Let your teen voice be heard! Help the Teen Librarian design the best programs for teens, and recommend YA books and more for the teen Loft.

TAB meets monthly on Mondays from 4 - 5 pm. We are always looking for new members. Please join us and see what we are all about!

Oh, and there will be snacks!

Grades 6-12. Online registration is required. 

Teen Advisory Board is facilitated by Teen Librarian Rachel Hapgood.

Certified instructor Michelle Bouchard will lead this light and rejuvenating class. This class is for adults ages 18+ and all skill levels are welcome. Participants will explore breathing practices, mindfulness & meditation techniques, and a physical approach to sustainable exercise.

Please bring your own yoga mat and dress comfortably.

Registration is required and space is limited. Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library

Grow Play  and Learn with Nicole Landry. Play group in the Brooks Rm on Tuesdays each week @ 9:30. Learn how to increase your child's attention span with ways to support sensory play. This program is  for kids ages 18 months - age 4. Call or stop in to sign up!

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents  and is administered by Ludlow Public Schools which is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community

Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. 

Monthly meeting of the Wilbraham Friends of the Library Board.  All are welcome to attend and learn about the Friends!

Rough Sleepers by Tracy Kidder

This masterful work of reporting and nonfiction storytelling takes us deep into the world of Dr. Jim O'Connell, a Harvard Medical School graduate, who, following his life's calling, serves Boston's homeless community, facing one of American society's most shameful problems, instead of looking away.

Request the book.

This monthly book discussion is facilitated by Assistant Director Mary Bell. Newcomers are always welcome!

Stop by the library to make a special craft with Ms. Rachel, Assistant Children's Librarian. KEVA planks will be available for free play, along with plenty of coloring pages.
Parents and caregivers, please remain in the room with your child during this program.

NO REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AND IS A FREE PROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE W.F.O.L. 

The WFOL will be on the front lawn for people to pick up their pre-ordered plants.
 

Join us for an evening of Great Songs from Great Movies with David Polansky. Spanning several decades of film history, he will cover everything from Singin' in the Rain to Breakfast at Tiffany's and Star Wars.

An accomplished trumpet player, pianist, and vocalist, David is in constant demand throughout the New England area. Over the years he has worked with Arthur Fiedler, Sandler and Young, Phyllis Diller, Henny Youngman, Ray Bolger and others. Read more about him here. 

This program is sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

Those Angry Days by Lynn Olson

At the center of the debate over American intervention in World War II stood the two most famous men in America: President Franklin D. Roosevelt, who championed the interventionist cause, and aviator Charles Lindbergh, who as unofficial leader and spokesman for America's isolationists emerged as the president's most formidable adversary. Their contest of wills personified the divisions within the country at large, and Lynne Olson makes masterly use of their dramatic personal stories to create a poignant and riveting narrative.
The History Book Club is self-run by the members. Copies of the book are available at the Service Desk.

Grow Play  and Learn with Nicole Landry. Play group in the Brooks Rm on Tuesdays each week @ 9:30. Learn how to increase your child's attention span with ways to support sensory play. This program is  for kids ages 18 months - age 4. Call or stop in to sign up!

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents  and is administered by Ludlow Public Schools which is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community

Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. 

Monthly meeting

You’re welcome to register for a thrilling conversation with Rebecca F. Kuang (R.F. Kuang) as she chats with us about her New York Times bestselling novel, Yellowface. Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media.

In Yellowface, Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks.

So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I.

So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree.

But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.

White lies, dark humor, and deadly consequences await within the pages of Yellowface. With its totally immersive first-person voice, Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable. Register to join the conversation! 

About the Author: Rebecca F. Kuang is the award-winning, #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Poppy War trilogy, Babel: An Arcane History, and Yellowface. A Marshall Scholar, she has an MPhil in Chinese Studies from Cambridge and an MSc in Contemporary Chinese Studies from Oxford; she is now pursuing a PhD in East Asian Languages and Literatures at Yale, where she studies diaspora, contemporary Chinese literature, and Asian American literature.

Room Booked

Tartuffe by Moliere.

Led by Jessica Magill.

For questions, contact Jessica: jessicammagill@hotmail.com

Grow Play  and Learn with Nicole Landry. Play group in the Brooks Rm on Tuesdays each week @ 9:30. Learn how to increase your child's attention span with ways to support sensory play. This program is  for kids ages 18 months - age 4. Call or stop in to sign up!

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents  and is administered by Ludlow Public Schools which is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community

Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. 

Wilbraham Democratic Town Committee monthly meeting.

THIS PROGRAM IS NOW FULL.

Grades 6-12 can explore project-based coding in a fun and friendly environment. Teens Who Code is facilitated by Mrs. Christine Goonan. This meeting will be held in the Brooks Room, and all attendees need a laptop to join in.

