Help kids in need start the new year off with a new book!

Ever pick up a book that you wish you could just give to someone? You can…the Cambridge Public Library holiday book program is collecting donations of new books for kids in need of all ages. 

Book donations are accepted at any Cambridge Public Library location and Porter Square Books until December 31. For more details, see our earlier post here. 

Become a Library Friend Today

Our Cambridge Public Library is the center of community activity nearly every day of the year. With family activities, educational programs, staff who know their stuff, book discussion groups, author events, and even archivists to help discover a sought-after nugget of lost family history, there's a lot to appreciate about our library and neighborhood branches.

This holiday season, show your gratitude for the library by renewing your membership or becoming a first-time member of the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library. 

The Friends is an organization dedicated to promoting interest in the library and supporting the library's many programs and resources that it provides to the Cambridge community. Come to the library this weekend to meet a Friend and sign up in person. Board members of the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library will be at the main branch in the afternoons Saturday, Dec. 7th and Sunday, Dec. 8th to sign up new and renewing members and to share information about the Friends. Bring your checkbook or cash to join on the spot at the library this weekend and receive The Book Lover's 2014 Calendar FREE!

If you're considering membership, you'll not only be helping the library, you'll also receive discounts at several local Cambridge retailers and theaters. Find out more about the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library and how to become a member here. And be sure to keep up with the Friends on Facebook too.

Check a book off of every kid’s wish list!

“Books are the perfect entertainment: no commercials, no batteries, hours of enjoyment for each dollar spent.”  ― Stephen King

For many of us, books are always at the top of the wish list and the giving list. This year, you can help the Cambridge Public Library give the gift of amazing stories and unforgettable characters to hundreds of kids in need for the holidays.

Buy a book (or books!) and donate to the holiday book program. The Cambridge Public Library is collecting donations of new books for kids of all ages. The library has particularly requested donations of board books for infants and young adult titles for 13-18 year olds. Once again this year, Porter Square Books is teaming up with the library and is giving a 20% discount on any books purchased for the holiday donation program. Book donations are accepted at any Cambridge Public Library location and Porter Square Books until December 31.

Since 2004, the Cambridge Public Library has collected new books for children and teens in transitional housing and shelters during the holiday season. The books are collected, wrapped by staff and volunteers, and delivered to each of the locations. Last year, the holiday book donation program gave 465 children at the Hildebrand Family Self Help Center, Transition House and the YWCA the gift of a new book!

If you want to donate a book and gift wrap it too, join one of the festive wrapping parties in the Beech Room at the Main Library. There will be four wrapping parties on December 2nd from 5:30-8pm, December 9th from 5:30-8pm, December 10th from 10am-noon, and December 13 from 10am-noon.  Please join us at any of these times to wrap gifts and spread the gift of stories.

For questions or more information please call 617-349-4038.

There are always great things happening at the library! For more information on how you can get involved with the Friends to help support our Cambridge libraries, click here.

Calling all home cooks!

Help the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library and our Cambridge Cooks cookbook team test recipes from some of the best restaurants in town. We already have over 60 recipes to test and we're still looking for home cooks to help us try them out and report back.

Read more details about the Cambridge Cooks cookbook project here, in a previous post.

If you would like to be a Cambridge Cooks recipe-tester, please write to us at cambridgelibrarycooks@gmail.com, and we will get in touch with you.

A library browser's interesting turn of events

Eve Sullivan, Friend of the CPL

A member of the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library, Eve Sullivan, shared a wonderful story that started one day in line at the Main Library. Browsing the recently checked out items, Eve picked up the book Cracked: The Unhappy Truth about Psychiatry by James Davies. The topic piqued her interest and she checked it out.

Eve described the book as a stunning narrative about psychiatry, over-prescription of drugs and the state of mental health care in this country, and around the world. As founder of Parents Forum, which focuses on emotional well-being in families, she wanted to learn more about the author. She contacted him by email about book readings or events he might have planned in the U.S.

As it turned out, Dr. Davies intended to visit New York the same week Eve was attending a U.N. mental health committee meeting. She followed up, heard the radio interview Davies did during his visit, and arranged a personal lunch with the author!

Every time you pick up a new book, you never know how the story will end! Thanks, Eve, for sharing this great experience with us.

There are always great things happening at the library! For more information on how you can get involved with the Friends to help support our Cambridge libraries, click here.

