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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.

As part of our Black History Month celebration, the Peace Commission invites you to Step Into the World of Gospel Music through a special concert featuring the Millennium Gospel Choir, presented in partnership with the Cambridge Public Library. Gospel music is a foundational part of Black American history and culture. Emerging from the lived experiences of Black communities, gospel has long been a source of expression, resilience, storytelling, and collective joy. It has shaped American music far beyond church walls, influencing soul, jazz, R&B, hip-hop, and the popular music we know today. This concert is offered as a cultural and historical experience, highlighting gospel's role in the Black freedom struggle, community building, and artistic innovation. Through powerful vocals and rich musical traditions, the performance invites reflection on how music has carried hope, resistance, and connection across generations. Whether you are familiar with gospel or experiencing it for the first time, all are welcome to join us in honoring this enduring art form and its place in Black history.

We are postponing today’s session of our reading group. We plan to have our Tuesday discussion about today’s materials! “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 This event is part 1 of 4 of our reading group to discuss How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective by Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor. We will read and discuss the book in sections as follows: Session 1 - Intro, Barbara Smith Session 2 - Beverly Smith, Demita Frazier Session 3 - Alicia Garza, Angela Davis, comments Session 4 – Reflections on Cambridge present and future Participants are encouraged to come to as many sessions as they can — and all are welcome! Copies of the book are available for pickup at the Central Square Branch. This event was created in partnership with Community Conversations: Sister to Sister, the Cambridge LGBTQ+ Commission, and the Cambridge Women’s Commission.

March selection: Wellness: A Novel by Nathan Hill Reading Interests: We read mostly contemporary Fiction and Non-Fiction, with forays into older works and classics. Past selections include: The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig. How to get the print book: Copies of the book are set aside at the O'Connell Branch. Visit during open hours and a staff member can help you check out a copy. Click here for O'Connell Branch Hours How to get the e-book or digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as a digital audio and e-book through Hoopla. This book group meets in person at the O'Connell Branch. No registration is needed. Drop-ins welcome. For more information contact the branch at 617-349-4019. 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 us for a relaxed Saturday morning concert with Radius Ensemble! The concert, geared toward preschool children but appropriate for all ages, includes string quartets from around the globe, as well as a show-and-tell of the instruments of the string family. From Mozart to Scott Joplin, repertoire spans centuries and traverses continents, exposing children to a variety of musical traditions. Kids are welcome to snuggle, dance, sing, walk around and just be kids. For the final piece of this 45 minute program, we invite children to play along on hand percussion instruments (provided by the Ensemble) such as tambourines and claves, and each child receives a free colorful shaker to take home. Recommended for children ages 3 to 5 years with caregiver. 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.

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email. Due to limited space, if you know you cannot make it live do not register with zoom but please fill out THIS FORM to receive the video link.** Cambridge Public Library's O'Neill Branch is joining with The Ashland Public Library to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence. We're thrilled to welcome author and historian Gregory E. O'Malley who will be discussing his book, "The Escapes of David George: An Odyssey of Slavery, Freedom, and the American Revolution" which reveals a remarkable, untold experience of the American revolutionary period—a Black man’s quest for the freedom espoused by our Founders, but denied him and other enslaved people. We hope you can join us for this fascinating conversation! Register directly on Zoom HERE. Due to limited space, if you know you cannot make it live do not register with zoom but please fill out THIS FORM to receive the video link. RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program. You can buy signed books by Gregory from Aesop's Fable, just make a note that you want the books signed when you check out. Buy Signed Books By Gregory (link coming soon) This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library and we're thrilled to be collaborating with a multitude of MA Libraries to bring this program to our communities. We are also pleased to be partnering with the Ashland Senior Center for this event.

Meeting Minutes of the Cambridge Historical Commission meeting held August 2nd, 2014

A summary of the many ways that parks and open space can be activated through programming and design.

Private and Unaccepted Ways in the City of Cambridge

Meeting minutes of the Family Policy Council meeting held September 23rd, 2021