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The Concord Free Public Library Corporation is proud to host an Open House for the community on Saturday, May 21, 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Come tour the new Library spaces, and enjoy some music, activities for all ages, and ice cream! Free and open to all. No registration required.

11:00 - 11:45 a.m.

Front Lawn, Main Library

A fun, family group whose music encourages movement, dancing, counting, singing, and a bit of Spanish vocabulary

11:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

Conservation Studio, Main Library

Bookbinding/conservation demonstration with Luisa Granitto, the Library's Book Conservator.

11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

The Commons, Main Library

Join the Library Trustees for a tour of the new spaces.

11:00 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., Main Library (new Main Street entrance facing Concord Academy)

1:30 - 3:00 p.m., Fowler Branch Backyard

1:00 p.m.

Children's Garden, Main Library

1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.

Teen Lounge, Main Library

Customize your gear with sharpies and so many stickers. Vote on upcoming crafts and events in the Teen Lounge and hear about our summer activities.

2:00 p.m.

Fowler Branch Backyard

Join us to celebrate the collage community mural designed by Margot Kimball of ART for ALL and created by you.

Tuesday, May 17 1:00 - 2:00 p.m.

Fowler Branch

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, May 18, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Fowler Backyard or Fowler Meeting Room

Join Madeline from Fowler on the 3rd Wednesday of each month to discuss a range of mysteries, from thrillers to whodunnits. Copies of the selected book are available at Fowler. This month we will discuss The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena. [Register]

Thursday, May 19, 8:30 - 9:00 a.m.

Zoom

Join Be Well Be Here for a 30-minute morning meditation practice sponsored by the 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 wellbeing. [Register for Zoom Link]

Wednesday, May 25, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Main Library

Join Russell Robb for a discussion of his book Your Money Mentors: Expert Advice for Millennials. Your Money Mentors offers advice for millennials and their parents on how to succeed in the years post college graduation. Co-written by a millennial, and based on the author’s sixty-plus years of experience in finance, the collective advice is full of data, current research, anecdotes, and suggestions regarding mentors, continuing education, internships, careers, starter jobs, setting financial goals, budgeting, and money matters concerning marriage. The book is presented in three parts: Foundations for Success, Careers, and Making Your Money Work. [Register]

Wednesday, June 1, 6:30 - 8:00 p.m.

Main Library

Join Shakespearean performers Stephen Collins and Poornima Kirby for a rollicking ride through some of the Bard's finest poetry and most compelling characters! Featuring scenes and monologues from some of Shakespeare's best known plays, including Macbeth, Taming of the Shrew, Henry V, and Julius Caesar, this original compilation digs into universal themes such as the price of power, the risks of falling in love, and the what to do with a murder weapon. The 1-hour show also includes a lively "sonnet duel," plenty of playful banter, and fascinating historical context; and includes a Question and Answer session at the end. Come immerse yourself in Shakespeare's wit, wordplay, and timeless verse. This event is generously sponsored by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library. [Register]

For 26 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. Because we don’t meet in person, we will 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 a lively movie discussion. The theme of the movies in spring 2022 is a continuation of the winter theme of Reckless Romance. All five movies in this spring series have romance—not always conventional—at their heart.

The Purple Rose of Cairo (1992)

Wednesday, May 25, 7:00 p.m. (Discussion Date on Zoom)

A lonely Depression-era waitress and housewife (Mia Farrow) escapes to the movies, where she is surprised and thrilled when a handsome actor (Jeff Daniels) suddenly steps off the screen and into her life.

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.

Children's Activity Room, Main Library

Music at the Blissful is a high energy, interactive, movement and music experience for children of all ages. Be ready to move, shake, bounce, jump and stomp as we become dinosaurs, bunnies, alligators and cars. This program is fun for the whole family!

Check out the music before class on Spotify and check out the videos on Youtube at "Music At The Blissful". Sponsored by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library. No registration required.

Fowler Branch Large Meeting Room

Join Fowler staff each week for a mix of stories, crafting, and other hands-on activities. If weather permits, we will meet in the backyard. Otherwise, in the large meeting room. Please wear your masks. No registration required.

Fowler Branch Large Meeting Room

Join members of the Concord-Carlisle Chess Society to improve your chess game. Participants should have intermediate to advanced skills. Boards provided. Drop-ins welcome. [Register for May 14] [Register for May 21]

Monday, May 16, 10:30 - 11:15 a.m.

