Starting a Business Workshop Series: Introduction to Business Management (Central Square)
Are you an aspiring entrepreneur or small business owner looking to start a business in the City of Cambridge. This workshop is a comprehensive, four-week program tailored specifically for early-stage entrepreneurs and established business owners seeking to enhance their business operations. The curriculum addresses key aspects of business operations. This series of workshops will establish a solid foundation in essential principles of entrepreneurship and business ownership.
Workshop 1: Introduction to Business Management (Date: Tuesday May 27th, 2025)
Key principles of entrepreneurship and business ownership
Business planning and setting actionable goals
Understanding the fundamentals of customer service
Please register here.
Starting a Business Workshop Series: Marketing & Customer Acquisition (Central Square)
Are you an aspiring entrepreneur or small business owner looking to start a business in the City of Cambridge. This workshop is a comprehensive, four-week program tailored specifically for early-stage entrepreneurs and established business owners seeking to enhance their business operations. The curriculum addresses key aspects of business operations. This series of workshops will establish a solid foundation in essential principles of entrepreneurship and business ownership.
Workshop 2: Marketing & Customer Acquisition (Date: Tuesday June 3rd, 2025)
Fundamentals of marketing for small businesses
Creating effective customer acquisition strategies
Introduction to social media marketing and e-commerce
Please register here.
Starting a Business Workshop Series: Financial Management Basics (Central Square)
Are you an aspiring entrepreneur or small business owner looking to start a business in the City of Cambridge. This workshop is a comprehensive, four-week program tailored specifically for early-stage entrepreneurs and established business owners seeking to enhance their business operations. The curriculum addresses key aspects of business operations. This series of workshops will establish a solid foundation in essential principles of entrepreneurship and business ownership.
Workshop 4: Financial Management Basics (Date: Tuesday June 17th, 2025)
Introduction to financial recordkeeping
Understanding cost of goods sold (COGS) and pricing strategies
Basic cash flow management and budgeting
Capital and funding resources
Please register here.
CPL Presents: Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood (Main)
Join Gretchen Sisson, the author of Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood (a finalist for the 2025 Book Critics Circle Award for nonfiction) in conversation with Cameron Russell, the author of How to Make Herself Agreeable to Everyone.
Gretchen Sisson is a research sociologist at Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health (ANSIRH) in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco, where she studies abortion and adoption in the United States. Her research was cited in the Supreme Court's dissent for Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, and has been covered in the Washington Post, TIME Magazine, The Nation, NPR, New York Magazine, VOX, Mother Jones, and many other outlets. Registration is required.
CPL Presents: Elaine Castillo, author of MODERATION (Main/Virtual)
Join the Cambridge Public Library in welcoming Elaine Castillo, author of How to Read Now and America Is Not the Heart, in celebrating the release of her newest novel, Moderation, published in August 2025. The recipient of starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist—which called Moderation "a slyly brilliant narrative ... cleverly interrogating interactions, communication, and relationships"—the novel follows Girlie Delmundo, a social media content moderator falling in love with her boss while her career veers into an increasingly virtual realm, raising pertinent questions about the future of love.
After reading from Moderation, Elaine with sit in conversation with writer and editor Meagan Masterman for a wide-ranging conversation followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.
This is a hybrid event and registration is required.
Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Group (Main)
This Month's Read: Hugo nominated short stories and novelettes (2025)
Reading Interests: The group concentrates on science fiction and fantasy. An advanced reading schedule is published each summer. Example selections include: Neuromancer by William Gibson and The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.
Requirements: A love of speculative fiction and a desire to talk about books. The group is friendly and informal.
How to get the print book: Copies of the print book are set aside at the Main Library Question and Answer desk on the ground floor. Visit the Main Library at 449 Broadway during service hours and a staff member can help you check out a copy.
E-books and digital audiobooks are available on Libby or Hoopla.
We'll meet in the Rossi Room on the ground floor of the Main Library.
For more information, contact Carrie at csauder@cambridgema.gov.
Design your Own Space Mission Patch! (Main)
Design Your Own Space Mission Patch! Young space enthusiasts are invited to imagine and create their own space mission patch, just like real astronauts! Using circular templates, markers, and space-themed stickers, children will dream up their own space missions: Will they fly to Mars? Visit a distant galaxy? Search for alien life? Each child will choose a mission goal, name their spacecraft, and design a patch that tells the story of their adventure. As they draw, children will hear inspiring stories about real-life women astronauts, encouraging early interest in space careers and diverse role models in STEM. Finished patches will be displayed during the event to celebrate their creativity and curiosity. Recommended for children in grades K-5.
This special activity is part of Massachusetts STEM Week 2025 and is organized by The Space Consortium, the local space education and outreach nonprofit behind Massachusetts Space Week (April 20-26 2026).
Living Wage Cost of Living Adjustment 2026
The Living Wage Ordinance (2.121) provides, at 2.121.030 (b), that the wage shall be upwardly adjusted each year no later than March 1st in proportion to the increase in the Annual Average Consumer Price Index for the prior calendar year for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Boston area, as published by the federal Bureau of Labor Statistics. For calendar year 2025, the CPI-U increased by 3.13%. Therefore, the new Living Wage as of March 1, 2026 is $20.32. This amount should be communicated to vendors subject to the Living Wage Ordinance and will be used to adjust pay for appropriate city employees. The adjustment does not affect any existing contractual agreements unless the terms of those agreements so require. Questions concerning applicability and enforcement of the ordinance should be directed to the City of Cambridge Law Department at 617-349- 4121 or the Purchasing Department at 617-349-4310
AAPI Voices Poetry Open Mic with Aparna Paul (Valente)
Celebrate AAPI voices through a poetry open mic & feature! Poets of Asian American/Pacific Islander heritage are invited to share their work and/or recite a cover poem. All adults are welcome to attend.
Interested poets can sign up for a 3-5 minute timeslot in the open mic by filling out this form: https://forms.cloud.microsoft/g/dszDWm1h2R
Following the open mic, we will be featuring Cambridge-based poet Aparna Paul.
Aparna Paul (she/her) is a writer, chemical engineer, banana bread enthusiast, & amateur crossword constructor based in Cambridge, MA. Her poetry & prose has been recognized by Reckoning, DMQ Review, & Gaining Ground, among others. She edited the anthology Reflections of The Land (Literary Cleveland, 2022) and is a co-editor of GOOD SOUP, now on hiatus (@goodsoup.mag on insta!). She performs regularly, hosts occasionally, and slams sometimes at the Boston Poetry Slam at the Cantab Lounge. HOME FREE (Game Over Books, 2025) is her debut full-length poetry collection. Books will be available for purchase.
Coffee will be provided.