Announcement:

The Library will be closed on Saturday, Sept 2nd through Monday, Sept 4th in observance of Labor Day Weekend.

Adult:

Virtual - Environmental Book Club

Wednesday, September 6 @ 6:30pm

Read “Thicker Than Water: the quest for solutions to the plastic crisis” by Erica Cirino.

Virtual - Romance Book Club

Thursday, September 7 @ 6:30pm

Read Gilded Age Romances

Virtual - Friday Night Film Discussion

Friday, September 8 @ 7pm

Watch “The Country Doctor”

Card Making with Jan Poppendieck

Monday, September 11 @ 6:30pm

Virtual: Unleash Your Potential with AI Technology: Igniting Productivity, Creativity, and Wellness

Tuesday, September 12 @ 10am

Do you have questions about how you can use AI to maximize your resources and play with your creative juices? Then this workshop is for you!

Live @ Brookline Booksmith: Author Lucy Score in Conversation with APL Director Meena Jain

Tuesday, September 12 @ 6pm

Live and in person with Brookline Booksmith, at Coolidge Corner Theatre! Celebrate the release of Things We Left Behind with author Lucy Score. She’ll be in conversation with APL Director (and lifelong romance fan), Meena Jain.

Virtual: Andrew Carnegie & the Carnegie Libraries (Ashland Library is one!)

Tuesday, September 12 @ 7pm

The topic is a combination of Carnegie and the steel industry + the philanthropy and library project. Presenter Rick Feingold will cover both the Homestead and Braddock libraries in Pittsburgh.

Mystery Book Club

Wednesday, September 13 @ 6:30pm

Read “The Hunting Party” by Lucy Foley

Virtual - Author Heather Wolf Discusses “Find More Birds: 111 Surprising Ways to Spot Birds Wherever You Are”

Wednesday, September 13 @ 7pm

This one is for our bird and nature lovers! Author Heather Wolf will be with us discussing her new book “Find More Birds: 111 Surprising Ways to Spot Birds Wherever You Are”. It will be a fascinating conversation about being in the moment and noticing the wonderful and varied birds around us. And, apparently, this is a high migration time, so perfect to see even more birds in your backyards!

Art for Adults with Nancy Atkinson

Thursday, September 14 @ 6:30pm

Nancy will teach us drawing techniques with different mediums, papers, and ideas. We hope you can join us and up your artistry game.

HYBRID - Nature Photography (Discussion Session) with Steve McGrath

Thursday, September 14 @ 6:30pm

Join us for this HYBRID discussion of images, perhaps taken at a field session earlier this year or one’s you’ve taken on your own. 

The Garden of Words: A Writing Workshop

Friday, September 15 @ 10:30am

Join us to put into writing your story or come to commune with other budding authors as we learn how to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard :).

Cookbook Club

Saturday, September 16 @ 12pm

Cook from”Provisions: The Roots of Caribbean Cooking” by Michelle Rousseau and Suzanne Rousseau

Name That Tune – TV Theme Songs Through The Ages 

*For Older Teens and Adults

Saturday, September 16 @ 2pm

Sunday, Monday, Happy Days! I’ll Be There For You! The Youngest One in Curls.... Shake off your TV theme song brain and join us for another fun afternoon of Name That Tune! We’ll have several rounds with shorter and shorter clips of TV theme songs through the ages. If you can pick the show, stars, and director (maybe?), you could be a winner!

Virtual - Author Erica Cirino Discusses “Thicker Than Water The Quest for Solutions to the Plastic Crisis”

Monday, September 18 @ 7pm

As plastic pollution piles up, time to negotiate real solutions is running out, and meanwhile plastics’ impacts on the Earth and our health grows worse. Erica hopes to share important facts and immediate action we can take to help our communities and protect our health from plastics.

Virtual - LGBTQ+ Book Club

*For 15-100

Monday, September 18 @ 7pm

 Read “What If It’s Us” by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera. Pure and Simple Flower Design with Monica Foley

Tuesday, September 19 @ 6pm

The class is open to adults who want to learn more about floral design. The class will include ideas on basic floral designs, sustainable mechanics, and floral conditioning. All materials supplied. 

Virtual - Sharing Culture Through Food with Chef Trisha Pérez Kennealy

Tuesday, September 19 @ 7pm

Please join Chef Trisha Pérez Kennealy for a culinary celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. Trisha will demonstrate how to make mofongo and empanadas and share cooking tips and tricks. She’ll talk about some of the memorable dishes from her childhood. A fun program for the whole family.

