CPL Nature Club - New Year's Birdwatching at Fresh Pond (O'Neill)
Start the year off right by getting to know Cambridge birds! All ages are welcome to join us as we observe birds at Fresh Pond, which provides habitat for many different species at all times of the year. This event will focus on birds that can be found in the winter in Cambridge, including several species of ducks, sparrows and more. We may also see some of our year-round resident birds, and we will discuss general birdwatching tips and learn more about the birds we share our outdoor spaces with. A limited supply of binoculars will be available. Please dress accordingly as we will be outside for the entire walk.
Registration is required for this event.
The walk will meet outside the ranger station/water department building at Fresh Pond: https://maps.app.goo.gl/G1bJGhMG17mAaFgL9
In case of inclement weather or conditions, this event will be rescheduled to Saturday, January 24th.
For more information, contact the O'Neill Branch at 617-349-4023.
Community IRL (Valente)
Do you feel overcommitted but under connected? Over the course of this workshop we'll come together to learn, discuss, brainstorm, and provide blueprints for building deeper purpose and fostering belonging in our community. Whether you’re a student, organizer, young professional, or just someone who feels powerless, this is the place for you. We believe community is resistance. Come for conversation, snacks, and a sense of shared purpose irl.
Registration helpful.
CPL Presents: Shakespeare of Harlem: Exploring the Life and Legacy of Langston Hughes (Main)
In honor of Black History Month, join Opera on Tap Boston for Shakespeare of Harlem, a concert celebrating the life, work, and enduring influence of Langston Hughes. The program weaves Hughes’ poetry and prose with art songs by composers such as Margaret Bonds and Florence Price, alongside the voices of his contemporaries, including Georgia Douglas Johnson and Countee Cullen.
An ensemble of celebrated local actor-singers brings the text and music to life, illuminating the ideas, experiences, and cultural moments that shaped Hughes as a writer. The performance will be followed by a talkback, offering audiences a chance to discuss with the artists and the material in conversation.
Featuring:
Morgan Beckford, Soprano
Melynda Davis, Soprano
Todd McNeel, Baritone
Fred C. VanNess Jr., Tenor
Producers:
Nina Evelyn and Kathryn McKellar
Registration is not required but preferred.
Chess Hour (O'Neill)
Join us for a game of chess at the O'Neill Branch! Players of all skill levels and all ages are welcome to participate.
Chess sets will be provided, but feel free to bring your own. This is a space for individuals to play and test their skills against other members of the community. This is not an instructional class.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 617-349-4023 or via email: ipachoncaballero@cambridgema.gov
Summer Reading: Storytelling with Ben Cunningham (O'Neill)
Join local artist, musician and educator Ben Cunningham for a transformative storytelling performance. Recommended for children ages 5 and up and their caregivers.
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.
Intro to LinkedIn Learning (Central)
Learn how to access LinkedIn Learning with your Cambridge Public Library card, for free! LinkedIn Learning is an online educational site with thousands of courses in business, software, technology, and creative skills. LinkedIn Learning can be used in English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, and Portuguese.
To view and register for other Basic Tech Classes at the Library, please go to tinyurl.com/basictechclass.
Intro to LinkedIn Learning (Virtual)
Learn how to access LinkedIn Learning with your Cambridge Public Library card, for free! LinkedIn Learning is an online educational site with thousands of courses in business, software, technology, and creative skills. LinkedIn Learning can be used in English, French, German, Japanese, Spanish, Mandarin, and Portuguese.
To view and register for other Basic Tech Classes at the Library, please go to tinyurl.com/basictechclass.
Health Care Proxy Clinic (Central)
Join members of the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School for a brief presentation outlining the importance of Health Care Proxies followed by the opportunity to complete and execute your own.
Registration is requested, but not required.
The Health Care Proxy is a simple document, legally valid in Massachusetts, which allows you to name someone (an "agent") to make health care decisions on your behalf if you are unable to make or communicate those decisions.
Mental Illness, Homelessness, and the Struggle for Care on Boston’s Streets: An Evening with Dr. Jim O’Connell (Main)
What happens when mental illness meets homelessness and there’s nowhere to turn? What does healthcare look like when you’re sleeping outside, alone, and invisible?
Join NAMI Cambridge/Middlesex and the Cambridge Public Library for an unflinching look at healthcare on the margins as Dr. Jim O’Connell, founding physician and President of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) shares stories, insights, and hard truths from a lifetime spent caring for patients—not in pristine clinics but in shelters, on sidewalks, and under bridges.
Moderated by Dr. Rich Parker, this one-night event will explore the barriers so many in our community face when mental illness goes untreated, housing is out of reach, and support feels out of sight. Cosponsored by Cambridge Public Library.
Registration is required.