Online registration is required. After registering, teens will receive more info by email.

Questions about this program? Email cmgoonan@gmail.com

This is a free program hosted by the Wilbraham Public Library.

Mars and its secrets have fascinated and mystified humans since ancient times. Due to its vivid color and visibility, geologic kinship with Earth, and potential as our best hope for settlement, Mars embodies everything that inspires us about space and exploration. For the Love of Mars surveys the red planet's place in the human imagination, beginning with ancient astrologers and skywatchers and ending in our present moment of exploration and virtual engagement.

You’re invited to come learn alongside Matt Shindell, National Air and Space Museum curator, as he introduces viewers to historical figures across eras and around the world who have made sense of this mysterious planet. Shindell will highlight historical figures such as: 

• Mayan astrologer priests who incorporated Mars into seasonal calendars and religious ceremonies; 
• Babylonian astrologers who discerned bad omens; 
• figures of the Scientific Revolution who struggled to comprehend it as a world; 
• Victorian astronomers who sought signs of intelligent life; and
• 20th- and 21st-century scientists who have established a technological presence on its surface. 

Along the way, we will encounter writers and artists from each period who take readers and viewers on imagined journeys to Mars.

 By focusing on the diverse human stories behind the telescopes and behind the robots we know and love, Shindell will show how Mars exploration has evolved in ways that have also expanded knowledge about other facets of the universe. Register now for this captivating voyage through time!

About the Author: Matthew Shindell, Ph.D., is a historian of science with a background in science studies. He is Curator of Earth and Planetary Science at the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum. He is responsible for the Museum’s collection of spacecraft, instruments, and other artifacts related to the exploration and study of our Earth and solar system. He co-hosts the Museum’s podcast, AirSpace. He curated the Museum’s permanent exhibition, Exploring the Planets, and is leading a curatorial team developing the exhibition Futures in Space. Shindell is the author of For the Love of Mars: A Human History of the Red Planet (2023) and The Life and Science of Harold C. Urey (2019), coauthor of Spaceships (2023), Our Future in Space (2023), and Discerning Experts (2019), and co-editor of Smithsonian American Women (2019).

Click here to register for this virtual program. 

Presented by New York Life Insurance Company, this informative seminar will discuss the importance of developing a long-term care strategy.

The right long-term care strategy can help safeguard your family, your savings, your retirement, and your peace of mind. During this presentation, we’ll provide all of the information you need to prepare for a more secure future for you and your loved ones. Here’s what we’ll discuss: 

• Why it’s important to have a long-term care strategy 
• Key questions to consider before creating a strategy 
• What’s covered and not covered by government programs 
• How much long-term care services currently cost in your area 
• Solutions that can help give you peace of mind about the future

Registration is encouraged but not required. 

Grow Play  and Learn with Nicole Landry. Play group in the Brooks Rm on Tuesdays each week @ 9:30. Learn how to increase your child's attention span with ways to support sensory play. This program is  for kids ages 18 months - age 4. Call or stop in to sign up!

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents  and is administered by Ludlow Public Schools which is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community

Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. 

Relax through creativity and feel the stress just melt away as you craft a beautiful bookmark. Each teen will choose one design, first come first served.

All colorful resin gems and tools to complete your masterpiece will be supplied.

Grades 6-12 only. Online registration is required as space is limited. 

Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

Room Booked

Songs, movement activities and games help to bring the yoga practice to young children. Classes are dynamic and playful, with stories, music, and themes. Children ages 2-5 and their caregivers willlearn how to use large muscles to support self regulation, while bending, breathing and stretching and practicing mindfulness.

Sponsored by Pathways for Parents and funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. 

Room Booked

Room Booked

Grow Play  and Learn with Nicole Landry. Play group in the Brooks Rm on Tuesdays each week @ 9:30. Learn how to increase your child's attention span with ways to support sensory play. This program is  for kids ages 18 months - age 4. Call or stop in to sign up!

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents  and is administered by Ludlow Public Schools which is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community

Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. 

Personal Librarian, by Marie Benedict

In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by J. Pierpont Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books, and artwork for his newly built Morgan Library. Belle becomes a fixture on the New York society scene and one of the most powerful people in the art and book world, known for her impeccable taste and shrewd negotiating for critical works as she helps build a world-class collection. But Belle has a secret: she was born Belle Marion Greener, daughter of Richard Greener, the first Black graduate of Harvard and well-known advocate for equality. Belle's alleged Portuguese heritage lets her pass as white, but she will go through great lengths to preserve her carefully crafted identity in a racist world.

Discussion is facilitated by Library Director Karen Ball. Copies of the books are available to check out from the Service Desk. New members are always welcome.

Monthly meeting of the Wilbraham Friends of the Library Board.  All are welcome to attend and learn about the Friends!