Children's Garden, Main Library

Alastair Moock is a Grammy Nominee (Best Children's Album), three-time Parents’ Choice Gold Medal Winner, and recipient of the ASCAP Children’s Music Award. A songwriter and performer for 25 years, Moock has toured throughout the U.S. and Europe playing for adults, kids, and everyone in between. Like his boyhood hero Woody Guthrie, Moock believes in the power of music to reach all people — young and old, far and wide, for all occasions. Sponsored by the Friends of the Concord Free Public Library. No registration required.

Children's Activity Room, Main Library

Let's celebrate pizza! Come enjoy a story and then we will make our own pizza slices out of cardboard and paper and glue. Add your own toppings.

Monday, May 16, 11:00 - 11:30 a.m.

Fowler Branch Large Meeting Room

Join us for songs, stories, and a chance to chat with other parents.

Monday, May 16, 5:00 - 5:30 p.m.

Zoom

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

Tuesday, May 17, 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 allows, 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. Pleas wear a face mask.

Tuesday, May 17, 7:00 - 8:00 p.m.

Zoom

This workshop will help high school juniors and their parents understand how to use the summer productively to create a compelling college application. We will cover the college application process including current admissions trends, writing the personal statement essay and supplemental essays, teacher recommendations and how students can position themselves to increase their chances for admission. This program is a detailed and strategic overview of what students should focus on to make their college applications compelling. The presentation will be led by Ron Feuchs and Jackie Tepper, partners at Stand Out For College, LLC. [Register for Zoom Link]

Tuesday, May 17, 7:00 - 7:45 p.m.

Zoom

Join Asian Pacific American Award winning author Kelly Yang for a fun virtual visit. Ms. Yang will talk about her books, especially her new release, New From Here. She will tell us about her life and writing, and potentially take questions from the audience. This program is geared for kids and tweens in grades 4-8 and their families. This program is made possible by the Newton Free Library and the Nancy Lurensky Swidler Memorial Fund. [Register for Zoom Link]

Wednesday, May 18, 10:30 - 11:00 a.m.

Children's Activity Room, Main Library

Each week we will focus on a different letter of the alphabet. Recommended for ages 5 years and below. No registration required.

Wednesday, May 18, 2:00 - 3:00 p.m.

Children's Activity Room, Main Library

Daniel the Cat is a "chill" cat who loves to hear your stories. Read to a good listener who loves to listen to children read.

Did you know that reading to animals boosts reading skills & emotional & social skills for children? Register for your own 10-minute session with Daniel. This program is for children aged 5 and up. Daniel is certified through Pets & People Foundation. [Register]

Wednesdays, May 18 and 25, 3:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Teen Lounge, Main Library

Join finger skateboard amateur and new Teen Librarian Cary Stough for afternoons of finger skateboarding and excessive snacking on Wednesdays in May. Set up a skatepark on the big Teen Lounge table. Use cardboard and other materials, hone your maker instinct with various (safe) tools and equipment. This is a chance to hang out in the new space with friends, make new friends, listen to tunes, and unleash your inner, dextrous Tony Hawk. Participants will also have the opportunity to vote on upcoming crafts and events at the Teen Lounge, and learn about all that we already have planned for summer 2022. No registration required.

Join storytime from the comfort of your own home. Share stories, songs, and rhymes in this weekly virtual program. [Register for Zoom Link]

Children's Activity Room, Main Library

Come enjoy our favorite new picture books and learn how you can participate in our early literacy campaign called 101 Picture Books Concord Free Public Library Loves. These storytimes will feature our favorite new picture books and promote early literacy skills to newborns, infants, toddlers and preschoolers. No registration required.

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.

All skill levels are welcome to our weekly origami club, now meeting on Thursdays at 4. Each week we will try fun new projects. We will be meeting in person. You may use paper you have at home, or you may pick up origami paper at Fowler during our open hours. [Register]

Children's Activity Room, Main Library

Each week we will feature different puppets, new songs to learn and sing along to, and occasional crafts. Feel free to bring your own puppet (sock or otherwise) or instruments from home to join in on the fun. No registration required.

Beede Center, 498 Walden St

The Beede Swim and Fitness Center and the Concord Free Public Library have teamed up to bring you BEEDE AND BOOKS. This is a free program available to all. Join us in the Beede Center for a Friday collaboration of reading and swimming. A librarian will read books at 11:30am then at 12:00pm we transition to the Children’s Pool for water fun! Families do not need to have a Beede membership, but caregivers do need to be in the water with their child for the 30 minutes of Children’s Pool time. One child per parent. Sign up your child and have them arrive in their swim suit. With capacity restrictions in the Children’s Pool, we may split up into two groups. The first group will participate in the reading while the second group swims. Then we will switch half way through. Registration is required. [Register]

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.