Bio/Memoir Book Club

Wednesday, September 20 @ 11am

Read ‘The Smallest Lights in the Universe’ by Sara Seager

Virtual - Afternoon Tea with Author Louise Hare, Discussing “Harlem After Midnight”

Wednesday, September 20 @ 3pm

We’re excited to be celebrating a book birthday with author Louise Hare! Her new book, “Harlem After Midnight” just came out on August 29th and is a must read for anyone who loves historical fiction, mysteries, and jazz music from the 1930s ! Louise is joining us from “across the pond” - so BYOT (bring your own tea) for this very special Q&A.

Half-Past Crafts: Needle Felted Owls

Wednesday, September 20 @ 6:30pm

This month we tackle a new needle felting project, cute little owls!

Virtual: Ashland Adult Book Club

Wednesday, September 20 @ 6:30pm

Read “The Henna Artist” by Alka Joshi

Virtual - Q&A with Historical Fiction & Romance Author Piper Huguley

Wednesday, September 20 @ 7pm

Piper Huguley is an author of historical fiction featuring African American characters. She tells the untold stories of people who might have been lost to time. Her most recent book, “By Her Own Design: a novel of Ann Lowe, Fashion Designer to the Social Register” tells the inspiring story of the Black fashion designer of Jackie Kennedy’s wedding dress. 

Great Decisions

Thursday, September 21 @ 6:30pm

Discuss Iran at a Crossroads

Virtual - New England Shorebirds with Bill Gette

Friday, September 22 @ 1pm

Shorebirds are one of the most interesting and diverse groups of birds. In New England, we have the opportunity to observe not only species that nest in our area (e.g., Killdeer, Piping Plover), but also shorebirds (Whimbrel, White-rumped Sandpiper) that pass through our area on their long spring and fall migrations.

Virtual - Friday Night Film Discussion

Friday, September 22 @ 7pm

Watch “Rams”

Climate Week: Water is Life, Life is Water - Bharatanatyam Dance and Discussion

Tuesday, September 26 @ 6pm

NATyA Dance Collective presents an original suite of Indian classical and folk dances that explore and interpret how water pervades our bodies, our everyday lives and our environment. The dances invite the audience to embody water with gesture and movement, and to reflect on traditions of the past and present that have protected our water supply and healed our collective sorrows. All ages welcome.

Virtual - Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors with Tory Stephens Climate Fiction Creative Manager for Grist

Wednesday, September 27 @ 6:30pm

Join Tory Stephens of Grist Magazine, an independent non-profit media organization focused on the climate crisis, and learn how he created Imagine 2200: Climate Fiction for Future Ancestors. Imagine is a storytelling initiative that calls for fiction writers to envision the next 180 years of equitable climate progress, imagining intersectional worlds of abundance, adaptation, reform, and hope. 

Virtual - At the Sports Stadium with NBC Sports Boston/NBC 10’s Sports Journalist, Trenni Casey

Thursday, September 28 @ 10am

Meet Trenni (Kusnierek) Casey, on-air sports journalist for NBC Sports Boston/NBC 10! We’ll be discussing how Trenni got to where she is, what it takes to be a sportscaster in New England, esp as a woman, and the current state of Boston sports! Bring your questions, this is sure to be a fascinating and enlightening conversation!Adult Recurring:

Knit and Crochet Club

Saturdays at 2pm

Mondays @ 6pm ESL Conversation Group

Mondays at 7pm 

Children: 

Special Programs:

Wool Spinning with Angora Rabbits

Saturday, September 16 @ 1pm

Winterberry Homestead will bring their Angora rabbits for a fun program. Everyone will have a chance to play with the bunnies and learn how to make yarn.

For families.  Space is limited. Ashland Moms - Little Crafters

Monday, September 25 @ 10:15am

Join us for a story & craft program for infants thru age 5. Caregivers are asked to participate with their children.

Stem Thursdays:

Lego Club 

*Ages 5-9

Thursday, September 7 @ 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, September 14 @ 4pm

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

*Ages 5-9

Thursday, September 21 @ 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. 

10-Minute Creation Stations

*For Ages 5-9

Thursday, September 28 @ 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.

Saturday Story Time 

*For Ages 3 and up

Saturday, September 9 @ 10:30am

Saturday, September 23 @ 10:30am

Saturday, September 30 @ 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

Thursday,September  @ 6pm

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 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 BookSale!

Saturday, September 9 @ 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.