This one is for readers everywhere! Join us as we chat with author Shannon Reed about her book, "Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One Page Before Lights Out".

Why DO we read? What compels us to? What holds our attention? How many of us remember reading by a flashlight after hours? Shannon will have the scoop and will be answering lots of our questions! Also, given her last name, we feel that Shannon is the perfect person to have written this book :).

Presented in partnership with the Ashland Public Library.

Click here to register for this virtual program.

Get your popcorn and take a seat as we pick the brain of the queen of twists herself, Freida McFadden! McFadden will join us to chat about writing psychological thrillers, her mega-bestselling hit The Housemaid series, in particular her forthcoming (June 11, 2024) third installment, The Housemaid Is Watching. 

The next installment is full of unbelievable twists and tension as it continues to follow Millie Calloway. She used to clean other people’s houses—now, she can’t believe this new home is actually hers. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where her kids can play. She and her husband saved for years to give their children the life they deserve.

Even though she’s wary of their new neighbor, Mrs. Lowell when she invites them over for dinner, it’s their chance to make friends, so they accept the invitation. Mrs. Lowell’s maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. Millie knows exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But the maid’s cold stare gives her chills…

The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on their street. Millie’s sure she sees a shadowy figure watching them. Her husband leaves the house late at night. And when she meets a woman who lives across the way, her words chill to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.

Millie wonders: Did they make a terrible mistake moving their family here?

About the Author: #1 New York Times, Amazon Charts, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Sunday Times, and Publisher's Weekly bestselling author Freida McFadden is a practicing physician specializing in brain injury who has penned multiple bestselling psychological thrillers and medical humor novels. Freida’s work has been selected as one of Amazon Editors’ best books of the year, she is the winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for best paperback, and she is a Goodreads Choice Award winner. Her novels have been translated into over 30 languages.

Freida lives with her family and black cat in a centuries-old three-story home overlooking the ocean, with staircases that creak and moan with each step, and nobody could hear you if you scream. Unless you scream really loudly, maybe.

Click here to register for this virtual event.

Registration is required and space is limited. Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library. 

DNA is a simple acronym to describe what can be seen as complex science. However, the basics of that science can be relatively easy to explain and understand. There are three basic types of DNA tests which we'll discuss in our session with Dave Robison. To make the evening interesting, there will be a raffle for two DNA kits for two lucky attendees!

Dave Robison is a professional genealogist and owner of Old Bones Genealogy of New England. He is the currently president of the New England Chapter of the Association of Professional Genealogists and vice-president of the Western Massachusetts Genealogical Society.

Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library. 

Registration is required and space is limited.

Grow Play  and Learn with Nicole Landry. Play group in the Brooks Rm on Tuesdays each week @ 9:30. Learn how to increase your child's attention span with ways to support sensory play. This program is  for kids ages 18 months - age 4. Call or stop in to sign up!

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents  and is administered by Ludlow Public Schools which is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community

Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. 

Presented in partnership with the Ashland Public Library.

Click here to register for this virtual program.

Make your own bee hotel!  Learn about the importance of pollination and which bees will be attracted to your hotel. Each child will make their own bee shelter using recycled materials and leave with some bee facts. A fun interactive activity that's nature inspired and crafty! For kids entering grades 2-5.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Wilbraham Library.

Join us as #1 New York Times bestselling author Tiffany Jewell highlights the inequities Black and Brown students face from preschool through college as she presents lessons and knowledge from her new book Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School. 

From preschool to higher education and everything in between, Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School focuses on the experiences Black and Brown students face as a direct result of the racism built into schools across the United States.

The overarching nonfiction narrative follows author Tiffany Jewell from early elementary school through her time at college, unpacking the history of systemic racism in the American educational system along the way. Throughout the book, other writers of the global majority share a wide variety of personal narratives and stories based on their own school experiences.

Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School provides young folks with the context to think critically about and chart their own course through their current schooling—and any future schooling they may pursue. A true “don’t want to miss” event–so register now! 

About the Author: Tiffany Jewell is a Black biracial writer, twin sister, first-generation American, cisgender mama, anti-bias antiracist (ABAR) educator, and consultant. She is the author of the #1 New York Times and #1 Indie Bestseller, This Book Is Anti-Racist, a book for young folks and everyone to wake up, take action, and do the work of becoming antiracist as well as The Antiracist Kid: A Book About Identity, Justice, and Activism the recently released Everything I Learned About Racism I Learned in School (2024).

