Mental Illness, Homelessness, and the Struggle for Care on Boston’s Streets: An Evening with Dr. Jim O’Connell (Main)
What happens when mental illness meets homelessness and there’s nowhere to turn? What does healthcare look like when you’re sleeping outside, alone, and invisible?
Join NAMI Cambridge/Middlesex and the Cambridge Public Library for an unflinching look at healthcare on the margins as Dr. Jim O’Connell, founding physician and President of Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP) shares stories, insights, and hard truths from a lifetime spent caring for patients—not in pristine clinics but in shelters, on sidewalks, and under bridges.
Moderated by Dr. Rich Parker, this one-night event will explore the barriers so many in our community face when mental illness goes untreated, housing is out of reach, and support feels out of sight. Cosponsored by Cambridge Public Library.
Registration is required.
Have You Seen The Giant Deer In Inman Square?
A crane carefully swung “Edge of the Forest,” a 12-foot-tall steel sculpture of a deer, into place in Vellucci Plaza, the heart of Cambridge’s Inman Square, on July 18. The sculpture's creator, Mark Reigelman watched as workers anchored it into place.
CPL Presents: Elaine Castillo, author of MODERATION (Main/Virtual)
Join the Cambridge Public Library in welcoming Elaine Castillo, author of How to Read Now and America Is Not the Heart, in celebrating the release of her newest novel, Moderation, published in August 2025. The recipient of starred reviews from Publisher's Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Booklist—which called Moderation "a slyly brilliant narrative ... cleverly interrogating interactions, communication, and relationships"—the novel follows Girlie Delmundo, a social media content moderator falling in love with her boss while her career veers into an increasingly virtual realm, raising pertinent questions about the future of love.
After reading from Moderation, Elaine with sit in conversation with writer and editor Meagan Masterman for a wide-ranging conversation followed by an audience Q&A and book signing.
This is a hybrid event and registration is required.
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 April meeting, we will discuss Here comes the sun: a last chance for the climate and a fresh chance for civilization by Bill McKibben.
Copies of the print book are available at the Main Library Q&A Desk. The e-book is available on the Libby app and the e-audiobook is available 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.