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Our monthly Middle Grade Mystery book group is for kids aged 10-14. Check out a copy of the book beforehand, or download it from the Libby app. Our October book is Return to Howliday Inn by James Howe. This book group will meet virtually and in person at the O'Connell Branch. Please register below if you would like to attend virtually. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants one hour before the event. Need a laptop or hotspot to participate? Call the O'Connell Branch at 617-349-4019. For questions about the Middle Grade Mystery Book Group, please email cmeisler@cambridgema.gov.

Install outdoor chess tables in parks, city squares, and near libraries. This project will encourage community interaction through chess, checkers, and other board games! This project will ensure that residents can borrow chess sets from public libraries.

In January 2020, the largest and most eagerly awaited cache of new materials written by the Nobel-Prize-winning poet T. S. Eliot was finally opened: the 1,131 letters he sent Emily Hale, his little-known American love, over the course of their lifetimes. Their relationship was, in their own words, an “unnatural” love affair, one that began in Cambridge in 1913, when Eliot was a graduate student at Harvard and Hale, an aspiring amateur actress, and that played out in Boston, England and California over the years. Named as one of its "Fifty Notable Non-fiction Books of 2024" by the Washington Post, Fitzgerald's biography of Hale is based on the embargoed letters and extensive research into Hale’s life and times. Hale was much more than just a muse to a literary celebrity. She overcame personal hardship to pursue a career as a professor of speech and drama at prominent American women’s colleges and schools, including Simmons and Smith Colleges and Abbot and Concord Academies. She was a talented amateur actress and director, who performed at many Boston area theaters and later guided Eliot as he tried his hand at playwriting. But in the end, Eliot disavowed her, sending a secret letter to Harvard in 1960 that claimed his love for Hale was that of “a ghost for a ghost,” and confirming that he had arranged for Hale’s side of their 27-year correspondence to be destroyed. In the words of The Washington Post reviewer, “Missing letters, a secret love affair, a famous poet, a beautiful actress—what else could you possibly want in a story?" Sara Fitzgerald is a retired journalist whose career included fifteen years as an editor and new media developer for The Washington Post. In 2020, she also published The Poet’s Girl: A Novel of Emily Hale and T. S. Eliot. Since then, her essays about Hale have appeared in multiple volumes of the Journal of the T. S. Eliot Society and the T. S. Eliot Studies Annual. She has presented at the annual meetings of the Modern Language Association, the American Historical Association, the International T. S. Eliot Society, and at the T. S. Eliot Summer School at Oxford. She is also the author of the biography, Elly Peterson: “Mother” of the Moderates and Conquering Heroines: How Women Fought Sex Bias at Michigan and Paved the Way for Title IX.

As masking requirements begin to relax in Massachusetts, many people will still choose to mask up in certain places and situations. While the City of Cambridge mask requirement for indoor public places ends on March 13, 2022, masks will continue to be required on public and private transportation and in healthcare facilities and other specified settings .

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 Charlie and Frog by Karen Kane. Charlie’s boring summer gets a lot more interesting when he sees a mysterious woman who gives him a desperate message (in American Sign Language) and then disappears. Luckily, local girl detective Francine (Frog) has been looking for her next case, and ASL is her first language. They’ll have to work together to decipher clues and find ways to communicate and solve the mystery before it’s too late! 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

In honor of Earth Day, spend your afternoon at the Library creating your own terrarium. In partnership with Emerald City Plant Shop, you will have the opportunity to learn more about different kind of plants and plant care. This event will be conducted in the front park area of the Library. In the case of rain, the class will be moved to the community room. The Library will provide needed supplies.

Join us for a beginner-friendly counted cross stitch class for adults at O'Neill! Learn the basics of cross stitching while working on a cute raccoon pattern. All materials provided – no experience needed! You'll leave with materials and a pattern to finish your cross stitch piece after class. Registration required.

Our Magic Tree House book group for kids ages 5-10 meets the first Friday of the month. Pick up a copy of the book beforehand. Our November book is Magic Tree House #3, "Mummies in the Morning." This event is onsite at O'Connell, with the option to attend virtually. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. Need a laptop or hotspot to participate? Call the O'Connell Branch at 617-349-4019. For questions about the Magic Tree House book club, please email cmeisler@cambridgema.gov.

Our Magic Tree House book group for kids ages 5-10 meets the first Friday of the month. Pick up a copy of the book beforehand. Our September book is Magic Tree House #1, "Dinosaurs Before Dark." This event is onsite at O'Connell, with the option to attend virtually. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. Need a laptop or hotspot to participate? Call the O'Connell Branch at 617-349-4019. For questions about the Magic Tree House book club, please email cmeisler@cambridgema.gov.

Our Magic Tree House book group for kids ages 5-10 meets the first Friday of the month. Pick up a copy of the book beforehand. Our December book is Magic Tree House #4, "Pirates Past Noon." This event is onsite at O'Connell, with the option to attend virtually. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. Need a laptop or hotspot to participate? Call the O'Connell Branch at 617-349-4019. For questions about the Magic Tree House book club, please email cmeisler@cambridgema.gov.