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This week's selection: Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, selected poems Reading Interests: We concentrate on Great Books in the following areas: a long novel over the summer, two sections of poetry and short stories, a book of the Bible, a Shakespeare play, an ancient and modern drama, a work of science, a smaller work of fiction, an even smaller work of fiction, and a rotating mix of politics, philosophy, and religion. Authors read in the past five years include Dickens, Keats and Yeats, O'Connor and Munro, Ecclesiastes, Sophocles and August Wilson, Darwin, Austen, Duras, The Federalist Papers, and Arendt. How to get the print book: Copies of the reading are set aside at the Main Library. Visit the Main Library at 449 Broadway during current service hours and a staff member can help you get a copy. How to register: Registration is required. Click the registration link below to register. This is a hybrid event. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. For more information, contact Drew Griffin (dgriffin@cambridgema.gov)

This week's selection: Harriet Jacobs, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Reading Interests: We concentrate on Great Books in the following areas: a long novel over the summer, two sections of poetry and short stories, a book of the Bible, a Shakespeare play, an ancient and modern drama, a work of science, a smaller work of fiction, an even smaller work of fiction, and a rotating mix of politics, philosophy, and religion. Authors read in the past five years include Dickens, Keats and Yeats, O'Connor and Munro, Ecclesiastes, Sophocles and August Wilson, Darwin, Austen, Duras, The Federalist Papers, and Arendt. How to get the print book: Copies of the reading are set aside at the Main Library. Visit the Main Library at 449 Broadway during current service hours and a staff member can help you get a copy. How to register: Registration is required. Click the registration link below to register. This is a hybrid event. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. For more information, contact Drew Griffin (dgriffin@cambridgema.gov)

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.

You’re invited to our January Brewery Book Club, where Lamplighter and the Cambridge Public Library team up to highlight contemporary works from marginalized voices while having a beer. We meet at Lamplighter Brewing Co., 284 Broadway, in the back taproom. This month we’ll read The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden. Copies of the book are available at the Main Library Q&A Desk. The e-book and digital audiobook can be borrowed through the Libby app. We’ll gather in the Lamplighter back taproom to discuss the book, what we learned from it, what we found ourselves touched by, and all other thoughts. Registration encouraged but not required. Visit Lamplighter Eventbrite page here.

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.

Join us for an hour of songs, stories, and social meet-up in Mandarin Chinese with JingJing and Chelsea, two local mothers and educators. This fun and interactive session brings families together in a warm, welcoming environment. This event is for children and their caregivers. In the first half, listen to engaging stories and sing lively songs. In the second half, children will do an activity, and everyone will have an opportunity to socialize. There will be two events in this special Valente series: Saturday, May 28 Saturday, June 14 Registration is helpful. Register for each session separately to receive an email reminder the day before the program. Include the total number of expected attendees in your registration.

Join us for a lively discussion of a great book in person at the Main Library! Snacks will be provided. For ages 7-9 and a parent or caregiver. This month's book is Trouble at the Tangerine by Gillian McDunn. When a valuable necklace is stolen from Simon's new apartment complex, it's up to him and a quirky neighbor to solve the mystery before he and his family have to move again. Copies of this month's book are available at the Children's Desk. Both caregiver and child should read the book before the discussion to participate. Registration is required — only one registration is needed per family. For questions about parent/child book group, please email Rachel: rbeaton@cambridgema.gov

This program shows how owls use their specialized powers of sight, hearing and flight to survive and thrive. A wealth of fact and folklore about these masters of the night explains the natural and unnatural history of owls. A variety of live North American owls provides the focus of this presentation. Recommended for children ages 6 and up and their caregivers. Space is limited, and we may not be able to accommodate late arrivals once the program begins. Thank you for understanding! Funding for Summer Reading has been generously provided by the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library Foundation, Friends of the Cambridge Public Library and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners.

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.

Join us for a 90-minute workshop where you’ll learn the simple, meditative basics of Chigiri-e (“chee-gee-ree-eh”), a traditional Japanese art form where the name literally means "torn picture." Rather than using scissors for sharp, clean cuts, we carefully tear the paper to create soft, feathered edges that look almost like a watercolor painting. Whether you’re a long-time crafter or haven't picked up an art project in years, come enjoy some quiet, analog crafting time making a handmade picture, led by instructor Chihiro Sato. You will bring home not just a unique piece, but also the know-how to continue enjoying Chigiri-e at home. Space is limited. Registration is required.