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Teens and tweens are welcome to visually capture their own story in short graphic novel format during this 4-session program. All materials are provided and no prior art experience is needed! Registration is required, and registering for the first session includes all four sessions. This program is for ages 10-16. 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.

Join local author Clare Walker Leslie (How to Look at a Bird, Keeping a Nature Journal) to learn how to draw Cambridge birds! Participants will discuss birds local to Cambridge, learn how to draw the birds they see every day, and leave the program with their own finished bird drawing. All drawing and reference materials will be provided and all skill levels are welcome, no previous drawing experience required. If you don't think you can draw a bird, that's okay - this event will show you that you can! Registration is required for this program. This program is suggested for participants ages 8 and up.

The Cambridge Arts Council and Gallery 344 are located in the renovated City Hall Annex at 344 Broadway. We welcome everyone to visit our space and to view the large-scale wall paintings created by Mike Glier for the Annex. We also invite you to view current and future projects at Gallery 344 attend our public events. The objective of the programming at Gallery 344 is to explore and advance the role of art in public life. We involve local, regional, and national artists in exhibitions and educational programming that engage our audience throughout the City and beyond.

January Selections: Love Japan : recipes from our Japanese American kitchen by Sawako Okochi & Aaron Israel with Gabriella Gershenson and The gaijin cookbook : Japanese recipes from a chef, father, eater, and lifelong outsider by Ivan Orkin and Chris Ying. Join friends and neighbors for a potluck! Try a recipe and bring your results or thoughts to share and discuss with other cooks. All experience levels welcome. No need to bring a dish to join. Books will be available for pick up at the Boudreau and Collins Branches during library hours. This event will take place indoors at the Collins Branch (64 Aberdeen Ave.) For more information contact Liz at edanner@cambridgema.gov or call the Collins Branch at 617-349-4021.

Harvard Book Store and the Cambridge Public Library welcome Ellen Pinsky and Michael Slevin, co-editors of the highly praised essay collection Driven to Write: 45 Writers on the Motives and Mysteries of their Craft. They will be joined for a panel discussion with several of the book's contributors including, Robert Pinsky, award-winning author of over twenty volumes of poetry, Stephen Greenblatt, Harvard professor and author of Dark Renaissance, Ha Jin, the William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor in English and Creative Writing at Boston University, and Sigrid Nunez, National Book Award-winning author of The Friend. This panel will be moderated by Rachel Dillon, poet and the managing editor of Ploughshares. Registration is required.

Join us for a 3-hour Community Retreat. Mindfulness offers a gentle yet powerful way to meet the challenges of aging with calm, resilience, and compassion. In this retreat, we will explore simple practices that can be adapted for all bodies and abilities. Together, we will create space for quiet contemplation and personal reflection, while also fostering a sense of community among elders walking this stage of life side by side. Whether you are new to meditation or have practiced before, you will leave with practical tools to support your well-being and cultivate greater wisdom in daily life. Come as you are—all levels of experience are welcome. Presented in partnership with the Cambridge Insight Meditation Center.

Back by popular demand! Explore the art of botanical collage. In this workshop, participants work with a variety of plant-inspired imagery—think leaves, flowers, stems, and natural textures—to create their own unique composition. Whether you prefer something delicate and minimal or bold and layered, this is a chance to experiment, play, and let your creativity unfold. No prior experience is needed—this workshop is designed for all skill levels, including complete beginners. A selection of materials will be provided, so you can simply show up and start creating. That said, students are more than welcome to bring your own papers, clippings, pressed plants, or anything else that inspires you. Registration is required.

Come explore the nature in our urban backyard! We will take a leisurely walk as we observe and learn together about the animals and plants at Alewife Reservation. You are welcome to bring binoculars, magnifying glasses or any other observational tool. The paths and boardwalks are well maintained but can be muddy in places. The walk will meet at the stone benches by the wetland boardwalk. To view the location in Google Maps and get directions, click here. Limited free parking is available in the Alewife Reservation lot on Acorn Drive. In case of inclement weather, this event will be canceled. Registration is helpful but not required. For more information call the O’Neill Branch at 617-349-4023.

Come explore the nature in our urban backyard! We will take a leisurely walk as we observe and learn together about the animals and plants at Alewife Reservation. You are welcome to bring binoculars, magnifying glasses or any other observational tool. The paths and boardwalks are well maintained but can be muddy in places. The walk will meet at the stone benches by the wetland boardwalk. To view the location in Google Maps and get directions, click here. Limited free parking is available in the Alewife Reservation lot on Acorn Drive. In case of inclement weather, this event will be canceled. Registration is helpful but not required. For more information call the O’Neill Branch at 617-349-4023.

Experience the joy of Hip Hop Xpression with Jarell Howard Rochelle in this fun, high-energy program for kids and teens. Participants will learn simple choreography, explore freestyle movement, and be introduced to authentic hip hop terminology and culture. This interactive class emphasizes connection, creativity, and self-expression, while celebrating the spirit of hip-hop. No prior dance experience is needed — just come ready to move, laugh, and have fun together. Families and youth of all ages are welcome. Funding for Vacation Week Programming: Live at the Library has been generously provided by the Cambridge Public Library Foundation. Live at the Library: Hip Hop Xpression will be this week's Wednesdays of Wonder offering.