The Concord Free Public Library is searching for a Makerspace Coordinator. Please visit here for more information and how to apply. Closing date is August 17, 2022.

To our Main Library patrons and visitors - The Stow Street parking lot (across from the Main Library) will be closed from August 22 through August 24 due to construction work.

Accessible parking will still be available at the Children's Library entrance on Main Street. The three hour Stow Street parking restrictions will not be enforced during the lot closures. Please visit here for additional parking options in the vicinity.

We will continue to update you on the parking lot status.

Fowler Branch Backyard or Large Meeting Room

Join us for a volunteer-led gathering to practice English. All levels welcome, including beginners. Weather permitting, we will meet in the backyard. Otherwise, we will meet in the Fowler large meeting room. [Register]

Tuesday, August 16, 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Fowler Branch Backyard

Join fellow knitting, crocheting and needlework enthusiasts for an hour of social crafting. Help each other out of tough spots, share patterns and tips, and enjoy crafting together. No registration required.

Wednesday, August 17, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Fowler Branch Backyard

Join Madeline from Fowler on the 3rd Wednesday of each month to discuss a range of mysteries, from thrillers to whodunnits. This month, we will be reading The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb. Copies of the selected book are available at Fowler in regular and large print. Weather permitting, we will meet in person in our backyard. Or we will meet in the Fowler Large Meeting Room. [Register]

Wednesday, August 17, 4:00 - 6:00 p.m.

Fowler Branch Large Meeting Room

Come see depictions of Concord by over 30 local artists. This show, which opened at ArtScape in Bradford Mills in May, moved to Fowler, where it will be on display through early September. Join us to enjoy art and ice cream, provided by ArtScape and the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library. No registration required.

How do you talk about racism with your children, neighbors, friends and family? What life experiences inform your choices to engage or avoid these topics? Whether you are just beginning to have more race-related conversations or you have been having them your whole life, we invite you to join COAR this summer to read and discuss the New York Times bestseller So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo. Copies of the book are available to check out at our Fowler Branch. [Register for Zoom Link]

Friday, August 26, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Fowler Branch Backyard

Join Samantha at Fowler Library on the fourth Friday of each month to enjoy a selection of teas and discuss a blend of historical and contemporary fiction. This month we will discuss The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles. Copies of the book are available at Fowler. eBook and audiobook of the title are available through OverDrive/Libby. We will discuss the book and French recipes. Please feel free to bring in food related to the recipe theme. Weather permitting, we will meet outside in the backyard. [Register]

Tuesday, September 13, 9:30 - 11:15 a.m.

Trustees Room, Main Library

Each month, join other readers to discuss a range of books, from classics to contemporary. In September, we will read The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy. Copies of the book will be available at the Main Library Circulation Desk. eBooks are available on OverDrive and Hoopla, and audiobooks on Hoopla. [Register]

For twenty-six years Concord film viewers gathered on winter evenings at Fowler Library to see some of the most interesting and stimulating examples of current and classic cinema from around the world. That movie series, now called Films at Fowler, changed to an online format in 2021 and continues in that format in 2022. We don’t meet in person, so we now view—on your own time schedule—selected movies on Kanopy, a free streaming service available to Library patrons. We will then gather on Zoom on scheduled evenings for lively movie discussions. The theme of the movies in summer 2022 is Breaking Boundaries. All six movies in this summer series are about going beyond the status quo and challenging limits and expectations. View Poster for selected films and Zoom discussion dates. All are welcome to join the discussions.  

The Edge of the World (1937)

Wednesday, August 17, 7:00 p.m. (Discussion Date on Zoom)

When the young adults on the Scottish island of St. Kilda leave for more modern lives, the elders worry that their culture is disappearing.

Please watch the film on Kanopy before the discussion. To register for the discussion and receive a Zoom link, send an email to the host of the series Randall Warniers at FilmsatFowler@concordlibrary.org.

The series is sponsored by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library.

Saturday, August 13, 2:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Teen Lounge, Main Library

The Concord Free Public Library is excited to invite videogame designer and master coder Matthew Mackowski for the first installment of a monthly program, Make Your Own Videogame with Coderdojo. Teen participants will have the opportunity to learn the basics of coding and get an inside look at the videogame industry and what it takes to become a designer. Or if you already have projects you are working on, bring them in for consultation. This is not only a great opportunity for young coders to receive feedback on their projects, but to practice team-building, taking and receiving criticism, and solving problems collaboratively. CoderDojo is a global movement of free, volunteer-led, community-based programming clubs for young people. Anyone aged seven to seventeen can visit a Dojo where they can learn to code, build a website, create an app or a game, and explore technology in an informal, creative, and social environment. Participants are encouraged to bring their own laptops. Future session dates are TBA. No registration required.

