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Internationally renowned photographer Barry Schneier captures Boston's unique and impacting folk music scene in his new book The Song is Still Being Written, released in September 2024. The book is a collection of photos and narratives capturing stories of singer-songwriters, past, present, and future who have made the Boston/Cambridge area their home for artistic development and specifically from those who have graced one of the most heralded performance spaces in folk history, Harvard Square's Passim (originally Club 47). The program includes a performance by Kemp Harris, one of the artists profiled in the book. Schneier will be in conversation with James Sullivan, arts and culture correspondent for the Boston Globe. Barry Schneier is an internationally recognized photographer who has been immersed in the music scene since the mid-1970s. His work has been exhibited in multiple shows and is in the permanent collection of the Bruce Springsteen Archives and Center for American Music, the Folk Americana-Roots Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Join Ora Grodsky, the author of Justice, Love, and Organizational Healing: A Guide to Transformational Consulting in a discussion about her new book. Ora Grodsky is a mission-driven organizational development consultant with over 25 years of experience. She is a holistic practitioner who combines training in acupuncture, non-profit management expertise, extensive study of organizational development, and commitment to compassion and justice. Ora will be in conversation about the book and organizational healing with dear colleagues and friends—consultants and facilitators also dedicated to justice and liberation: Joyce Shabazz Melinda Barbosa Daniel Michaud Weinstock Jeremy Philips

Children and families can join us for an outdoor story time and short walk at Alewife Brook Reservation to look for signs of spring. We will meet at the seating area on the bike path near the Alewife Brook Pathway and DCR Wetland Boardwalk: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CC32nJqG1Xk3b5zDA. There is no parking available on-site. Parking is available at Alewife MBTA station or limited on-street parking on Cambridgepark Drive. No registration is required. In case of bad weather, this event will be canceled and the listing will be updated on the website. Please call 617-349-4023 with any questions, including day-of weather cancellations.

This morning's program has been cancelled due to rain. Please join us on Wednesday, September 17. Children and families can join us for an outdoor story time and short walk at Alewife Brook Reservation. We will meet at the seating area on the bike path near the Alewife Brook Pathway and DCR Wetland Boardwalk: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CC32nJqG1Xk3b5zDA. There is no parking available on-site. Parking is available at Alewife MBTA station or limited on-street parking on Cambridgepark Drive. No registration is required. In case of bad weather, this event will be cancelled and the listing will be updated on the website. Please call 617-349-4023 with any questions, including day-of weather cancellations.

Update 6/18/25: Due to rain in the forecast, this story time has been cancelled. Children and families can join us for an outdoor story time and short walk at Alewife Brook Reservation. We will meet at the seating area on the bike path near the Alewife Brook Pathway and DCR Wetland Boardwalk: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CC32nJqG1Xk3b5zDA. There is no parking available on-site. Parking is available at Alewife MBTA station or limited on-street parking on Cambridgepark Drive. No registration is required. In case of bad weather, this event will be cancelled and the listing will be updated on the website. Please call 617-349-4023 with any questions, including day-of weather cancellations.

Back by popular demand! Join musicians of the Boston Festival Orchestra for "Festive Fanfare," a fun, family-friendly celebration of the season's joy and warmth at the Cambridge Public Library! Featuring violinist Jae Cosmos Lee and cellist Aron Zelkowicz, this festive concert will fill the air with beloved holiday classics, heartwarming melodies, and jubilant fanfares. Perfect for audiences of all ages, this free event celebrates holiday cheer and musical splendor! Light refreshments and treats will be provided. Registration is not required but preferred. This concert is cosponsored by the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library.