Help us test recipes from your favorite Cambridge restauraunts

Calling all home cooks! Our esteemed Cambridge Cooks editor, Judith Elstein, is seeking your assistance in the kitchen.

The Friends of the Cambridge Public Library have embarked on a new project: we are creating a cookbook to be published in 2014. And not just any cookbook. Ours will contain recipes from some of the best, most interesting, and most creative restaurants in Cambridge.

So far we have received more than 60 recipes from restaurants such as Rialto, Craigie on Main, Elephant Walk, Bondir, Toscano, East by Northeast, Oleana, Asmara, and RendezVous. We have recipes for appetizers, soups, salads, vegetables, pasta, entrees, desserts, and even a few drinks.  

Now, we have to test the recipes – and that’s where you come in. The Friends need home cooks to try out and report on the recipes so we can be certain that directions are clear and quantities are accurate.

If you would like to be a Cambridge Cooks recipe-tester, please write to us at cambridgelibrarycooks@gmail.com, and we will get in touch with you.

Thanks, Friends!

Thanks to all our Friends who joined us last week for the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library Annual Meeting. 

Not only did we get a preview of plans for the 2014 Secret Gardens of Cambridge tour, but also enjoyed a special behind-the-scenes look at how our fabulous Cambridge librarians keep the books in circulation fresh and in-demand.

In case you were wondering…sometimes a particularly unappealing cover can get a book bumped off the order list! But when library patrons ask for a book, ugly cover or not, it’s almost always available within days.

Stay tuned for more about Friends’ events in the coming year to help promote the library and raise important dollars to support library programs we all enjoy. There are always great things happening at the library! For more information on how you can get involved with the Friends to help support our Cambridge libraries, click here.

This Week! Wikipedia Loves Libraries and Massachusetts History

If you're interested in Massachusetts history, make your mark and help share important history about all things Cambridge.

Join history, library, and Wikipedia buffs for an edit-a-thon and behind the scenes tour in the Cambridge Room at the Cambridge Public Library on Wednesday, October 23, 5pm - 9pm.

This Wikipedia editing event will focus on Cambridge history and is part of Open Access to Mass History 2013, a planned series of edit-a-thons during Open Access Week themed around Massachusetts history. The Cambridge Room is located on the second floor of the main library.

In memory of our Friend, Frances Tenenbaum

The Friends of the Cambridge Public Library and the Cambridge community recently lost a dear friend. Frances Tenenbaum, an award-winning garden writer and one of the original founders of the Friends’ Secret Gardens of Cambridge tour, died in late September at the age of 94.

Frances first became involved with the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library when she was recruited at a used book sale to join the Friends Board. 

Former Friends Board President Susan Twarog recalled, “It was one of the best things to happen to the Friends! Almost as soon as she joined the Board, she raised the idea of a garden tour fundraiser.”

It was January 2000, and with Susan as her co-chair, Frances was persistent and committed to making the garden tour happen that spring. It was an amazing success and the Secret Gardens of Cambridge tour has since become the Friends’ signature fundraising event to benefit the Cambridge Public Library. As a respected garden writer and long-time Houghton Mifflin editor, Frances lent not only her expertise and credibility to support of the library community, but also her enthusiasm and wit!

“I loved working with Frances,” Susan remembered. “Those five or six years were great fun. Frances was at least 35 years older than me, but I never felt that -- she was so vibrant, intelligent and funny.”

Frances and Susan co-authored The Secret Gardens of Cambridge book, which offers a bit of history about the beginning of the biennial event and features striking photos of some of the secret gardens that have been revealed as part of the tour.

Frances was an active community member in both Cambridge and Aquinnah on Martha’s Vineyard, where she was also a seasonal resident. Read more about Frances’s amazing life here in the Vineyard Gazette.

Solano Poetry Series Gets Started in Style

Earlier this month, the Cambridge Room at the Cambridge Public Library hosted a reception to honor Louisa Solano and kick off the Solano Poetry Series. Read more about the series in our previous post. Here are a few photos from the occasion, courtesy of Alyssa Pacy, the Library's Archivist:

Exhibition of Louisa Solano's collections donated to the Cambridge Room.

Louisa Solano, former Grolier Book Shop owner (center), talking with a guest at the reception.

Poets Tino Villanueva, Harris Gardner and Mark Pawlak at the poetry series opening reception.

Former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky and Library Director Susan Flannery discuss the exhibition.

It's that time of year again!

