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It is now easier and cheaper to host block parties in Cambridge. The City is eliminating the block party permit fee, providing free party games, and offering $200 cash awards (limited supply) to support celebrations. Block party potlucks and games bring neighbors together for fun, but the parties also help build more connected, resilient neighborhoods.

Bring extra seeds, plants or harvested items from your garden to swap at the Library! We will also have seeds, soil and biodegradable pots so you can plant flowers and vegetables to grow in the late summer and fall. This program is open to people of all ages! No registration is required.

The next Working Group meeting for the Mass Ave Planning Study will focus on zoning for Mass Ave, specifically the areas of North Mass Ave and South of Porter Square. Additionally, the group will discuss the format and content of upcoming community meetings in January focused on design and planning for Porter Square.

The next Working Group meeting for the Mass Ave Planning Study will focus on zoning for Mass Ave, specifically the areas of North Mass Ave and South of Porter Square. Additionally, the group will discuss the format and content of upcoming community meetings in January focused on design and planning for Porter Square.

The Cambridge Water Department (CWD) wants to make the Cambridge community aware of the latest water drought status. Last week, the Secretary of the Commonwealth’s Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA) changed the Cambridge drought level status to Level 2 (Significant Drought). In response to the ongoing drought, Cambridge has implemented strict water use restrictions.

COVID-19, flu, and RSV are respiratory viruses that can cause severe disease resulting in hospitalization and sometimes death. Everyone 6 months and older should get a seasonal flu vaccine and an updated COVID-19 vaccine to protect against infection, serious illness, and hospitalization. COVID-19 vaccination can also reduce the risk of Long COVID.

“If Black women were free, it would mean that everyone else would have to be free since our freedom would necessitate the destruction of all the systems of oppression.” - Combahee River Collective, April 1977 Come to the Central Square Library to gather for a reading of the Combahee River Collective (CRC) statement. Centered in Black feminist lesbian socialist politics, the CRC argued for the centering of anti-racist and anti-sexist politics within feminist and civil rights organizing respectively. Though the CRC is no longer active, its work and its members continue to have deep influence in Black feminism and beyond. We will read the statement aloud together, sharing the words and wisdom of the Combahee River Collective with opportunity to discuss their continued resonance. This event will be followed by a 4-session reading group to discuss the second edition of How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. For more information and to register for the reading group, please see here. This event was created in partnership with Community Conversations: Sister to Sister, the Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission, and the Cambridge Women’s Commission.

On Thursday, May 15th the Cambridge Police hosted our Community Stakeholders Event at The Foundry on Rogers St. Organized by the Family & Social Justice Section, this event is an opportunity for various civic groups, community members and business leaders to come together in a discussion of various topics related to our local criminal justice system.

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

It's a Library dance party! All ages. This program can accommodate 130 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, and any unclaimed seats will be offered to someone waiting. We appreciate your patience and understanding. Please call 617-349-4038 for more information. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.