NOTE: The Library will be closed on Monday, July 3rd and Tuesday, July 4th for Independence Day celebrations. 

Special Event:

Cozy Mystery Mini Book Festival @ The Ashland Library!

Saturday, July 29, 2023

We are having so much fun with our Mini-Fests that we just had to do one for our Cozy Mystery Readers! For this one, we welcome authors Leslie Meier, Edith Maxwell, Barbara Ross, and Barbara (Barb) Tanner Wallace to the Ashland Library. The day will include a panel discussion (which will be recorded so, if you can’t make it in person, you can watch later!), small group conversations, and a book sale/signing. So, grab your cozy mystery lovin’ friends, and come on down to the Ashland library!

Books for the book sale will be provided by Aesop’s Fable. You can PREORDER books by any of our authors and Aesop’s will bring your books to the Fest - easy peasy and no worries that they’ll sell out! 

Walk-ins are welcome, but we’re also requesting registration so we know how many chairs to have out (and you’ll receive reminders). Please REGISTER HERE.

This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.

Adult:

Virtual - Environmental Book Club 

Wednesday, July 5 @ 6:30pm

Read “A Wing and a Prayer” by Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal.

HYBRID - Romance Book Club 

Thursday, July 6 @ 6:30pm

Read LGBTQ+ Romances

Cookbook Club

Saturday, July 8 @ 12pm

Cook from “Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking : 150 Delicious and Simple Recipes Everyone Can Master” by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali.

Card Making with Jan Poppendieck

Monday, July 10 @ 6:30pm

Learn stamping and card making techniques using our huge stash of supplies. Jan will teach embossing, die cutting, proper stamping, and use of equipment individually and group techniques of creating unique cards.

Virtual: The Salem Witch Trials and Public Memory with the Salem Witch Museum

Wednesday, July 12 @ 1pm

Though the Salem witch trials were far from the only witchcraft trials to take place in colonial North America, and were relatively mild when compared with the devastating European trials of the early modern period, Salem is by far the most well-known in America today. In this program, participants will learn about the history of witch trials, placing Salem in context of the larger period of early modern witch-hunts.

Mystery Book Club

Wednesday, July 12 @ 6:30pm

Read  “All Her Little Secrets” by Wanda M. Morris.

Virtual - An Evening with Author Lisa See

Wednesday, July 12 @ 7pm

Join New York Times bestselling author Lisa See as she talks about her new book “Lady Tan’s Circle of Women”, a captivating story of women helping other women. See’s latest historical novel was inspired by the true story of a woman physician from 15th-century China and is a triumphant reimagining of the life of a woman who was remarkable in the Ming dynasty and would be considered remarkable today.

Art for Adults with Nancy Atkinson

Thursday, July 13 @ 6:30pm

Join Nancy as she teaches us drawing techniques with different mediums, papers, and ideas. We hope you can join us and up your artistry game.

Virtual - Q&A With SciFi/Fantasy Author Martha Wells

Thursday, July 13 @ 7pm

Science Fiction and Fantasy readers, this one is for you! We’re thrilled to be in conversation with author Martha Wells - we absolutely love the “Murderbot Diaries” Series! Make sure to check out Martha’s latest release, “Witch King” - “a remarkable story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.” So, whether you’ve been a fan for years or you’re looking for a “new to you” author, join us for this Q&A in which we get all of our burning questions answered.

Virtual - Friday Night Film Discussion

Friday, July 14 @ 7pm

Watch “A Matter of Size”

A Meditative Outdoors Summer Walk with Hannah Stein

Saturday, July 15 @ 10am

Join fellow Ashlanders and Hannah Stein, Owner of Ashland REIKI & Wellness Center, on this walk designed to increase your awareness of the relaxing and healing benefits of nature that you can discover right here in Ashland, Massachusetts. It’s a WINTER walk which will be very different from our previous summer and fall walks - what will you see?