Find out what the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library have been up to and more about some of the exciting activities we have planned for the coming year at our annual meeting on Tuesday, October 15 at 7pm.

Here's a sneak peek:
*News about the Friends Board and organization
*Next spring's Secret Gardens of Cambridge Tour
*A brand new cookbook project
*Fun tidbits from behind the scenes at the library

We'll meet in the Community Room and refreshments will be served. Please join us and bring a friend (or Friend)!

Special Poetry Series Honors Former Grolier Book Shop Owner Louisa Solano

Poets Gail Mazure and Robert Pinsky will read from their selected works at the Cambridge Public Library on October 1, initiating a fall poetry series to honor another local name in poetry circles.

Louisa Solano is a poetry marvel, just like the Grolier Book Shop she owned from 1974 to 2006. Her unique contributions to Cambridge and the greater poetry community have been invaluable, and now with a tremendous donation to the Cambridge Room at the Cambridge Public Library, the treasured history of the book shop and many local poets will forever be a part of Cambridge history.

Ms. Solano's donation to the library’s Archives and Special Collections includes a substantial collection of signed first editions from members of the Cambridge poetry community as well as material related to the Grolier Book Shop.

“Louisa’s donation is a wonderful addition to the Cambridge Public Library’s Archives and Special Collections,” says Alyssa Pacy, the Library’s Archivist. “Many of these publications are rare and out of print.  I know that they will be a valuable resource for researchers for generations to come. As I have been going through the signed editions, nearly every inscription reads ‘For Louisa, in gratitude and admiration’. Those words are a testament to Louisa’s lifelong support of poets and show her impact on the poetry community.”

The Louisa Solano Poetry Series will feature the following poets: 

October 1st
Robert Pinsky, Poet Laureate from 1997-2000
Gail Mazur, Founding Director of Blacksmith House Poetry Series in Cambridge

November 5th
David Ferry, 2012 National Book Award Winner for Poetry

December 3rd
Frank Bidart reads from Metaphysical Dog: Poems, his latest collection

Each reading will begin at 6:30 pm in the Main Library Lecture Hall. Books will be available for purchase and signing.

NEXT WEEK! Cambridge READS with Edwidge Danticat on Sept. 18

If you haven't already secured your spot for the 2013 Cambridge READS event, tickets are available now!

This season's Cambridge READS selection is Claire of the Sea Light, the newest book by award-winning Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat.

On Wednesday, September 18th, Ms. Danticat will be speaking at the Sanders Theatre near Harvard Square, the only Boston-area visit she is making for her new book. The program begins at 6:30 pm and will be introduced with a special dance performance by Jean Appolon Expressions, a Cambridge-based dance company dedicated to preserving Haitian folkloric dance.

Tickets are free and are now available at the Harvard Box Office, Porter Square Books, and the Main Library. Tickets will also be available at the door on the day of the event, 

For a little history on the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library Cambridge READS program, peruse this archive blog post.  There are always great things happening at the library! For more information on how you can get involved with the Friends to help support our Cambridge libraries and events like Cambridge READS, click here.

Your Library Needs You!

Looking for ways to get more involved with our great Cambridge Public Library? Here is your chance to show your support for the library in an active and engaged role: The Friends of the Cambridge Public Library (FCPL) is looking for two new Board members.

Currently, the Board has a particular need for individuals who can help us with publicity; with maintaining our Facebook page and our blog, or with recruiting and coordinating volunteers.

The FCPL has a busy and exciting year ahead. In addition to its regular activities, the Friends will be organizing its biennial fundraiser, the Secret Gardens of Cambridge, in June, and is planning to publish a cookbook in October 2014, also in support of the Library.

The FCPL is an organization whose mission is to promote interest in and support for the library's programs, resources, and needs. Its Board members are library lovers who meet monthly from September to June to plan programs that further the Friends’ mission. Board members are expected to give several hours of their time beyond the monthly meetings. Board tasks include - but are not limited to - planning the biennial Secret Gardens Tour; writing and editing the Friends newsletter; supporting the annual membership drive; helping run author series and other ongoing events.

If you have any of the above interests or skills, please consider joining the Board.

For more information or to express your interest, contact cambridgelibraryfriends@gmail.com. Or, call the main library at 617-349-4032 and tell them you are interested in working on the Board. A response before September 6th, 2013 is greatly appreciated, but the Board will consider applications after this date. Read more about the Friends here or visit us on Facebook.

