (Main)
Wednesday, June 8
5:30-7 p.m.
In this 90-minute class, you’ll learn the basics of sewing machine operation and safety. This session will cover setting up a machine, its basic functions, threading the machine, reloading the bobbin, sewing straight stitches, and recognizing when the stitch tension has gone awry. We’ll also cover some safety best practices when operating a sewing machine. As we learn together, we’ll work on a simple sewing project—a drawstring bag—which most students will be able to complete by the end of the class.
You must complete Hive Safety Training or Hive Safety Training & Glowforge 101 before registering for this workshop. Registration is required.
Navigating Solo: Tools for Creating Your Plan for Aging Well (Virtual)
Thursday, June 9
10:30-11:30 a.m.
In this lecture and workshop series for active older adults, Ailene Gerhardt of Beacon Patient Solutions LLC will explore the special considerations and planning needs of solo agers (adults who, because of choice or circumstance, are without the support structure of adult children or other close family). In session 10, we’ll discuss what resources are available for solo agers. Presented in collaboration with Cambridge Neighbors. Registration is required.
Fiber Arts Drop-in (O’Connell)
Thursday, June 9
11 a.m.-Noon
Bring your project and enjoy an hour in the company of other crafters. Learn more.
Read to a Dog (Boudreau)
Thursday, June 9
3-4 p.m.
Read with Ana the Therapy Dog! Therapy dogs provide warm and non-judgmental reading companions for new or experienced readers of all ages. Registration for each ten-minute time slot is required. Sign up the day of the program in person or by phone at the Boudreau Branch (617-349-4017). Learn more.
Rewilding Our Planet: Hannah Lewis in Conversation with Maya Dutta (Main)
Thursday, June 9
6:30-8 p.m.
The Cambridge Public Library and Biodiversity for a Livable Climate present Hannah Lewis in a reading and discussion of her latest book, Mini-Forest Revolution: Using the Miyawaki Method to Rapidly Rewild the World. The Miyawaki Method is a unique approach to reforestation devised by Japanese botanist Akira Miyawaki. Registration is encouraged but not required.
Vinyl Cutting 101 (Main)
Saturday, June 11
10-11 a.m.
Would you like to make your own vinyl signs, stickers, or images to transfer to T-shirts and other textiles? In this workshop, you can learn how to use our Roland Camm-1 GS-24 vinyl cutter. You can then design a sticker and cut it with our vinyl cutter!
You must complete Hive Safety Training before registering for this workshop. Registration is required.
Yoga on the Lawn: Yoga for Play and Creativity (Main)
Saturday, June 11
10:15-11:30 a.m.
Join Cap Aguilar (she/they) for weekly yoga classes on the lawn at the Main Library! Each class will be 75 minutes, where we will explore movement, mindfulness, and breathing practices for 60 minutes followed by 15 minutes for reflective journaling and/or conversation.
All of us at our core are creative beings. Let’s tap into our playfulness and explore our yoga practice with childlike wonder to rediscover how it feels to have fun and move our bodies. Registration is required.
Stay Connected
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All the best,
Maria McCauley, Ph.D.
Director of Libraries