Saturday Knit and Crochet Club & Workshop: Knit Kitchen Scrubbies 

Saturday, July 15 @ 2pm

Join us and learn how to knit a handy kitchen scrubbie!   Just bring your own crochet hook or knitting needles and some yarn and we will supply the know-how.  

Virtual: Q&A with YA Author Jenna Evans Welch!

*For Teens and Adults

Monday, July 17 @ 7pm

What’s better than young love, adventure, travel, good, family, and good friends? Nothing! Join us for a conversation with author Jenna Evans Welch as we discuss her books “Love & Gelato”, “Love & Luck”, and her most recent, “Love & Olives”. We’re sure you can guess the settings from the titles! Bring your questions because this is going to be rapid fire and awesome!

Bio/Memoir Book Club

Wednesday, July 19 @ 11am

Read “The Fox Hunt: A Refugee’s Memoir of Coming to America” by Mohammed Al Samawi.

Virtual - At the Weather Station with NBC10Boston/NECN’s Meteorologist Pamela Gardner

Wednesday, July 19 @ 12pm

Meet Pamela Gardener, on-air meteorologist for NBC10Boston/NECN! We’ll be discussing how Pamela got to where she is, what it takes to be a weather person in New England, esp as a Woman in STEM, and the current science around weather forecasting! Bring your questions, this is sure to be a fascinating and enlightening conversation!

Half-Past Crafts: Macramé Wall Hanging

Wednesday, July 19 @ 6:30pm

This month we are trying our hands at macramé with a beginner-friendly but adorable project!

Virtual - A Visit with Romance Author (and National Park Service Seasonal Ranger) Carla Kelly 

Wednesday, July 19 @ 7pm

We had so much fun with Carla that, by popular demand, we’re having her back! Once again, we’ll be talking about Carla’s early books as well as her American Historicals and her latest World War II Stories. Carla says her 4th “Unlikely” book will be out and up for discussion, too. Oh, wait, there’s more! Carla is also a former seasonal ranger in the National Park Service. We hope to see our romance, history, and nature buffs again!

Great Decisions Discussion Group

Thursday, July 20 @ 6:30pm

Discuss Politics in Latin America

HYBRID - Nature Photography (Discussion Session) with Steve McGrath

Thursday, July 20 @ 6:30pm

Do you love to view and discuss nature photos? Do you want to learn a little more about nature photography? If you said yes to either of these questions, join us for this HYBRID discussion of images you’ve taken, the best use of your camera, and great resources for taking the best pics!

Virtual - LGBTQ+ Book Club: *For 15-100

Monday, July 24 @ 7pm

Read “Bring Your Own LGBTQ Beach Read”

Virtual - “Cooking with Scraps” with Cookbook Author and Sustainability Warrior Lindsay-Jean Hard

Wednesday, July 26 @ 7pm

Do you feel bad about throwing away (or even composting) food scraps that could be used? Well, feel guilty no more! Lindsay-Jean Hard is here to help us learn how we can make use of those scraps, keep them out of landfills, and still have enough left-over for our compost pile! Pulling from her book “Cooking with Scraps”, Lindsay-Jean will be answering all of our questions about minimizing (or, in a perfect world, eliminating) food wastage!

Virtual - A Conversation With Thriller Author Don Bentley

Thursday, July 27 @ 7pm

Don Bentley is the New York Times Bestselling author of the Matt Drake series and two Tom Clancy Jack Ryan, Jr. novels. His latest book, “Forgotten War” is describes as an “unforgettable read” by Nelson DeMille. We hope you can join us for what will be an amazing and fascinating conversation with Don!

Adult Recurring:

Knit and Crochet Club

Saturdays at 2pm

Mondays @ 6pm

Adult Bingo

Tuesdays

July 11-Aug 22nd @ 6:30pm

Tweens and Teens: 

Friday Video Games

Friday, July 21 @ 2:30pm

Come to the library this summer to play switch games with your friends! Nintendo Switch, Xbox, games and snacks will be provided.