Cambridge READS exclusive event with Edwidge Danticat Sept. 18

The 2013 Cambridge READS selection is Claire of the Sea Light, the newest book by award-winning Haitian-American author Edwidge Danticat.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library, this year we are offering two exciting programs for this Cambridge READS season. On September 18th, Ms. Danticat will be speaking at the Sanders Theatre near Harvard Square, the only Boston-area visit she is making for her new book!

The program begins at 6:30 pm and will be introduced with a special dance performance by Jean Appolon Expressions, a Cambridge-based dance company dedicated to preserving Haitian folkloric dance.

Tickets are free and will be available at noon on September 5 at the Harvard Box Office, Porter Square Books, and the Main Library.

Check back to the blog later this month for more about Cambridge READS! There are always great things happening at the library! For more information on how you can get involved with the Friends to help support our Cambridge libraries and events like Cambridge READS, click here.

Ask the Librarian - Joe Logue

We've been featuring a regular series of interviews with our fun and amazing library staff! Meet Joe...manager at the Collins branch and another one of the people who make our Cambridge libraries extraordinary places.

What’s unique about being a librarian at the Collins branch?

Collins is a very small branch, so there is a chance for us to become much more immediately responsive to patrons’ needs and requests. As Cambridge Public librarians we pride ourselves on our patron service skills, but working in a small library allows you to become a neighbor, too. However, getting a chance to come to work in a beautifully restored Arts & Crafts building that has historical significance is an unequaled pleasure every day of the week.

What made you want to become a librarian and what do you love most about your job?
When I was 15 I found school very depressing, and rather isolating – typical teenage stuff. I would go to the Main Library in Buffalo, NY and sit in the stacks for hours, or go into the Record Room and listen to LPs. At one point I knew all the lyrics to “Jesus Christ, Superstar.” Not only did the librarians not harass me, but they actively encouraged my interests. The only thing I wanted to be at 15 was alone with books, but when I began realizing that those who were helping me were at their jobs and getting paid for their efforts . . . well, the die was cast. What I love most is that even though I put off becoming a librarian for thirty years, it is as rewarding and fulfilling now as I thought it might be then.

What is something that people may find surprising about your role as a librarian?How physically demanding the job can be. Retrieving or shelving items usually require squatting and stretching, twisting and turning, often in quick succession to one another. Daily deliveries need to be hauled and carried, and emptying the book drop requires balance and agility. It’s not all sitting and perusing publishers’ catalogues, though that is a lovely part of the job.

What do you enjoy most about the library in the summer?Seeing children rush into the library when there are so many other entertainments at their beck and call is a kick. It’s interesting to see how demand shifts, too. We field a lot of requests for books on CD, museum passes, and lighter fiction titles. This is not the time of year when patrons borrow Swedish dramas on DVD that are six hours long – though we have those, too. We have a Labor Day picnic every year that has been great fun, with games and songs.

How has technology changed your job? What is your opinion on e-books like the Kindle?Technology has made requesting and obtaining items for patrons exponentially easier. It has turned a 15,000-item library into, essentially, one with millions of titles available. Not everyone can make it to the library when it’s open. The ability to request one of our items online at home at 10:00 at night and to have it waiting for you at 10:00 the next morning is amazing to me still. It has its challenges: many librarians are chary of the rush to have Web-based experiences dominate library interactions. We fear that this might leave many feeling that they aren’t stakeholders in the library, that technology has frozen them out. This is where the expert staffing of the CPL enters the discussion, to make everyone welcome, to offer instruction, and to provide guidance. I offer classes in setting up Facebook and Twitter accounts at Collins, too.

I could not be happier with the advent of e-book readers and downloadable audio books. My husband and I travel frequently and with more restrictions on luggage, one e-reader carrying a dozen titles weighs a lot less than a suitcase with twelve books. What’s great is that he’s a Nook guy and I’m a Kindle guy so between the two of us we have plenty to read. The library even has Nooks to borrow, with pre-installed titles, which has been hugely popular with patrons.

Are you in a book club? If so, how does your group select the books?
The Collins Branch offers two book clubs: my group meets on the second Thursday of the month, and my colleague Lise’s group is on the third Thursday. I generally pick the title for my group, and we always participate in the CambridgeREADS selection. Fiction is our most popular genre, and we look for titles that are accessible, engaging, and illuminating. Everyone has busy lives, so don’t expect War and Peace at our group!