Esta clase será en español. Esta clase de RCP cubrirá habilidades para salvar la vida de bebés, niños y adultos. Utilizaremos tecnología y práctica para que los estudiantes adquieran habilidades y confianza para ayudar a salvar la vida en una situación médica. Esta clase también cubrirá entrenamiento y el uso de DEA (Desfibrilador Externo Automatizado) para todas las edades, junto con habilidades para salvar la vida de una persona en situación de asfixia. Los estudiantes recibirán su certificado al completar la clase. Tenga en cuenta que la Ciudad no es responsable del contenido o equipo de entrenamiento. Cupos limitados (20 adultos), se requiere inscripción. Nota para participantes CONFIRMADOS: Su lugar está reservado hasta la hora de inicio del programa. Una vez que comience el programa, llenaremos los lugares disponibles de una lista de espera del día hasta que el programa alcance su capacidad máxima. Planee llegar a la biblioteca aproximadamente 15 minutos antes de la hora de inicio para contar con el tiempo necesario para registrarse antes de que comience el programa. Apreciamos su paciencia y comprensión. La financiación para este programa ha sido generosamente proporcionada por la Fundación de Cambridge Public Library (Biblioteca Pública de Cambridge).

A Force for Good is the biography of the remarkable life of Gisela Warburg Wyzanski. Unlike many wealthy German Jews, Gisela chose to remain in Europe to combat the horrors wrought by Hitler and the Nazis. From both Europe and the United States, she worked tirelessly to bring war-torn European children to a new life in the land now known as Israel. In 1943, Gisela married Federal Judge Charles E. Wyzanski and the couple settled in Cambridge where they raised their family and where Gisela continued her activism. A Force for Good evolved from the discovery of a treasure-trove of letters and documents carefully preserved by Gisela herself and recently discovered by her daughter, Anita Wyzanski Robboy, the book’s author. Anita Wyzanski Robboy is a noted author and lawyer. She is a partner in the Boston law firm, Prince Lobel & Tye, LLC, and is currently a Visiting Scholar/Research Associate at Brandeis University. She authored Aftermarriage: the Myth of Divorce, Lewis Hayden: From Fugitive Slave to Free Mason, and numerous articles in legal publications. She is the daughter of Gisela Warburg Wyzanski and Judge Charles E. Wyzanski.

Join Earthwise Aware (EwA) for an interactive walk to observe, document, and take part in shaping urban spaces that work with nature. Together, we will explore how design choices and climate pressures shape the ecological value of our everyday green spaces, and document habitat conditions using simple citizen science tools. Starting at the library lawn, we will examine spaces that appear green but often function poorly. Manicured lawns and sparse tree plantings may look inviting, yet they frequently support little biodiversity and can limit soil health and resilience. What makes a space truly nature-friendly? We will record what is present, what is missing, and what that tells us about ecological function. During the walk, we will: Observe and document plant communities and habitat quality Identify signs of low and high ecological function Compare conventional landscapes with more resilient plantings such as native beds or meadow patches Contribute real data that supports local ecological understanding and decision making This is participatory science in practice. Your observations will feed into broader efforts to track urban biodiversity and inform better land use choices. The program will meet outside the library in Joan Lorentz Park. Registration required. Rain date: Wednesday May 6

Is King Philip’s War really part of the past? Four Indigenous speakers tell us that it’s still deeply present. People who are not Indigenous often think of Metacom’s Resistance – more commonly known as King Philip’s War – if they know of it - as part of a distant past. If we have read children’s stories of an idealized colonial life, or educated with traditional textbooks, we might think of the war as a single violent chapter in an otherwise quaint, albeit colorful, history, with colonial heroes bravely conquering their enemies. Historical markers dotting the New England countryside, especially in Massachusetts, reinforce this idea: it was brutal, but the colonists emerged victorious, and in any event it was long ago – nothing to do with life today. For Indigenous communities, the past is not so easily left behind – and nor should it be for non-Indigenous people. We all live today with its aftermath. King Philip’s War continues to shape daily life, experience, and memory. Panelists include: Hartman Deetz, Mashpee Wampanoag Brad Lopes, Aquinnah Wampanoag Brittney Walley, Hassanamisco Nipmuc Elizabeth Solomon, Massachusett at Ponkapoag, moderator On the eve of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, this panel invites audiences to grapple with a foundational war of Indigenous resistance on its 350th anniversary - and to see that it is not past, but deeply present, for us all.