CPL Arts Collective: Intro to Cyanotype (Main)
Explore the creative possibilities of cyanotype by combining photography, found materials, botanicals, and hand-cut collage to create rich, layered blueprints on paper. In this hands-on workshop, you'll learn the basics of the cyanotype process while experimenting with composition, masking, and mixed-media techniques to produce one-of-a-kind prints. Perfect for beginners and experienced makers alike, this workshop encourages playful exploration, creative experimentation, and personal expression. All materials will be provided.
Introduction to Managing Your Privacy (Main)
Learn simple ways to protect your privacy online. Discover how websites and apps track you, explore privacy settings on your devices, and get tips for managing passwords and online accounts.
This class is a part of the AARP curriculum. To learn more about AARP please go to: www.oats.org
To view and register for other Basic Tech Classes at the Library, please go to tinyurl.com/basictechclass.
Registration is encouraged, but not required.
49 Sixth St Launch Event
On Tuesday, July 22, 2025, leaders from the City of Cambridge and the Commonwealth gathered with nonprofit Preservation of Affordable Housing (POAH) to mark the beginning of renovations at the former Sacred Heart church rectory and school in East Cambridge. By the end of 2027, POAH plans to complete construction on the property, which will create 46 new permanently affordable apartment homes.
Reading with a Duck from Land's Sake Farm (O'Neill)
Learn about the ducks that live at Land’s Sake Farm. We will have a story time and activity, then children can touch and interact with a live duck. This program will happen outside. In case of rain or bad weather it will be inside the O'Neill Branch.
This program is for children of all ages with a caregiver. Registration is required. When registering, please list how many children are attending. Adults do not need to be included in the numbers for registration
Neighbors' Guide to Housing Development
New housing construction is happening across much of Cambridge. In 2025, the City Council passed a change to the zoning ordinance that allows more housing to be built, including in neighborhoods that were zoned to restrict new housing before. The goal of this change was to address the housing shortage that has led to higher housing costs in Cambridge and the surrounding area.
Community Safety Department Development Underway
The City is committed to ensuring the Cambridge community has access to non police responses to crisis situations and creating a sense of safety for all who live, work, play and pray here. The development of the new Community Safety Department is guided by an understanding that a compassionate response to a mental health crisis is optimal for healing and de-escalation.
Panel Discussion: The Practice of Wisdom (Main)
Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Davíd Carrasco, the Neil L. Rudenstine Professor of the Study of Latin America at Harvard University, Arthur Kleinman, the Esther and Sidney Rabb Professor of Anthropology at Harvard, Stephanie Paulsell, Professor Emerita at Harvard Divinity School, and Michael Puett, the Walter C. Klein Professor of Chinese History and Anthropology at Harvard, for a discussion of their new book, The Practice of Wisdom: Five Quests. They will be joined in conversation by Rev. Matthew Ichihashi Potts—Minister in the Memorial Church and Plummer Professor of Christian Morals at Harvard University. Registration is required.
CPHD Urges Continued COVID-19 Precautions
Although mask orders are no longer in effect, many people in Cambridge continue to mask up in indoor settings and on public transportation. The Cambridge Public Health Department (CPHD) strongly supports this practice! We are experiencing an increase in COVID-19 cases both regionally and in the city, and taking measures to protect yourself is a smart choice.
CPL Presents: Alejandro Varela (Main/Virtual)
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.
2025 Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards Ceremony (Main)
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.