Tell us about an experience you were part of or witnessed at the library that has stuck with you over time.
A boy of 13 or 14 named Zhenghan used to come to the Collins Branch nearly every day for a year or so. I would talk to him and ask him about school. Chit-chat, really, but nothing prepared me for the note he gave me when his family moved back to China. In a beautiful script, he wrote, “Dear Joe, It's so nice to have you as my friend! You are my first friend who is a librarian! Thinking of you.” This had an emotional and professional impact I had not anticipated, nor will soon forget. The value he attached to his library visits completes the circle for me.

Longer days, a heatwave, less crowded on the T…must be time for summer reading

There’s something about the slow slumber of summer that makes a good book seem even more luxurious. Maybe it's the change in scenery or just the change in temperatures. Whatever it is, it's good.

So whether you’re reading in a faraway land, at soccer practice, at the beach, or in the backyard, we hope you enjoy some of these suggestions from around Cambridge:

Staff picks from Cambridge Public Library

from Porter Square Books

from Harvard Book Store

And check the top of the sidebar for more summer reading recommendations from your Friends of the Cambridge Public Library!

The Battle Between Digital and Print

As e-books gain in popularity, and even become more accessible through our libraries and local bookstores, this infographic from OnlineDegrees.org offers an interesting look at how our relationship with the traditional textbook versus the e-textbook may be more complex.

Photo Show Success: Winners Announced

The Friends of the Cambridge Public Library biennial photo show was a hit this past summer Saturday, with over 50 people in attendance at the library "gallery" to peruse the entries and winning photos.

While the theme for the Friends' photo contest was open this year, the top photographs all show a common quiet appeal. The work of contest finalists will be on display in the L2 hallway of the main library throughout the month of June.

First Place: David Hebden "Soro no Benchi" (Empty Bench)

Second Place: Anthony Grassi "Blizzard Nemo Prudential"

Third Place: Anna Shneidman "Where is the Doorbell"

Photo Show June 1

Don't miss the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library 2013 Biennial Photo show!

The top three winners of the Friends' photo contest will be announced as part of a gallery reception on Saturday, June 1 at 3pm in the Community Room of the main library.

Winning photographs will be on display in the library during the show and throughout the month of June.

Summer Explorin'

USS Constitution

We can safely say the annual countdown to summer vacation time is upon us! Children are marking each day off the calendar, teachers are winding down lesson plans and librarians are gearing up for summer reading programs. The parents I know are busy planning...camps, babysitters, and finding special days to explore something new and fun with their kids through the summer. 

That’s where the Friends can help! The Friends of the Cambridge Public Library (CPL) sponsors the CPL museum pass program, which offers free or discounted admission to many area museums. 

A few tips about how the museum passes work:

Franklin Park Zoo

• You must have a valid CPL or Minuteman Library Network card to reserve and pick up museum passes.
• Most museum passes can be booked online.
• Not all museums are free; some of the passes offer discounted admission fee or coupons on museum activities.
• Each CPL library branch has its own pass or coupon, so you can pick up a pass right in your neighborhood.
• Just like your library books, there is a due date for each pass you check out and a fee for late returns.

Museum of Science

For more information about the program or to reserve your special day at the museum, visit the library website. Click “accept” to see the complete list of passes available, details about each, and availability.  

The hardest part is deciding where to spend your summer exploring days!

AWESOME!

Have you seen some of the books other Cambridge readers think are awesome?

Check out the Awesome Box at the Cambridge Public Library website for a randomly selected sample of materials Cantabrigians love at the library.  Or if you're returning something Awesome, put it in the Awesome Box so someone else can benefit from your Awesome suggestion!

Last Call for Photo Contest Entries!

There's still time if you haven't hit us with your best shot for the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library 2013 Biennial Photo Contest.

Entries are due by midnight May 1 (that's this week!) and winners will have their photographs displayed on the main floor of the Cambridge Public Library through the month of June. See more about prizes, contest details, and information about how to submit your winning photo here.

World Book Night Reminds Us to Celebrate and Share Our Love of Reading

As I read the last passage and close the back cover of a book, my instinct is often to want to share the story I just experienced. I want someone else to experience it too.

World Book Night is an annual event that reminds us how meaningful it is to spread the love of reading, from person to person. Each year on April 23, volunteer book givers give away a half million free paperbacks to others who are light and non-readers. It’s about giving books and encouraging others to read and to connect through the sharing of stories.