Tuesday, August 16, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m.

Teen Lounge, Main Library

Applying to college this Fall? Join The College Essay Studio, Tuesdays in July and August to hone your writing, brainstorm in an inviting and safe environment, and leave equipped with skills that will go beyond college applications to essays you will be writing in college. Facilitator/our Teen Librarian Cary Stough, a Brown University graduate and published writer, will lead you through the Common App 2022-2023 essay prompts so that none of it will be a surprise. This program is open to all teens, age 11-18, but recommended for high school students. Registration is required. Contact Cary for questions: cmstough@minlib.net. [Register]

Wednesday, August 17, 3:00 - 4:00 p.m.

Teen Lounge, Main Library

Teens - Join us every Wednesday in August for Magic: The Gathering tutorials and Practice. Whether you are a beginner or an old pro, you are going to learn a lot. Some decks will be provided by the Library, but are limited. We recommend you bring your own decks. Magic: The Gathering is a tabletop and digital collectible card game created by Wizards of the Coast. Released in 1993, Magic was the first trading card game and has since taken the world by storm. Cast spells, collect mana, and come play with us. This program is open to all teens, age 11-18. No registration required. Contact Cary Stough for questions: cmstough@minlib.net.

Saturday, August 20, 2:00 - 4:30 p.m.

Teen Lounge, Main Library

Make your very own stamp and prints by carving designs into a linoleum block. Led by Cary Stough, Teen Librarian and amateur printmaker. Attention: Knives will be used. Protective gloves and eye-wear will be provided. Registration is required. [Register]

The Concord Free Public Library is encouraging children, teens and adults to bike to the Main Library or the Fowler Branch Library. Every time you bike to the Main Library or the Fowler Branch, show us your helmet and we will stamp your bike card. After ten stamps, you earn a $5 gift certificate to Bedford Farms Ice Cream. Funded by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library.

Main Library

Calling all Kids - The Concord Free Public Library invites children to share their collections. With two display cases in our Children's Library's new entrance along Main Street we want to give kids a chance to showcase their special collections with others at the Library. We welcome all sorts of things, be they artwork, stuffed animals, legos, souvenir coins, or rocks. Collections will be exhibited for a month at a time. Click here to submit an application.

Monday, August 15, 10:30 - 11:15 a.m.

Children's Garden, Main Library

Every Monday at 10:30 am we feature musical programs geared for children aged 0 - 6 years. New England native and Massachusetts resident Melodious Zach has been performing for 20 years, been featured on NH Chronicle, has an ASCAP Plus Award, opened for the Beach Boys, and has had a #1 CD for Amazon Bubblegum new releases. His family fantasy-comedy O! Melodious Movie: Side 1 was released in June, and he has written and published two children's books. No registration required. Thank you to the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library for sponsoring all of our Musical Monday programs.

Monday, August 15, 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Fowler Branch Large Meeting Room

Join us for songs, stories, and a chance to chat with other parents. No registration required.

Monday, August 15, 5:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Zoom

Get a jumpstart on bedtime with songs, stories, and rhymes! [Register for Zoom Link]

Tuesday, August 16, 10:00 - 10:45 a.m. & 11:00 - 11:45 a.m.

Fowler Branch Large Meeting Room or

Labyrinth Garden at West Concord Union Church

Join us at Fowler for storytime. We will share stories, songs, and rhymes and do a simple hands-on activity. Outdoor: If weather permits, we will meet across the street at the labyrinth garden at the West Concord Union Church (1317 Main St). Indoor: In the case of poor weather, storytime will be held in the large meeting room.

Mandarin Storytime with First Connections at Fowler

Wednesday, August 17, 10:15 - 10:45 a.m.

Fowler Branch Large Meeting Room

This special opportunity for learning and practicing Mandarin is open to children aged 2 to 5 years old. Parents and children attend together, and siblings are welcome to listen in as our Story Teller Jasmine Wang engages the children in songs and reads stories in Mandarin. The program is funded through a Concord-Carlisle Community Chest grant. Space is limited. Register for the 6-week session by emailing Linda Jensen, LSWA, of First Connections. [Read More About the Story Teller] [Register via Email]

Drop by the Fowler backyard or large meeting room weekly for a range of activities from play dough to blocks. Stay for 15 minutes or for the full hour. We will have different stations, allowing for child-guided play and social distancing. No registration required.

Fowler Branch Backyard

Fowler is closed on Saturdays in July and August, so our usual Saturday Studio will be held on Fridays. Join Fowler staff each week for a mix of stories, crafting, and other hands-on activities. Rain location: Fowler Branch Large Meeting Room, face masks required.

Fowler Branch Large Meeting Room

Join fellow builders to construct from our Lego collection. Try out weekly challenges or work on your own project. No registration required.