Tiffany has been working with children and families for nearly two decades and has worked as a Montessori educator for fifteen years. She enjoys exploring social justice with young folks, especially the history of racism and resistance, economic justice, and socially and personally constructed identities. Tiffany enjoys working with educators and supporting them building strong, authentic communities in which every child can be seen and valued. She is the co-founder, alongside Britt Hawthorne, of ABARatSchool, an organization that strives to support educators and caregivers in their anti-bias anti-racist journeys. She also served as the president of the founding board of the national organization Montessori for Social Justice- seeing it through to completing nonprofit status and creating a strong mission to support and amplify Montessorian of the Global Majority across the country. Tiffany lives on the homeland of the Pocumtuc and the Nipmuck with her two young storytellers, husband, and a turtle she’s had since she was nine years old. 

Click here to register for this virtual program.

An orientation for new volunteers with Assistant Director Mary Bell.

Interested in volunteering? Anyone age 14+ is welcome to turn in the form prior to the training with a photocopy of your government-issued photo ID. Any questions? Please contact Mary Bell.

Country of Vast Designs, by Robert Merry

Explores the one-term presidency of James K. Polk, during which the United States extended its territory across the continent by threatening England and manufacturing a controversial war with Mexico that Abraham Lincoln opposed.
The History Book Club is self-run by the members. Copies of the book are available at the Service Desk.

If you are a fan of true crime and want to dive deep into the psychology of a serial killer and his apprentice, this program is for you! Join authors Katherine Ramsland and Tracy Ullman as they discuss their most recent book, "The Serial Killer's Apprentice", a psychological examination of the blurred line between victim and accomplice—and how a killer can be created. We hope you can join us for this fascinating conversation!

Presented in partnership with the Ashland Public Library.

Click here to register for this virtual program.

Grow Play  and Learn with Nicole Landry. Play group in the Brooks Rm on Tuesdays each week @ 9:30. Learn how to increase your child's attention span with ways to support sensory play. This program is  for kids ages 18 months - age 4. Call or stop in to sign up!

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents  and is administered by Ludlow Public Schools which is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community

Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. 

Monthly meeting - will meet in the Children's section of the library.

Join co-founders Mark Mandeville & Raianne Richards at the library for a concert as a stop on their 13th annual Walking Tour. The annual grassroots bipedal tour of Massachusetts supports arts and culture for towns throughout the state. Each free community concert collaborates with local artists, musicians, educational programs, trail managers, and land trust groups to highlight both artistic diversity and recreational land use.

Registration is optional but encouaged as space is limited. 

Ah, the nineties. Movies were something in those days. We’re talking about a decade that began with GoodFellas and ended with Magnolia, with such films as Malcolm X, Before Sunrise, and Clueless arriving somewhere in between. Stories, characters, and writing were king. If you're a fan, a movie buff, or just a child of the 90s, please join us in conversation with author Scott Ryan as we discuss what made them classics and why they could never be produced in today’s film culture.

Presented in partnership with the Ashland Public Library.

Click here to register for this virtual program.

Design your own silly face plant pal and watch their hair grow! Crafted from natural materials and recycled items. Each plant pal is uniqely your own! Bring your plant home making sure to give it sun and water to create a cool grassy hairdo! Making sure to give it a haircut regularly. For kids entering grades 3-5.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Wilbraham Public Library.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving.

Led by Jessica Magill.

For questions, contact Jessica: jessicammagill@hotmail.com

Stop by the library to make a chalk creation with Ms. Rachel, Assistant Children's Librarian. Chalk will be available for free draw creations.
Parents and caregivers, please remain in the room with your child during this program.

NO REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AND IS A FREE PROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE W.F.O.L. 

Lucy by the Sea, by Elizabeth Strout

With her trademark spare, crystalline prose-a voice infused with "intimate, fragile, desperate humanness" (The Washington Post)-Elizabeth Strout once again turns her exquisitely-tuned eye to the inner workings of the human heart, this time following the indomitable heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton and Oh William! through the early days of the pandemic. As a panicked world goes into lockdown, Lucy Barton is uprooted from her life in Manhattan and bundled away to a small town in Maine by her ex-husband and longtime friend, William. For the next several months, it's just Lucy, William, and their complex past together in a little house nestled against the moody, swirling sea. They will not emerge unscathed

Discussion is facilitated by Library Director Karen Ball. Copies of the books are available to check out from the Service Desk. New members are always welcome.

Adults will learn to paint "Lighthouse with Hydrangeas" with instruction from Erin Boughamer of Paint Sip Fun. No experience necessary and all supplies are provided.  

Sponsored in full by a grant from the Wilbraham Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Kid's will learn to paint a panda in bamboo with instruction from Erin Boughamer from Paint Sip Fun. Ne experience necessary and all supplies are provided. 

Grades 2-5 only.

Sponsored in full by a grant from the Wilbraham Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Teens will learn to paint "Giraffe on Safari" with instruction from Erin Boughamer from Paint Sip Fun. No experience necessary and all supplies are provided.  

Sponsored in full by a grant from the Wilbraham Cultural Council, a local agency supported by the Mass Cultural Council, a state agency.