This year Cambridge Public Library is hosting a phenomenal line up of authors whose books were chosen for World Book Night 2013. The special kick-off event features authors Vanessa Diffenbaugh, Neil Gaiman, and Lisa Genova on Monday, April 22 at 7 pm at the main library.

Even if you’re not participating in World Book Night officially, you can still share your love of reading. Tell someone about a book you loved, give a friend your copy to read, or help them find it at the library.

It's not too late for your winning photo!

If you waited for spring fever to set in before you embarked out of winter hibernation, don’t worry, there's still time to enter the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library photography contest. The change of seasons is the perfect time to capture photos of the burgeoning buds, a well-used snow shovel, or whatever strikes your photographer’s eye.

You have until midnight on May 1 to send your photos to cplfriendsphotos@yahoo.com.

The theme for the biennial photo contest is open, so submit your one or two best shots and include a title and a one- to three-sentence description. Contest details are here or on the CPL website under 2013 Photo Contest from the sidebar on the left.

Jump the Science Divide: Science Festival Events at the Library

The Cambridge Science Festival is happening in April and this year, you won't want to miss the first-ever Friends of the Cambridge Public Library events offering a look at science as it intersects with poetry and science from a comic perspective.  Read more about jumping the science divide in the Friends President's contribution to the Cambridge Science Festival blog.

On Tuesday April 16, 6-8pm Nick Montford, poet, co-author of "10 PRINT CHR$(205.5+RND(1)); : GOTO 10", and associate professor of digital media at MIT, will lead a discussion about the intersections and common grounds of poetry and science.

On Saturday, April 20, 2-4pm, guest speakers Jay Hosler, author of "Clan Apis" and "Sandwalk Adventures", local artist E.J. Barnes, author of "Caroline's Catalog", and Rosemary Mosco, field naturalist and cartoonist, join us for a fun and interactive exploration of how comics and science work together.

Both events will be at the Main Library Lecture Hall. Find out more at the CPL website.

It's Library Advocacy Day March 26!

Thanks to the library Friends and patrons who joined us this week at the Cambridge Public Library to learn about being an advocate for our libraries.

Special thanks to our speakers for inspiring us as well as informing us: Dinah O’Brien from the Massachusetts Library Association, Judi Paradis from the Massachusetts School Library Association, and Celeste Bruno and Cindy Roach from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC).

Community members are the most effective advocates for libraries. You USE your library and understand the value it provides to you and your community.

Speaking up for why libraries are important is easy and there are many ways to make sure your lawmakers and local officials hear from you about why you want them to keep libraries a priority.

If you've visited your library recently, take a minute to add a comment about why you need your library to this tumblr from MBLC. Share this link with your elected officials (your state representative or senator or city councilor) with a note about how you use your library everyday. For a little inspiration, you can also watch and share this amazing video about the 94,000 library visits that happen each year across the Commonwealth!

You can learn more about some of the critical issues for library systems across Massachusetts here and about Library Legislative Day activities at the State House on March 26.

Friends Just Keep Winning

Being a Friend of the Cambridge Public Library is already a win, but for some, there's an extra perk. Congratulations to our Friends of the Cambridge Public Library members who won the 2013 membership drawing! Each year, several of our favorite local retailers help support the Friends by providing gift certificates for a few of our lucky members. This year, our Friends winners are....

Margaret Curtis  -gift card from Professional Geeks

Helen Epstein  -gift card from Dwelltime Cafe
Catherine Henn  -gift card from Crema Cafe
Jayne Marquedaunt  -gift card from The Games People Play

Allan Nineberg  -gift card from Porter Square Books
Barbara Norfleet  -gift card from Dwelltime Cafe

Judith Siemen  -gift card from Dwelltime Cafe

Thanks to our winners for joining the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library this year, and thank you to all the retailers for helping support the Friends as well. Don't forget that as a Friend, you can also enjoy discounts at local shops that support the library, like American Repertory Theater, Nomad Clothing, Follow the Honey, and more. Just show your Friends of the Cambridge Public Library sticker at the time of purchase to receive your discount.

There are always great things happening at the library! For more information on how you can get involved with the Friends to help support our Cambridge libraries, click here.

Learn to be a Library Advocate, March 18

With ongoing budget challenges at the state and local levels, support for public infrastructure, such as community and school libraries, is slowly diminishing. But if you love your library and use your library, you should join us and learn more about how to be a library advocate to help keep all our libraries thriving! 

