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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.

Learn about the rabbits that we raise at Land’s Sake. This program includes a rabbit-themed story time, learning about rabbit behavior and anatomy, and a rabbit themed game. The highlight of the program is the Bunny Circle, where youth are able to touch and interact with live rabbits. 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.

Join us for a book discussion and hangout each month as we read books that celebrate the LGBTQIA+ experience. All readers age 12-15 welcome! Registration is required. For questions, email hsaxton@cambridgema.gov. This month we're reading Spells to Forget Us by Aislinn Brophy (Putnam, 2024). Copies of the book are available at the Central Square Library Children's Desk. Pizza will be provided!

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 Strangeville School is Totally Normal by Darcy Miller. Harvey Hill just wants other kids to think he’s normal. So he’s happy to start fresh as the newest kid at Strangeville Middle School. Except Strangeville is anything but normal. Something sinister swims in the drinking fountain, the cafeteria could swallow you whole, and a giant rat named Cuddles is on the loose. And don't even get the vice principal started on the third-floor supply closet. In fact, don't even think about it. What supply closet? 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

Join us for activities celebrating the theme of "Plant a Seed, Read" all summer long. Today's activity is perler bead plants. Work with perler beads to follow a pattern and create a flower, fruit or your own unique design. We'll fuse the finished product into place for you to take home. Recommended for children ages 6-12 and their caregivers. July 7 - Tissue Paper Flowers July 14 - Bird and Bug Suncatchers July 21 - no activity on this date July 28 - Perler Bead Plants August 4 - Paint by Sticker August 11 - Origami Peace Cranes

Join us at the Main Library to celebrate your favorite fandoms! We're throwing a Minecraft party, where you can make Minecraft themed crafts, get snacks, and play Minecraft trivia! Grab your diamond axe, saddle up your chicken, and get ready to mine. This program is intended for ages 9 - 12. For more information, contact Ellen Kaluza at ekaluza@cambridgema.gov.

Learn how to visually capture your own memoir or fictional creation in a short graphic novel through story planning, character development, and techniques for capturing emotions, motion, and time. Materials provided and no prior art or author experience needed! Registration is required, and registering for this session includes the following two Tuesdays 1/20, and 1/27. This program is for ages 10-18. 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 editors Alexandra Natapoff and Guy-Uriel Charles, along with contributors to America Unfinished: 250 Years of Law and Governance, for a discussion of this new collection of essays marking America’s 250th anniversary. America Unfinished brings together more than 50 legal scholars from the Harvard Law School faculty to examine a pivotal moment in American law and governance. The collection’s 62 essays explore topics including the expansion of executive power, the relationship between workers, consumers, and markets, democratic accountability in a market-driven economy, and the future of knowledge and governance institutions amid rapid technological change. Contributors include Stephen Breyer, Tomiko Brown-Nagin, Noah Feldman, Annette Gordon-Reed, Randall Kennedy, Jill Lepore, Lawrence Lessig, Bruce H. Mann, Martha Minow, and Cass R. Sunstein. Sponsored by the Cambridge Public Library and the Cambridge Public Library Foundation.

Join us for a fun afternoon of painting, led by local artist Lynn Vandick and geared toward kids ages 7-12. Paint your favorite squishy toy, or paint one of ours! Each painter will receive one of our assorted squishy toys to paint and keep. Acrylic paint can stain clothing. Please wear old clothing. No experience necessary. Kids age 7-12 are welcome. Registration is required and will open two weeks before the event.

Join the Collins Branch Library in collaboration with the Cambridge Climate Leaders Initiative for a monthly discussion of a climate-related topic. Each month the group will discuss a book on the topic at hand then hear about a related local program or initiative and how you can take action. Topic: Changing Lanes for Climate - exploring sustainable modes of transportation Book: Carmageddon: How Cars Make Life Worse and What To Do About It by Daniel Knowles Registration is encouraged, but not required. For more information contact Jo at jpercell@cambridgema.gov.