December 4, 2020 - February 5, 2021

Fowler staff will be available online for an hour, and we invite you to join us and your neighbors to chat about books, movies, and the world we live in. Get a cup of coffee and drop by! [Register for Zoom Link] (The Zoom link is good for the entire series.)

Covid: The Science and the Holidays                                     

Wednesday, December 16, 7:00 p.m.

Robin Schoenthaler, MD has been following and writing about Covid-19 since the start of the pandemic, and has developed a world-wide following for her weekly posts on the subject. Join her online as she discusses the state of our knowledge about the disease, how to apply the science of Covid-19 to make the best possible decisions about the holidays, and how to keep ourselves and our families safe for as long as the pandemic shall last. Dr. Robin Schoenthaler has been a long-time MGH radiation oncologist at the MGH Department of Radiation Oncology at Concord's Emerson Hospital, a published and award-winning essayist and story-teller. [Register for Zoom Link]

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

Love a good mystery? All are welcome to join the book group discussion. December's title is Lark! The Herald Angels Sing by Donna Andrew. Print copies of the title are available at the Fowler Branch to check out. An audiobook of the title is instantly available on Hoopla. An eBook copy of the title can be reserved or checked out from OverDrive. [Register for Zoom Link]

December 17, 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. [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.

December 16, 12:00 p.m.

Guess the titles of books from hints composed of emojis/emoticons. We might even do some charades!

December 23, 12:00 p.m.

Share something special from your holiday traditions and celebrations. Final session of the series.

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]

The Concord Postcard Collection within Special Collections contains many postcards primarily related to the Town of Concord, its history, and its buildings. The collection covers a wide span in dates from the early postcard era in the 1890s to the late 20^th century. The bulk of the postcards center on historical landmarks and places of significance within Concord, with the most postcards having to do with Minute Man National Historical Park, the North Bridge, and the Minute Man statue by Daniel Chester French.

The collection was digitized in 2015 and 2016. The postcards were created by many different companies, including large producers in Boston and New York to smaller Concord publishers like the Concord Free Public Library, the Concord Museum, Keith Martin, W.W. Anderson Photography. You can enter the collection via a subject or the full index. See the postcards here.

Everyday, Main Library Front Lawn

All ages

Our Children's Department installed a StoryWalk of Paul O. Zelinsky's Hansel and Gretel. This book won a Caldecott Honor award in 1985. The StoryWalk is displayed along the brick walkway outside the Main Street entrance. After you finish reading the storywalk, be sure to enjoy the life-sized gingerbread house on the Library’s front portico!

Join friends, impostors, and the like over Zoom, and play the very popular, freely downloadable game Among Us. [Register to receive the Zoom link] (The Zoom link is good for the entire series.)

Free Gingerbread House Kits

Thanks to the great generosity of the Friends of the Library and the Concord Free Public Library Corporation, the Children's Department is offering free gingerbread kits to our young patrons. We have family packs that make four houses and we also have individual kits. To reserve a kit, please fill out and submit a Google form. The kits can be picked up at the Main or Fowler via curbside service.

Tuesday, Dec 15, 10:30 - 11:00 a.m., Ages 3 - 6 [Register]

Wednesday, Dec 16, 4:00 - 5:00 p.m., Ages 7 - 11 [Register]

Join The Nature Connection through Zoom as we explore plants and animals, geek out over nature, and connect with ourselves and those around us in new ways – all through nature-based stories and poems.

Join resident poet and Children's Library Assistant Cary Stough for a writing-themed mid-day break. Collaborative poems, hilarious and engaging PowerPoint presentations, etc. No writing experience required. Open to individuals in grades 3-8, or older or younger, based on request. [Register for December 16 Session 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 16 Session]

Friday, December 18, 10:00 - 10:30 a.m.

Join us 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 moving, dancing and singing. [Register for Zoom Link]

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 16 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!

Did you miss the free copies of BookPage you used to pick up from the Library before the pandemic started? Here is a digital version of BookPage.

For those who are not familiar with the publication, BookPage is a discovery tool for readers, highlighting the best new books across all genres. BookPage is editorially independent; only books highly recommended are featured in BookPage. It is published monthly.

Visit here to read December issue of the publication including January advance titles.