Join the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library for a library advocacy discussion. Speakers from the Massachusetts Library Association and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners will walk you through the basics of library advocacy: What it is, why it's important and how we can all work together to support and speak up for the important role libraries play in our communities and in our schools.

Monday, March 18

6:30 pm reception; 7-8 pm program

Community Room at the Main Library

449 Broadway in Cambridge

*NEW SPEAKER ADDED*
We're pleased to add the Massachusetts School Library Association to our event roster. MSLA will discuss the roles school libraries play as an integral part of our community library systems.

Learn from state experts about how community members and librarians can be effective advocates for Massachusetts libraries and gear up for Library Legislative Day on March 26th.

There are always great things happening at the library! For more information on how you can get involved with the Friends to help support our Cambridge libraries, click here.

Oooh...Aah! It's the Friends Photo Contest

Just imagine your very own photography on display at the Cambridge Public Library (CPL)...

If it sounds like dream come true, then have we got a contest for you! Cambridge residents of all ages are invited to submit one or two original photographs for the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library 2013 Biennial Photo Contest, “Hit Me With Your Best Shot.”

The theme for the photo contest is open, so submit your one or two best shots. Each should include a title and a one to three-sentence description.

Photo Contest Winner, 2011, Naomi Moran

Every entry must complete the Photographic Permission Form. For more contest information including criteria, guidelines and rules, download the photo contest flier.

Deadline for submission is midnight, May 1, with winners chosen on May 10. First, second and third place winners will have their photographs displayed on the main floor of the CPL for the month of June. Winners will also receive a gift card to a local bookstore and be part of the gallery opening event on Saturday, June 1, at 3 pm. All photo entries will also be posted on the library’s Flickr site.

Digital photos should be submitted to the Friends’ e-mail address at cplfriendsphotos@yahoo.com. Any questions can also be sent to the same e-mail address.

In 2011, the Friends received 52 photo entries in the first photo contest, with images capturing every season at the CPL. Read more about our previous winners in the blog archives.

There are always great things happening at the library! For more information on how you can get involved with the Friends to help support our Cambridge libraries, click here.

Couldn't have said it better!

It's a nice reminder about the little things that make a big difference. Watch Junot Diaz at the Cambridge Public Library talking about the importance of libraries and the impact one librarian, in particular, had on his early years in this country and his love of books.

If his words get you thinking about why you need your library, tell us! Share your comments on the tumblr from the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and help spread the word about what makes libraries important for all of us.

Celebrate Black History Month

We’re well into February now, with many events honoring great leaders and milestones in black history.

This year marks 50 years since several significant events in the civil rights movement and the 150th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed slaves in the American South.

Cambridge is commemorating the anniversary in recognition of Black History Month with a community reading of the Emancipation Proclamation and local celebration featuring keynote speaker Beverly Morgan-Welch, Director of the Museum of African American History. The Journey Toward Freedom event is Tuesday, Feb. 12, 6-8pm at Cambridge City Hall in Sullivan Chamber.

And don't miss some local reflections, courtesy of 22-CityView.  Through a series of short interviews, city residents offer their thoughts on the lasting impact of President Lincoln’s signing of the Emancipation Proclamation. See the videos and more about the history of the Emancipation Proclamation here.

For a look at history, view the actual Emancipation Proclamation, page by page, or read the transcript from the National Archives here. For more Black History Month events in Cambridge, check the CPL events listing in the sidebar or visit the Cambridge Public Library for details.

Behind the Scenes Success

Thanks to the 30 enthusiastic Friends who joined the first-ever behind the scenes tour at the Main Library last weekend! It was a fun event, and we all learned something new and interesting about our library.

Participants got a peek into the operational side of the library, which keeps our Cambridge library system running smoothly every day. With over 1.5 million checkouts and 2,500 programs for 85,000 participants just last fiscal year, it takes an impressive bunch of librarians and staff behind the scenes. Thanks also to Petsi Pies for energizing the tour with coffee and scones!

The behind-the-scenes event was such a hit, we hope to do it again next year! 

If any of our blog readers joined the tour, leave a comment and tell us what your favorite part of the program was.

How many different libraries do you use?

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) is exploring new ideas for resource sharing among libraries.

Sparked by data showing that eBook borrowing at Massachusetts libraries tripled in a single year, the MBLC is considering new ways to keep eBooks and other library resources free and accessible among all the state's libraries, including the potential of a statewide library card.

