O'Connell Branch Book Group (O'Connell)
October selection: All the King's Men by Robert Penn Warren
Reading Interests: We read mostly contemporary Fiction and Non-Fiction, with forays into older works and classics. Past selections include: Wellness by Nathan Hill, Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, The Elements of Marie Curie by Dava Sobel, and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.
How to get the print book: Copies of the book are set aside at the O'Connell Branch. Click here for O'Connell Branch Hours
How to get the e-book or digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as a digital audio and e-book through Libby or Hoopla.
This book group meets in person at the O'Connell Branch. No registration is needed. Drop-ins welcome.
For more information contact the branch at 617-349-4019.
O'Connell Branch Book Group (O'Connell)
December selection: How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents by Julia Alvarez
Reading Interests: We read mostly contemporary Fiction, with forays into non-fiction, older works and classics. Past selections include: Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and The Midnight Library by Matt Haig.
How to get the print book: Copies of the book are set aside at the O'Connell Branch. Click here for O'Connell Branch Hours
How to get the e-book or digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as a digital audio and e-book through Hoopla.
This book group meets in person at the O'Connell Branch. No registration is needed. Drop-ins welcome.
For more information contact the branch at 617-349-4019.
Parent/Child (Ages 7-10) Book Group (Main)
Join us for a lively discussion of a great book in person at the Main Library! Snacks will be provided. For ages 7-10 and a parent or caregiver.
This month's book is Dogtown by Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko.
In Dogtown, a shelter for unwanted canine and robot dogs, an extraordinary bond develops between Chance, a longing three-legged dog, Metalhead, an empathetic robot, and Mouse, their friendly ally, as they strive to find forever homes.
Copies of this month's book are available at the Children's Desk. 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
Parent/Child (Ages 7-10) Book Group (Main)
Join us for a lively discussion of a great book in person at the Main Library! Snacks will be provided. For ages 7-10 and a parent or caregiver.
This month's book is Garlic and the Vampire, by Bree Paulsen. Garlic is perfectly happy living in her little vegetable community with her best friend Carrot and the Witch Agnes to take care of them. But when a vampire moves into the big spooky castle on the hill, everyone agrees Garlic is the only one who can go confront him! 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
Sustaining Community: A Climate Change Book Group (Main/Virtual)
The climate is changing, and we're all here on the planet together. Join us for a monthly community gathering and discussion of a variety of books about climate change. We will share thoughts, resources, and occasionally host special guests in a welcoming small-group environment.
For our June meeting, we will discuss Silent Spring by Rachel Carson.
This work is available in many different formats. Copies of the print book are available at the Main Library Q&A Desk. E-book and e-audiobook copies are available to borrow on the Libby app and immediately on the Hoopla app.
This is a hybrid event. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event.
Registration is required. Please contact alengel@cambridgema.gov with questions.
Signs for Inclusion: Fun & Practical ASL for Everyday Communication (Main)
Join us for this special summer reading edition of a fun, interactive, activity-based American Sign Language lesson, including:
Everyday communication signs (greetings, help, common phrases, fun "Plant a seed, read!" summer reading themed signs)
How to respectfully and effectively interact with Deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals
Basic expressive communication using facial expressions and body language
How to navigate simple real-life scenarios using ASL
Inclusive communication strategies that can be used immediately
The session also includes:
Silent communication challenges
Interactive group practice
Engaging sign language games
This program is recommended for participants ages 10 and up.
Funding for Summer Reading has been generously provided by the City of Cambridge, Cambridge Public Library Foundation, Friends of the Cambridge Public Library and Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. Artwork copyright iRead.
CPL Presents America Unfinished: 250 Years of Law and Governance (Main)
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.
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.
Members Sought for Cambridge Public Art Commission
The Cambridge Public Art Commission helps guide the implementation of the Public Art Ordinance and the Art Gifts and Donation Policy, and advises on the overall direction of the City of Cambridge’s Public Art Program.