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Join herbalist Mo Katz-Christy for a meander through Danehy park to meet wintertime city plants and explore their medicinal uses! We will explore weeds and cultivated plants, trees and shrubs, and have lots of space for questions and conversation. Bring a notebook if you like, and meet us at the parking lot on Sherman Street (if you're late you should be able to find us -- we won't move too far too fast!). Registration is required. This event has been rescheduled from 2/27/25

Create your very own one-page tabletop role playing game. In this two-session class, you will learn how to design your own game from scratch. We will cover themes, mechanics, and get started on making your idea a reality. No prior experience needed, all materials provided. Ages 10-14, registration required! (Registering for Session 1 also registers you for Session 2 on Tuesday 4/14. Please attend both sessions!) 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.

What's hot & cold & read all over? The O'Neill Branch Library's new HVAC system! Bring a hot or cold dish to share as we celebrate community and our new heating and cooling system. We'll provide a hot fudge sundae bar, plates, napkins, and cutlery. Library staff will also be on hand to ask how we can be the best library for you. Tell us how you use our collections, technology, programs, services, and spaces. Share what library services have the biggest impact on you. Your feedback will help us improve services and set priorities for the coming years.

Children and families can join us for an outdoor story time and short walk at Alewife Brook Reservation to look for signs of spring. We will meet at the seating area on the bike path near the Alewife Brook Pathway and DCR Wetland Boardwalk: https://maps.app.goo.gl/CC32nJqG1Xk3b5zDA. There is no parking available on-site. Parking is available at Alewife MBTA station or limited on-street parking on Cambridgepark Drive. No registration is required. In case of bad weather, this event will be canceled and the listing will be updated on the website. Please call 617-349-4023 with any questions, including day-of weather cancellations.

This Month's Read: The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold Reading Interests: The group concentrates on science fiction and fantasy. An advanced reading schedule is published each fall. Example selections include: Neuromancer by William Gibson and The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Requirements: A love of speculative fiction and a desire to talk about books. The group is friendly and informal. How to get the print book: Copies of the print book are set aside at the Main Library Question and Answer desk on the ground floor. Visit the Main Library at 449 Broadway during service hours and a staff member can help you check out a copy. E-books and digital audiobooks are available on Libby or Hoopla. We'll meet in the Rossi Room on the ground floor of the Main Library. For more information, contact Carrie at csauder@cambridgema.gov.

In honor of National Public Health Week, please join us on Thursday, April 9th from 1-2:30 pm to volunteer to put together overdose prevention kits at the Cambridge Public Library, Central Square Branch. This year’s National Public Health Week theme "Ready. Set. Action!" calls on each of us to take part in community-driven solutions and daily actions that create healthier, more equitable, and connected communities. The You Can initiative (youcan.info) addresses overdose deaths by increasing access to lifesaving skills and resources statewide. Volunteers play a crucial role in this program by assembling the kits that are then mailed out across the state, getting lifesaving resources out to people and families who need them, free of cost. Each kit contains naloxone, fentanyl test strips, and other vital resources. Volunteers will be able to leave with a completed kit, if desired. Representatives from the Cambridge Health Department will also be onsite to provide additional resources and support. This program is a partnership between the Massachusetts Department of Public Health and Health Resources in Action (HRiA) and hosted by the Cambridge Health Department and Cambridge Public Library.

What better way to learn about wildlife than by observing them in person? Meet local wildlife ambassadors and discover the amazing adaptations that help them survive in the wild. Ask questions and learn what you can do to protect the wildlife of Cambridge. For children of all ages and their caregivers. Funding for Summer Reading has been generously provided by the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library Foundation and Friends of the Cambridge Public Library.

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

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.

This Month's Read: The City of Brass by S. A. Chakraborty Reading Interests: The group concentrates on science fiction and fantasy. An advanced reading schedule is published each fall. Example selections include: Neuromancer by William Gibson and The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Requirements: A love of speculative fiction and a desire to talk about books. The group is friendly and informal. How to get the print book: Copies of the print book are set aside at the Main Library Question and Answer desk on the ground floor. Visit the Main Library at 449 Broadway during service hours and a staff member can help you check out a copy. E-books and digital audiobooks are available on Libby or Hoopla. We'll meet in the Rossi Room on the ground floor of the Main Library. For more information, contact Carrie at csauder@cambridgema.gov.