MBLC is seeking input from library users about a statewide library card to offer expanded access to more library resources across communities. Complete this short survey and tell them what you think about a "Massachusetts Library Card".

Visit MBLC for more information on the Statewide Resource Sharing plan.

New Perks for Friends!

This year, members of the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library can enjoy new discounts at local businesses that support the library, like the American Repertory Theater, Big Picture Framing, Nomad Clothing, Follow the Honey, and more. Just show your Friends of the Cambridge Public Library sticker at the time of purchase to receive your discount.

Members will also be eligible for drawings for gift certificates from a host of other local shops. Look here for a full list of 2013 membership benefits and be sure to shop local at these library-supporting businesses! And if you haven't joined us yet, it's easy...just download the membership application, send it in with your tax-deductible membership donation, and enjoy the perks of being a Friend of your Cambridge Public Library!

There are always great things happening at the library! For more information on how you can get involved with the Friends and help support our Cambridge libraries, click here.

Wow...what a response!

The Friends of the Cambridge Public Library Behind the Scenes tour this Saturday Feb. 2 is now FULL. Unfortunately, we don't have space to accept additional RSVPs at this time. But more events are coming this spring. Follow the Friends on Facebook and check back here to find out about future events at the library!

MEMBERS ONLY: Go Behind the Scenes at the Cambridge Public Library--RSVP now!

Don't miss this first-time look behind the scenes, available only for members of the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library!

Have you ever wanted to know what it takes to run the library on a day-to-day basis? You can find out on Saturday, February 2nd, when the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library will be hosting a free “behind-the-scenes tour” at Cambridge’s Main Library at 449 Broadway.

The event will begin with a presentation by Library Director Susan Flannery and other library staff, where you will learn how collections are managed, find out about the library’s dynamic senior services, tour the graphics office, and much more. You will then literally go behind the scenes to tour staff-only areas, see the staff vending machine, lunch room and showers, and visit the state-of-the-art boiler room that heats and cools this award-winning, LEED-certified building.

The tour starts at 10:00 am and should end by 11:00 am. Coffee and scones will be available at 9:30 am, so be sure to come early and socialize! This exclusive tour is free and only open to members of the Friends of the Cambridge Public Library. 

Space is limited so be sure to reserve your spot today. To RSVP, please call 617-349-4032 or email cplrsvp@cambridgema.gov, and please let us know if you are bringing a friend.

There are always great things happening at the library! For more information on how you can get involved with the Friends and help support our Cambridge libraries, click here.

Ask the Librarian - Kate Stifter

We've been featuring a regular series of interviews with our fun and amazing library staff!

Meet Kate...children's librarian at the O'Neill branch and one of the people who make our Cambridge libraries extraordinary places.

What made you want to become a librarian and what do you love most about your job? Growing up, I always wanted to be a librarian. I love books!

How has technology changed your job? What is your opinion on e-books like the Kindle? I love the fact that the library offers downloadable e-books and MP3 books--it’s another way for patrons to access our collection. I have a kindle myself and use it frequently. I use the library’s service, Overdrive, to stock up on books for vacation. It has certainly cut down on my luggage weight!

What’s unique about being a librarian at the O’Neill branch? At the O’Neill Branch, we are attached to the Peabody Elementary School and the Rindge Ave Upper School. This gives us great opportunities to collaborate with teachers and librarians at the school. The fact that children can access the library from the school without going outside is helpful, especially on those cold or rainy days.

What is the funniest thing that has ever happened to you in your role as a librarian? One afternoon, soon after starting work at the O’Neill Branch, I was sitting at a table with some middle school students who had come to the library to hang out after school. Our conversation may have been a little louder than “library voices” and I was surprised to hear a forceful “SHHHHHH” from the librarian at the front desk!

What is something that people may find surprising about your role as a librarian? Patrons are always surprised to hear that I have not read all (or even most of) the “classics.” When I am constantly surrounded by a plethora of the newest books, it makes it hard to go back and read those things I've missed.

Tell us about a situation you were part of or witnessed at the library that has stuck with you over time. A few years ago, we received a grant to offer a storytelling workshop after school. In the beginning, the young participants were apprehensive about the prospect of sharing their personal stories. The workshop was taught by a fabulous professional storyteller, Lani Peterson, whose examples and instruction inspired the children. The storytelling performance at the end of the workshop was a great success!