Children: 

Special Events:

Summer Reading Program for Kids!

Come in to pick up your summer reading packets and join us Teacher Tales all summer long! Check our website calendar to see if your favorite teachers are reading this summer. 

Dog Man Day!

Saturday, July 15, 2023

A day themed entirely around Dav Pilkey’s beloved Dog Man series!

Drop-in Activities:

Multiple craft activities, photo ops, police academy obstacle course, and I SPY scavenger hunt

Scheduled activities:

Visits from Knives and Machete (10:30-11:30) AND a real Police K-9 dog (1:30-2:30)

Special Programs:

Visit with Blades (Boston Bruins Mascot)

Tuesday, July 11 @ 2pm

Come meet Blades Mascot!

Todd the Magician

Wednesday, July 12 @ 2pm

Magician Todd Migliacci will perform his sensory friendly, award-winning magic show. Todd was voted the “Best Specialty Act” at Walt Disney World. This event is free for all ages.

Police K-9 Dog Meet & Greet

Saturday, July 15 @ 1:30pm

Come meet a real Police K-9 dog and participate in other Dog Man Day events. Curious Creatures - Live Animals!

Tuesday, July 25 @ 3:30pm

Curious Creatures brings their interactive and educational program to the Library, featuring an assortment of live animals.  Come meet some small mammals and a variety of reptiles, including lizards, big snakes and possibly an alligator!  Fun for all ages.  This program will be held in the large meeting room for the comfort of the animals.

Space is limited.  Free tickets will be handed out starting at 2:30 pm on the day of the event.

Stem Thursdays:

Stem Thursdays

10-Minute Creation Stations

*For Ages 5-9

Thursday, July 6 @ 4pm

Kids will be given a mystery box filled with a variety of building materials. As the timer counts down, they will have 10 minutes to create something using only the materials in their own box. Everyone will have a chance to build with at least 5-6 different boxes.

Lego Club 

*Ages 5-9

Thursday, July 13 @ 4pm

Each child will be given a box filled with an assortment of Lego blocks to build a creation using only what’s inside the box within the 45 minute time limit. Engineering Exploration 

*For Ages 5-9

Thursday, July 20, 2023

Build a Bridge - Participants will work together to build a suspension bridge between two chairs.

Lego Club 

*Ages 5-9

Thursday, July 27 @ 4pm

Each child will be given a box filled with an assortment of Lego blocks to build a creation using only what’s inside the box within the 45 minute time limit. 

Saturday Story Time 

*For Ages 3 and up

Saturday, July 1 @ 10:30am

Saturday, July 8 @ 10:30am

Saturday, July 22 @ 10:30am

Saturday, July 29 @ 10:30am

Come listen to Ryan read some of his favorite stories aloud!

Read to a Dog with Knives and Machete 

(yes, those really are the dog’s names!)

*For kids who are reading on their own

Saturday, July 8 @ 1:30pm

Saturday, July 15 @ 1:30pm

Saturday, July 22 @ 1:30pm

Children with some reading ability will have the chance to read to one of our registered therapy dogs for 10 minutes.

Children Recurring:

Hybrid Lapsit 

For Infants & Toddlers and their Caregivers

Wednesdays @ 10:30am

Wednesday Afternoon Story And Craft

*For Ages 4-7

Wednesdays @ 3:30pm

Moving to Wednesdays for the summer on 

Wednesday June 28th Friday Afternoon Story And Craft

*For Ages 4-7

Fridays @ 4:00pm

Crafty Saturdays

Drop in Crafting

Saturdays @ 10-3pm

Friends of the Ashland Public Library Donation Day & Mini Book Sale!

Saturday, July 1 @ 10-1pm

Shop or Drop is the name of the game! Join us to buy gently used books, audiobooks, DVDs and games. You can also donate from your home shelves to make space for the “new”. The Friends accept donations in the library parking lot.   Friends volunteers will be available to assist donors during this time.