Nature Bound Workshop for children ages 18 months - 4 years old and their caregiver. This workshop introduces the fun of nature and learning.
We will include Nature songs & Books to support the Summer Reading theme of "Read, Renew and Renew". We will incorporate science and math activities, along with Tinkering with nature, to encourage learning. Nature provides countless opportunities for discovery, creativity, problem-solving, and STEM education. Interacting with natural environments allows children to learn by doing and experimenting with ideas.

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents. Pathways for Parents is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Join us for a family bingo night! More details to be announced.

Play life-sized games like Jenga, Connect 4, Uno and outdoor games too! Supersized snacks will be available.

Grades 6-12 only. Online registration is required as space is limited. 

Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

 Children ages 4-6 are invited to join this group with their caregiver. Children and families will explore the concepts of Science, Technology, Engineering, Art and Math, while completing the activity provided.

Sponsored by Pathways for Parents and funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care. 

Get a unique henna tattoo from artist Mandy of Wicked Good Henna. Henna is safe for all skin types.

This program is for adults ages 18+.

Registration is required and space is limited. Sign up for a 15 minute time slot.

Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

Songs, movement activities and games help to bring the yoga practice to young children. Classes are dynamic and playful, with stories, music, themes. Children ages 2-5 and their caregivers will learn how to use large muscles to support self regulation, while bending, breathing and stretching and practicing mindfulness.

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents. Pathways for Parents is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Teens will be taught the basics of tie dye, using high quality professional dyes. Results will be vibrant and last forever.

Each teen needs to bring their own 100% cotton white item to tie dye (up to 2 per person). Examples include t-shirt, hat, shorts, pillowcase or sweatshirt. At event, all teens will be supplied with a cotton drawstring book bag to tie dye, if desired as 1 of their 2 items.

Teens should dress accordingly as dye may get on clothing.

* In case of inclement weather, we will notify participants that rain date will be used.

Grades 6-12 only. Online registration is required as space is limited. 

Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

Grades 6-12 only. Online registration is required as space is limited. 

Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

Led by Jessica Magill

For questions, contact Jessica: jessicammagill@hotmail.com

Grades 6-12 only. Online registration is required.

Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

Join us for a fun Lego build event!  More details to be announced.

Israel, by Noa Tishby

While everyone seems to have a strong opinion about Israel, how many people actually know the facts? Tishby creates an accessible and dynamic portrait of a tiny country of outsized relevance. Through bite-sized chunks of history and deeply personal stories, she chronicles her homeland’s evolution, beginning in Biblical times and moving forward to cover everything from WWI to Israel's creation to the real disputes dividing the country today. Tackling popular misconceptions with an abundance of facts, she offers a clear, intimate account of the richly cultured country of Israel. -- adapted from jacket
The History Book Club is self-run by the members. Copies of the book are available at the Service Desk.

Teens will learn about the structure of copper and how to create drawings in metal and use letter stamps to make textures and words on a copper bookmark. Workshop taught by Heather Beck, local metalsmith and artisan.

Grades 6-12 only. Online registration is required as space is limited. 

Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

Ready for K is a group for upcoming Kindergarteners and their caregivers, to participate in to receive materials to support both the parent and the child prepare
for the transition to Kindergarten. This program is targeted for children ages 4-5 years old,
and their caregivers.

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents. Pathways for Parents is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Zoo at Forest Park Wildlife on Wheels. More information to come.

In the Unlikely Event, by Judy Blume

In 1987, Miri Ammerman returns to her hometown of Elizabeth, New Jersey, to attend a commemoration of the worst year of her life. Thirty-five years earlier, when Miri was fifteen, and in love for the first time, a succession of airplanes fell from the sky, leaving a community reeling. Against this backdrop of actual events that Blume experienced in the early 1950s, when airline travel was new and exciting and everyone dreamed of going somewhere, she paints a vivid portrait of a particular time and place -- Nat King Cole singing "Unforgettable," Elizabeth Taylor haircuts, young (and not-so-young) love, explosive friendships, A-bomb hysteria, rumors of Communist threat. And a young journalist who makes his name reporting tragedy. Through it all, one generation reminds another that life goes on.

Discussion is facilitated by Library Director Karen Ball. Copies of the books are available to check out from the Service Desk. New members are always welcome.

Kids entering grades 2-5 Henna workshop. Get your unique henna tattoo from artist Mandy of Wicked Good Henna. Henna is safe for all skin types.

Henna, music, coloring and more. Online sign ups are required and space is limited.

This program is free and sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

Henna Workshop for Teens, entering grades 6-12.  Get your unique henna tattoo from artist Mandy of Wicked Good Henna. Henna is safe for all skin types.

Online sign ups are required and space is limited. Sign up for a 20 minute time slot with your friends.

