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Join the Cambridge Public Library in celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month by welcoming Alejandro Varela, the author of three books of fiction, including The Town of Babylon, which was nominated for a National Book Award, and Middle Spoon, published just this September. Middle Spoon, which Publisher's Weekly called a "refreshingly candid tale of modern love," follows a married middle-aged gay man as he struggles to move on from a break-up with his boyfriend. After reading from his work, Varela will sit in conversation with Ursula Villarreal-Moura, the author of Like Happiness. An audience Q&A and book signing will follow. Registration is required.

Discover how AI can make creative work more fun and accessible. Learn simple tools for writing, audio and video editing, graphic design, and social media — even if you’ve never created content before. Do you have any accessibility or language support needs? Please submit this form and we’ll do our best to meet your needs. This hybrid event will take place in-person in the Learning Lab at the Main Library and on Zoom. The Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants one hour before the event's start time. Led by The Hope Group, an award-winning Boston-based AI education team, in collaboration with the Cambridge Public Library.

Join us on Thursday July 16th at 6:30pm to celebrate the 2 year anniversary of the launch of the CARE (Community Assistance Response and Engagement)Team! We will be screening Beyond The Call, a powerful documentary highlighting how the City of Cambridge created and implemented the CARE Team, a community-centered alternative response program designed to support people experiencing mental health and behavioral health crises. This documentary will offer an inside look at the challenges, breakthroughs, and real-life impact of building a public safety model rooted in care instead of criminalization. There will be food, swag, and an opportunity to connect directly with those doing the work!

Join the Cambridge Public Library in welcoming Philip Taubman, former Washington Bureau Chief of The New York Times and Pulitzer Prize-winning author William Taubman for a discussion of their latest book, McNamara at War, a captivating and authoritative psychological portrait of Robert S. McNamara. Informed by newly discovered diaries, letters, and interviews with those closest to him, the authors uncover an emotionally tortured man—a man who mastered everything in life, until the Vietnam War mastered him. The discussion will be moderated by Fredrik Logevall, the Laurence D. Belfer Professor of International Affairs at Harvard Kennedy School and the author of JFK: Coming of Age in the American Century.

riah is a Cape Verdean-American artist from Boston with a musical style that blends alt/pop, R&B, and neo-soul. After amassing over two million combined streams with her first widely successful hit “Too Fast,” riah released her first EP “Head/Space” in 2024. Her debut album "Garden" deals with themes of self-love amidst anxiety and uncertainty, and is streaming everywhere. PARK SOUNDS 2026 brings free outdoor musical performances featuring local artists to the front lawn of the Cambridge Public Library Main Branch. These events are all-ages. Bring a chair, food, and loved ones to celebrate the summer! Funding is provided by the CPL Foundation in memory of Janet Axelrod.

You’re invited to our September Brewery Book Club, where Lamplighter and the Cambridge Public Library team up to highlight contemporary works from marginalized voices while having a beer. We meet at Lamplighter Brewing Co., 284 Broadway, in the back taproom. This month we’ll read I Leave It Up to You by Jinwoo Chong. Copies of the book are available at the Main Library Q&A Desk. The e-book and digital audiobook can be borrowed through the Libby app. We’ll gather in the Lamplighter back taproom to discuss the book, what we learned from it, what we found ourselves touched by, and all other thoughts. Registration is encouraged but not required. Register here.

You’re invited to our January Brewery Book Club, where Lamplighter and the Cambridge Public Library team up to highlight contemporary works from marginalized voices while having a beer. We meet at Lamplighter Brewing Co., 284 Broadway, in the back taproom. This month we’ll read The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. Copies of the book are available at the Main Library Q&A Desk. The e-book and digital audiobook can be borrowed through the Libby app. We’ll gather in the Lamplighter back taproom to discuss the book, what we learned from it, what we found ourselves touched by, and all other thoughts. Registration encouraged but not required. Visit Lamplighter Eventbrite page here.

We invite children and their caregivers to a 30-minute session of songs and stories in Mandarin Chinese with Mina (Yating) Fan, a local mother and educator. This fun and interactive session brings families together to enjoy lively songs and engaging stories in a warm, welcoming environment. This program can accommodate 45 people. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis on the day of the program. The entire party must be present to receive a ticket. This program starts promptly. Unclaimed seats will be offered to someone waiting. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Please call 617-349-4038 for more information. Funding for this program has been generously provided by the Cambridge Public Library Foundation.

We invite children and their caregivers to a 30-minute session of songs and stories in Mandarin Chinese with Mina (Yating) Fan, a local mother and educator. This fun and interactive session brings families together to enjoy lively songs and engaging stories in a warm, welcoming environment. This program can accommodate 45 people. Tickets are available on a first come, first served basis on the day of the program. The entire party must be present to receive a ticket. This program starts promptly. Unclaimed seats will be offered to someone waiting. We appreciate your patience and understanding! Please call 617-349-4038 for more information. Funding for this program has been generously provided by the Cambridge Public Library Foundation.

Join the Cambridge Public Library in celebrating the winners and honorees of the 2025 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards! First presented in 1967, the Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards celebrate excellence in children’s and young adult literature. The 2025 winners and honorees “represent such a wide range of what books for young people can be and say,” writes Elissa Gershowitz, Editor in Chief of The Horn Book, Inc. “Especially at a time when creative voices are being threatened and silenced, we are proud to recognize children’s book creators whose work is so uniquely their own.” A book signing will follow the Awards Ceremony. Books will be available for purchase on-site. Registration is required.