Cookbook Club (Collins)
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.
CPL Nature Club: Elder Walks (Collins)
Join guide Stefanie Haug while exploring our neighborhood nature and celebrating Elderhood. As a group we'll connect with nature and the neighborhood mindfully with a gentle walk and draw on contemplative practices.
What to bring: layered clothing, comfortable shoes and water.
Where to meet: Collins Branch entrance on Aberdeen Avenue.
Intermediate ESOL Class (St James Church)
January 2026 classes will be held at Saint James Church, 1991 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02140 due to repairs to the O'Neill Branch Library.
Join us for an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Class. This class will be taught at an intermediate level. No testing is needed.
American Sign Language: The Basics (Central Square)
Join us for a fun, interactive introduction to American Sign Language (ASL) and inclusive communication. Participants will learn practical everyday signs, respectful ways to interact with Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, expressive communication techniques, and simple real-life ASL scenarios. This activity-based workshop includes silent communication challenges, group participation, and engaging sign language games designed to build confidence and connection through communication. Recommended for ages 10 and up.
Chess Hour (Boudreau)
Join us for a chess challenge. Players of all skill levels and all ages are welcome to participate.
Chess sets will be provided, but feel free to bring your own if you prefer. This is not an instructional class, but rather a gathering for individuals who want to play and test their skills against other members of the community.
There's no need to register in advance - simply drop by and challenge yourself to improve your mastery of this classic game!
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at 617-349-4017 or via email: ipachoncaballero@cambridgema.gov or mmcglathery@cambridgema.gov
CANCELED/POSTPONED: Reading Group: How We Get Free: Black Feminism and the Combahee River Collective (Central Square)
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.
Artificial Intelligence, Emotions, & Mental Health (Main)
Learn how to mitigate potential risks associated with Artificial Intelligence (AI) use and understand how these risks may impact or exacerbate underlying mental health diagnoses. This class will be delivered by a DOORS program instructor. To learn more about the DOORS program please go to: https://www.digitalpsych.org/doors-program.html
To view and register for other Basic Tech Classes at the Library, please go to tinyurl.com/basictechclass.
Registration is encouraged, but not required.
[MOVED INDOORS] Juneteenth Drum Circle With Ammaya Dance & Drum (Main)
Join us for an hour of drumming with Ammaya Dance and Drum to celebrate Juneteenth! This event is recommended for children ages 5 and up and their caregivers. In the event of inclement weather, the drum circle will move to the Curious George Room.
Due to rain, this program will be in the Curious George Room.