Sponsored in part by a grant from the Wilbraham Cultural Council and the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

You’re invited to virtually step inside one of the greatest international achievements with a behind-the-scenes guide to space exploration with the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum curator Dr. Jennifer Levasseur. Revealing a new perspective into the world of space exploration and the daring astronauts who make it possible, Dr. Levasseur will guide you through the Smithsonian’s Behind the Scenes at the Space Station and take you on a once-in-a-lifetime virtual tour of the International Space Station. You will learn what the astronauts do once they make it to the space station, from experiments to repairs and so much more! Have you ever wondered if plants could grow in outer space? Or how the space station doesn’t break down in outer space? Or how astronauts go to the toilet in microgravity?

Behind the Scenes at the Space Station is a treasure trove of information. Did you know that during a 24-hour period, the space station completes 16 orbits of Earth and the astronauts on board see 16 sunrises and sunsets every day? Or that the International Space Station is so enormous that it was launched in pieces and constructed in orbit? Brimming with astonishing visuals, step-by-step explanations of everyday space work in action, and job profiles of the adventurous people who make it happen, Dr. Levasseur’s tour Behind the Scenes at the Space Station is the perfect way to spend an hour and experience life in space.

Register now for your all-access pass to a spectacular home in space!

About the Author: Dr. Jennifer Levasseur is a proud graduate of the University of Michigan (BA, 1999). She received an MA from George Washington University (2002) and a PhD from George Mason University (2014). Her first book, published in 2020, examined the cultural significance of astronaut photography. She is the responsible curator for the Museum's astronaut cameras, chronographs, the Space Shuttle, and International Space Station programs. In 22 years at NASM, Jennifer has worked on artifact loans, a biennial museums conference, and numerous digital projects. She curated the 2015 exhibit Outside the Spacecraft: 50 Years of Extra-Vehicular Activity, co-curated One World Connected, and is lead curator for the forthcoming At Home in Space gallery. Jennifer started her Smithsonian career with an internship in the National Portrait Gallery, where she cataloged photographs and developed strategies for recording portrait information in the museum's artifact database.

Click here to register for this virtual program.

More information to follow. 

Join Gariné Arakelian of Kulina Folk Art for an enlightening session where we dive into the diverse world of candle making techniques and tips. During this workshop, we will explore the various types of candles and discover which waxes are best suited for each type. Additionally, we will emphasize the importance of selecting the correct wick sizes and heat resistant container sizes to ensure optimal burning experience. One of the focal points of our workshop will be differentiating between essential oils and fragrance oils, enabling you to create candles with delightful summer scents that suit your preferences. Rest assured, we will provide you with complete instructions on how to burn your candle safely and efficiently. As a bonus, each participant will have the opportunity to craft their own captivating summer container candle using high-quality soy wax, fragrant oils, and even a charming surprise. Once you've poured the wax and allowed it to cool undisturbed for approximately 24 hours, you will be able to take your finished creation home. As for the specifications, the approximate size of your candle will be 5 ounces, with dimensions of approximately 3” in width and 3” in height.

SAFETY STATEMENT

- The wax is hot and fragrance oils can be strongly scented. 

- Program starts promptly, no admission is allowed after instructions are given.

- No children will be allowed in the room, only the registered participants.

- No exceptions will be made to these rules.

This program is for adults ages 18+. Registration is required and space is limited. 

Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library. 

Songs, movement activities and games help to bring the yoga practice to young children. Classes are dynamic and playful, with stories, music, themes. Children ages 2-5 and their caregivers will learn how to use large muscles to support self regulation, while bending, breathing and stretching and practicing mindfulness.

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents. Pathways for Parents is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Ready for K is a group for upcoming Kindergarteners and their caregivers, to participate in to receive materials to support both the parent and the child prepare for the transition to Kindergarten. This program is targeted for children ages 4-5 years old, 
and their caregivers.

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents. Pathways for Parents is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Another college application season is around the corner, and stress is already beginning to ratchet up for teens and their parents. You’re invited to join us for this must-watch talk by Irena Smith, PhD. You will hear about constructive and healthy ways to approach the college application process, preserve your relationship with your teen, and help them define success on their terms instead of chasing the elusive “golden ticket.”

Irena is a former Stanford Admissions Officer who has spent 18 years advising accomplished, tightly-wound students in Palo Alto and around the world. She saw firsthand the extreme measures parents took to help their children gain admission to highly selective colleges and the toll it took on the children as well as on their parents.

