Director's Update, April 11, 2021

Dear Patrons, 

I hope you are all keeping well this glorious spring! This past week we celebrated National Library Workers week by providing gift certificates to the staff for a yummy snack from the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library. Thanks, Friends! I also want to thank Mayor Sumbul Siddiqui, who made a really fine proclamation to honor our amazing staff. It is also National Poetry Month, and we invite Cambridge students to submit their poems in CPL’s Poetry Contest.

Cambridge Public Library Poetry Contest 

During April, we celebrate National Poetry Month. We’d like to invite all K-8 students who live or attend school in Cambridge to submit their original poems in the CPL’s Poetry Contest by April 30.  

The poems will be judged for content and creativity, as well as consistent and imaginative style. The winning poems will be displayed publicly and may be published online. All the entries must fit on one page, typed. For more details about submission, please see our flyer. 

Our Community Quilt at the Valente Branch Library   

The Boston Area Mask Initiative (BAMI) community quilt is on display at the Cambridge Public Library's Valente location. This quilt, 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 see the quilt through the window from outside the Valente Branch Library. It will be on display through Thursday, April 29. 

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. 

CPL CRAFTS: Grocery Store Natural Dyeing with Stephen Hamilton  

On Tuesday, April 13 at 6:30 p.m., local artist Stephen Hamilton will teach you how to naturally dye at home, demonstrating how to transform your textiles using interesting and accessible natural dye sources! Hamilton's work incorporates both Western and African techniques. Registration is required. 

Lamp x the CPL Present: A Book Club Walks Into a Bar 

Join Lamplighter, the Cambridge Public Library, and All She Wrote Books for our virtual book club on Tuesday, April 13, at 7 p.m., when we celebrate contemporary fiction from new voices. This month, we’ll read Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi. The novel spans three continents to tell the interconnected stories of three women of the African Diaspora, with hints of magic and queerness. Registration is required. 

The Hive Open House 

On Wednesday, April 14, 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 to do here and learn about upcoming virtual workshops, when you can design projects to be produced and picked up from The Hive. Registration is required. 

Tween/Teen Virtual Hangout 

Tweens, teens, and their caregivers are invited to drop in on Wednesday, April 14, 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. 

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 sing along and move around!  

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

We are happy to offer these Story Times this week: 

• Virtual Preschool Story Time: Tuesday, April 13, at 4 p.m. Ages 3-5. 
• Virtual STEAM Story Time: Wednesday, April 14, at 11 a.m.  
• Virtual Family Story Time: Thursday, April 15, at 11 a.m. 
• Virtual Story Time with the Mayor: Thursday, April 15, at 4 p.m. 

Registration is required for each event. 

Wellness for Seniors: Low Impact Fitness 

Wellness for Seniors: Low Impact Fitness is a virtual class on Thursday, April 15, at 11 a.m. It is designed for people at all levels to strengthen your muscles, heart, and brain--all while having fun and moving to great music! Take everything at your own pace. You will feel the benefits in mind and body! Registration is required. 

Design Support at The Hive 

Have you attended one of our virtual design workshops or developed an idea on your own that you would like to bring to life using some of the tools in The Hive? Virtually drop in to The Hive on Friday, April 16, at noon for help in using design tools such as Google Drawings, Tinkercad, and Inkscape to develop your project. Basic computer skills are necessary for this program. Registration is required. 

Being One with Earth: Telling Stories with Papercutting 

On Saturday, April 17, at noon, join the first workshop of this series that focuses on the traditional Chinese art of papercutting and telling stories through multimedia presentation: a combination of traditional Chinese papercutting, watercolor, poetry, video, and digital animation. Create your own style of storytelling using any combination of these mediums!  Registration is required. 

Stay Connected 

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

All best, 

Maria McCauley, Ph.D. 
Director of Libraries