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Residents and community members can organize an event anytime between September 14 and 22, though Sunday, September 15 is the official event day. We are hoping community members will plan events (e.g. cookout, block party, service project, etc.) that can bring together neighbors — in a way that works for them! Did you know that the City of Cambridge offers $300 awards and free Play Streets kits to support neighborhood block parties?

In observance of the Indigenous Peoples' Day holiday on Monday, October 10, City of Cambridge offices, libraries, and senior centers will be closed. Curbside collection will be one day behind schedule for the week of October 10. Street cleaning will also be suspended on the holiday and will occur in advance on Thursday, September 29 for streets that would normally be swept on the second Monday of the month.

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

The City of Cambridge offers free weekly curbside textiles collection, as well as drop-off bins at select locations. To schedule your free pick-up, use the Clothing/Textiles Collection tool below. Approximately, 95% of textiles and accessories could be reused/repurposed. This initiative supports the city's goals of reducing waste and is launched in accordance with recommendations from the City's Zero Waste Master Plan.

It is the last week of Summer Reading and your last chance to complete a line or board of Summer Reading BINGO to earn prizes! We will have books that fit categories for all BINGO boards, snacks for motivation and some fun activities and readalouds! This program is open to people of all ages! No registration is required.

Fall season is in the air, here at the Library! This art class will be a hybrid of indoor and outdoor time. Allowing you to get up close with the trees and leaves to take artistic observations of your surroundings. All supplies will be provided but please bring any protective gear (long sleeves and sweaters) in the event of slightly cold weather. Registration is required.

Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome John Cassidy—staff writer at The New Yorker and author of the books Dot.con: The Greatest Story Ever Sold and How Markets Fail, which was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in Nonfiction—for a discussion of his new book Capitalism and Its Critics: A History: From the Industrial Revolution to AI. Registration is required.

It's creepy crawly week at the Library! Kids learn all about Arthropods, the most diverse group of animal life on the planet, during this exciting show-and-tell-and-touch program! Learn, see, hear, touch, and even smell the incredible adaptations these creatures have that help them survive in the wild world. Recommended for children ages 3 and up and their caregivers. No registration is required.

This program has been canceled due to the school snow closure. Put on your pajamas and come to listen to stories, read with your children, and enjoy a snack before bed! This program is recommended for children of all ages and their caregivers. Pajama Story Time is presented by the Cambridge Public Library and the Center for Families.

Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Kenneth Rogoff—Maurits C. Boas Professor at Harvard University and former chief economist at the IMF, long ranked among the top ten most cited economists—for a discussion of his new book Our Dollar, Your Problem: An Insider's View of Seven Turbulent Decades of Global Finance, and the Road Ahead. He will be joined in conversation by Gish Jen—acclaimed author of Thank You, Mr. Nixon. Registration is required.