At the same time, Irena’s own children struggled with developmental delays, learning differences, severe depression, and anxiety. She kept her double life—successful college counselor at work, anxious mom at home—tightly under wraps for years until a stunning realization: she was exactly like the anxious parents of the students she worked with, all of whom were equally terrified about their children's future. Irena’s memoir, The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays, which candidly explores her personal as well as professional life, was published in 2023, and she has since devoted her time to speaking out about hard things: the heavy burden of generational expectations, teen and young adult mental health, and the importance of embracing a broader, more generous vision of what it means to succeed. To learn more about Irena’s personal experience as a parent, professional experience as a college admissions officer, and leave with tips on how to help your child approach the application process in practical, healthy ways–register now!

About the Author: Irena Smith is an author, former Stanford admissions officer, independent college counselor, and mother of three extraordinary children. She emigrated from the former Soviet Union with her parents when she was nine years old. In spite of her fierce insistence that she would never, not ever, learn English, she went on to earn a BA in English and then a PhD in Comparative Literature (both from UCLA, where she received a Distinguished Teaching Assistant Award and Dissertation Year Fellowship). Irena taught literature and composition at UCLA and Stanford before transitioning to college admissions, college advising, and writing. Her recently published memoir, The Golden Ticket: A Life in College Admissions Essays is the winner of the Story Circle Network's Gilda Award, named in honor of comedian Gilda Radner to recognize honest, authentic writing that "makes us laugh even when we want to cry." It's been described by Forbes as “captivating and smart… a potential antidote to the fevered belief that being admitted to an elite college will spell the difference between a successful life vs. a doomed future.” 

Click here to register for this virtual program.

More info to follow.

Songs, movement activities and games help to bring the yoga practice to young children. Classes are dynamic and playful, with stories, music, themes. Children ages 2-5 and their caregivers will learn how to use large muscles to support self regulation, while bending, breathing and stretching and practicing mindfulness.

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents. Pathways for Parents is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

We invite you to join us as we chat with the amazing New York Times bestselling author Shelby Van Pelt about her beloved novel Remarkably Bright Creatures. You don’t want to miss this deep-dive exploration of friendship, reckoning, hope, and so much more!

Remarkably Bright Creatures is a luminous debut novel about a widow’s unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium—and the truths she finally uncovers about her son’s disappearance 30 years ago.

After Tova Sullivan’s husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she’s been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in the Puget Sound over 30 years ago.

As she works, Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine, but wouldn’t dream of lifting one of his eight tentacles for his human captors—until he forms an unlikely friendship with Tova.

Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova’s son disappeared. As his affection for Tova grows, Marcellus must use every trick his old, invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it’s too late.

Charming, compulsively readable, and full of wit, Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel is a beautiful exploration of friendship, reckoning, and hope–a reminder that sometimes taking a hard look at the past can help uncover a future that once felt impossible. Register now for a conversation you just don't want to miss!

About the Author: Shelby Van Pelt’s debut novel, Remarkably Bright Creatures, was published by Ecco/HarperCollins (US) and Bloomsbury (UK) in Spring 2022 and was an Instant New York Times bestseller and has sold a million and a half copies. Born and raised in the Pacific Northwest, she’s now missing the mountains in the Chicago area with her husband and two children.

Click here to register for this virtual program.

Stop by the library to make a special craft with Ms. Rachel, Assistant Children's Librarian. KEVA planks will be available for free play, along with plenty of coloring pages.
Parents and caregivers, please remain in the room with your child during this program.

NO REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED AND IS A FREE PROGRAM SPONSORED BY THE W.F.O.L. 

Founding Mothers, by Cokie Roberts

Explores the lives of women who helped shape the United States, profiling such key figures as Abigail Adams, Eliza Pinkney, Dolley Payne Madison, Deborah Read Franklin, and Catherine Littlefield Greene.
The History Book Club is self-run by the members. Copies of the book are available at the Service Desk.

Led by Jessica Magill

For questions, contact Jessica: jessicammagill@hotmail.com

The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave

When her husband of a year disappears, Hannah quickly learns he is not who he said he was and is left to sort out the truth with just one ally- her husband's teenage daughter, who hates her.

Discussion is facilitated by Library Director Karen Ball. Copies of the books are available to check out from the Service Desk. New members are always welcome.

Grades 6-12 only. Online registration is required as space is limited. 

Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

Come join Pathways for Parents CFCE for Grow, Play, Learn at Wilbraham Public Library with Nicole Landry. This group will include a storytime curriculum, fun play activities and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. This program is geared for children birth through age five with a caregiver.  September session dates include 9/10, 9/17, and 9/24.

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents. Pathways for Parents is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Monthly meeting of the Wilbraham Friends of the Library Board.  All are welcome to attend and learn about the Friends!

MORE INFORMATION TO COME

STEAM FOR KIDS. DATES: Sept. 13, 20, 27 ( no class 9/6) 

More informaion to come

Let your teen voice be heard! Help the Teen Librarian design the best programs for teens, and recommend YA books and more for the teen Loft.

