Saturday, November 28, 9:00 - 9:45 a.m.

Thanksgiving is a time to be grateful for simple things - such as having time to read! Join Concord Festival of Authors curator, Lara Wilson, for a conversation about must-read books to add to your list or share during the holidays. We will discuss great books we have read to get through 2020 and authors we would like to meet in 2021. Show up on Zoom with your family members to chat in community about our mutual love of literature! [Register for Zoom Link]

December 3, 8:30 - 9:00 a.m.

Join Be Well Be Here for a 30-minute morning meditation practice with the Concord Free Public Library, and start your day with a moment of ease. Discover mindful tools that center the body, settle the mind, and open the door to well-being. There will be no meditation on November 26 due to the Thanksgiving holiday. [Register for Zoom Link]

Monday, December 7, 7:00 p.m.

Join Randall Warniers for a talk on Twenty Classic Christmas Movies and Why They Are Good for You! Christmas movies are a wonderful part of the holiday season. We all have our favorites, and we look forward to seeing them every year. This talk on Zoom will discuss twenty important Christmas movies, many of them popular and well known and many of them surprise discoveries. The films will include American film classics from the studio era and selected films from England, France, Mexico, Sweden, and Finland. [Register for Zoom Link]

December 8, 9:30 a.m.

Please join us for our Tuesday Book Discussion Group. Retired English professor and local resident Dennis Taylor will lead a discussion of selected poems by Robert Frost. We will send out the poems in PDF format to the group. Please email bgugluizza@concordma.gov if you are interested in attending the discussion.

December 16, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Love a good mystery? All are welcome to join the book group discussion. Print copies of December's title Away in a Manger by Rhys Bowen are available at the Fowler Branch to check out. An eBook copy of the title can be reserved or checked out from OverDrive. [Register for Zoom Link]

The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library are pleased to offer Friendly Conversation, an opportunity for local residents to keep in touch via Zoom during this time of social distancing. The group will meet at noon on Wednesdays. Each 45-minute session begins with a “mixer” activity to stimulate conversation and communication.

November 25, 12:00 p.m.

Come to the virtual table ready to share past, present, and future Thanksgiving stories and traditions. What are some memorable gatherings with friends and/or family? Tell us about the food, drink and fun that make you feel full. 

December 2, 12:00 p.m.

A couple of days ago a woman walked down the Library steps and declared, “That was my first trip inside the library.” When asked how it felt, she replied, “Great!” What great stories do you have to share from your personal experiences in a library – be it Concord or any other library? For many, the library is a place of community, learning, and comfort. Let’s celebrate this special space together.

Please register here for the Zoom link to the series. If you have already registered for a previous conversation, you don't need to register again. The Zoom link is the same for every session.

Join the Friends of Concord Free Public Library for an afternoon of poetry with Steven Cramer and Joyce Peseroff on Sunday. December 13 at 3:00 p.m.

Steven Cramer reads from his sixth collection, Listen (MadHat Press, 2020), lucid, smart portrayals of the “darker corners” of despair through scores of illuminating juxtapositions.

Joyce Peseroff reads from her sixth collection, Petition (Carnegie Mellon University Press, 2020). From privilege at a gas station to fraud in a memorial grove, Peseroff follows the faults of indifference and division that crack our impulses toward mercy and love.

[Read More and Register for the Zoom Link]

Our featured guest is Victor Curran, discussing stories about two brilliant women, Mary Moody Emerson and Sarah Bradford Ripley. [Watch his presentation]

Did you miss previous episodes of Concord Stories? Visit here to view interviews with author Deborah Noyes,

The Ruth Ratner Miller Memorial Award for excellence in American History was established in 1998 and is sponsored by her four children to honor the life of their mother, Ruth Ratner Miller.​​ Did you miss this year's Miller Award recipient, Jill Lepore's presentation? Please visit here to view her presentation.

Are you curious to hear presentations of some of the previous recipients? Please visit here to view presentations by historians John Stauffer, Anette Gordon Reed,

Friday, November 20, 10:00 a.m.

Join us on Zoom for an interactive sing-along with Ed Morgan, "The Music Man"! Learn fun ways to connect with your family through music. This family-friendly performance will have everyone up and moving, dancing and singing. Sponsored by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library. [Register for Zoom Link]

Rockabye Beats Concert on Zoom

Wednesday, November 25, 10:30 a.m

Rockabye Beats is a fun, family group whose music is reminiscent of founder’s Marcos Valles’s Puerto Rico. Enjoy an interactive 30 minute concert that includes movement, dancing, counting, singing, a little bit of Spanish vocabulary. We will also have an instrument show and tell with drums, guitar, rhythm instruments, and xylophone. Sponsored by The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library.

Tuesday, December 1, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m

Join artist Betsi Madrioli on Zoom and create your own paperclay monarch butterfly hanging ornament. Pre-packaged kits with materials will be available for pickup in advance of the online workshop. Sponsored by The Friends of the Concord Free Public Library. Register here in advance to receive the Zoom link and art materials.

Missing storytime at the Library? Join us on Zoom for some short stories, songs, and rhymes. This is a great way to build early literacy skills. Children of all ages are welcome. [Register for December 2 Zoom Link]

Girls Who Code (GWC) Club is a non-profit organization that encourages more girls to close the gender gap in the computer science field. Girls in grades 6-12 will learn to code along with other beginners in an open and accepting environment. Learn to code animations, games, and websites. Our GWC Club is a two-hour weekly commitment from late October 2020 to mid-May 2021. [Register for December 2 Session Zoom link]

Tuesday, December 8, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Ages 4 & up

Join us for a special reading of the classic tale - The Nutcracker presented by the Commonwealth Ballet Company. Several ballet dancers from the Company will help bring the story to life in their elegant and colorful costumes as the story is read aloud. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to see and meet their favorite characters from the beloved holiday tale. [Register for Zoom Link]

Thursday, December 10, 7:30 p.m.

Emma Jackson, certified pediatric sleep consultant and coach will give a brief presentation on helping children develop healthy sleep habits. Learn the most common reasons that children have sleep issues. Get helpful tips to get your child to sleep. At the end, there will be an opportunity for questions from the participants. [Register for Zoom link]

Fridays @ 10:00 a.m. on Library's Facebook Premiere

and 2:00 p.m. on Instagram

Every Friday, thirteen year-old Concordian Jacob Edelman reads a special story from our staff curated list of 101 Picture Books Concord Free Public Library Loves!

You can soon access the Minuteman Library Network/Concord Free Public Library's OverDrive digital collection through Sora app using your school login information without having to have a library card.

As of now the free access is ready for Concord-Carlisle High School students. Please visit here for instruction on how to connect.

For your convenience, Hoopla has created a Thanksgiving cookbook collection called Fall Cooking Inspiration and Thanksgiving Treats for you to download. [View Thanksgiving Cookbooks]

Hoopla also has a nice collection for children to learn more about the history and traditions of Thanksgiving. It has fun children stories such as How to Catch a Turkey and The Berenstain Bears Thanksgiving Blessings. Please check out more children's Thanksgiving audiobooks, eBooks and films on Hoopla.

Hoopla has a collection of Bedtime Stories for families and younger patrons. Some of the popular titles in the collection of audiobooks and eBooks include Don't Let The Pigeon Stay Up Late!, Goodnight Moon, and Circus in the Sky.