TAB meets monthly on Mondays from 4 - 5 pm. We are always looking for new members. Please join us and see what we are all about!

Oh, and there will be snacks!

Grades 6-12. Online registration is required. 

Teen Advisory Board is facilitated by Teen Librarian Rachel Hapgood.

Come join Pathways for Parents CFCE for Grow, Play, Learn at Wilbraham Public Library with Nicole Landry. This group will include a storytime curriculum, fun play activities and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. This program is geared for children birth through age five with a caregiver.  September session dates include 9/10, 9/17, and 9/24.

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents. Pathways for Parents is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Monthly meeting of the Library Board of Trustees

The warmth of other suns by Isabel Wilkerson

An epic history covering the period from the end of World War I through the 1970s chronicles the decades-long migration of African Americans from the South to the North and West through the stories of three individuals and their families.

Request the book.

This monthly book discussion is facilitated by Assistant Director Mary Bell. Newcomers are always welcome!

FALL SESSION DATES: Sept. 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17, & 24 

Online sign ups TBA for this six week session of fun stories, songs and crafts! 

STEAM FOR KIDS. DATES: Sept. 13, 20, 27 ( no class 9/6) 

More informaion to come

In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

In 1820, the 240-ton Essex set sail from Nantucket on a routine voyage for whales. Fifteen months later, in the farthest reaches of the South Pacific, it was repeatedly rammed and sunk by an eighty-ton bull sperm whale. Its twenty-man crew, fearing cannibals on the islands to the west, made for the 3,000-mile-distant coast of South America in three tiny boats. During ninety days at sea under horrendous conditions, the survivors clung to life as one by one, they succumbed to hunger, thirst, disease, and fear.
The History Book Club is self-run by the members. Copies of the book are available at the Service Desk.

Come join Pathways for Parents CFCE for Grow, Play, Learn at Wilbraham Public Library with Nicole Landry. This group will include a storytime curriculum, fun play activities and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. This program is geared for children birth through age five with a caregiver.  September session dates include 9/10, 9/17, and 9/24.

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents. Pathways for Parents is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Grades 6-12 only. Online registration is required as space is limited. 

Sponsored by the Wilbraham Friends of the Library.

Wilbraham Democratic Town Committee monthly meeting.

Led by Jessica Magill

For questions, contact Jessica: jessicammagill@hotmail.com

FALL SESSION DATES: Sept. 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17, & 24 

Online sign ups TBA for this six week session of fun stories, songs and crafts! 

STEAM FOR KIDS. DATES: Sept. 13, 20, 27 ( no class 9/6) 

More informaion to come

Campbell Harmon presentation

Come join Pathways for Parents CFCE for Grow, Play, Learn at Wilbraham Public Library with Nicole Landry. This group will include a storytime curriculum, fun play activities and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. This program is geared for children birth through age five with a caregiver.  October session dates include 10/01, 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29.

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents. Pathways for Parents is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

No Two Persons, by Erika Bauermeister

When a devastating event breaks her heart open, aspiring writer Alice creates a stunning debut novel in which her words find their way to readers, from a teenager hiding her homelessness to a widower rent by grief, who, due to her book, find new paths forward.

Discussion is facilitated by Library Director Karen Ball. Copies of the books are available to check out from the Service Desk. New members are always welcome.

FALL SESSION DATES: Sept. 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17, & 24 

Online sign ups TBA for this six week session of fun stories, songs and crafts! 

MUSIC & MOVEMENT DATES: Oct. 4, 11, 25 (no class 10/18) & Nov. 1st.

MORE INFORMATION TO COME

MORE INFORMATION TO COME. DATES ARE: 7 & 21

More information to follow.

Come join Pathways for Parents CFCE for Grow, Play, Learn at Wilbraham Public Library with Nicole Landry. This group will include a storytime curriculum, fun play activities and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. This program is geared for children birth through age five with a caregiver.  October session dates include 10/01, 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29.

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents. Pathways for Parents is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Monthly meeting of the Wilbraham Friends of the Library Board.  All are welcome to attend and learn about the Friends!

FALL SESSION DATES: Sept. 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17, & 24 

Online sign ups TBA for this six week session of fun stories, songs and crafts! 

MUSIC & MOVEMENT DATES: Oct. 4, 11, 25 (no class 10/18) & Nov. 1st.

MORE INFORMATION TO COME

Come join Pathways for Parents CFCE for Grow, Play, Learn at Wilbraham Public Library with Nicole Landry. This group will include a storytime curriculum, fun play activities and the Ages and Stages Questionnaire. This program is geared for children birth through age five with a caregiver.  October session dates include 10/01, 10/08, 10/15, 10/22, 10/29.

This program is sponsored by Pathways for Parents. Pathways for Parents is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant through the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

Monthly meeting of the Library Board of Trustees

INFORMATION TO COME