The Concord Free Public Library Corporation is hosting an open Zoom meeting on Monday, September 14 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss accessible parking strategies at the Main Library.

The meetings are intended to allow community discussion about on-site parking alternatives prior to the Library Corporation resubmittal of parking plans (due to the HDC on September 22) for the public Historic Districts Commission (HDC) meeting scheduled for October 15.

Please click here for more information including the preliminary designs. The purpose of the meeting is to gather feedback from our community prior to a presentation at the HDC meeting on October 15, 2020. No RSVP is needed to attend.

September 3, 10, 17, 24, 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 September 3] 

September 8, 9:30 - 11:15 a.m.

In September, the book discussion group will discuss Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell. The discussion will take place on Zoom. All are welcome. Copies of the eBook are available through Hoopla. Please email [email protected] for the Zoom link. 

Wednesday, September 9, 12:00 - 1:30 p.m.

We can't meet in person, but it would still be great to discuss recipes and catch up! This month, we will make harvest recipes. Participants will make a fall harvest recipe of their choice and discuss it with fellow Cookbook Club members over Zoom. [Register for Zoom Link]

Monday, September 14, 7:00 p.m.

This one-hour talk (on Zoom) will discuss twenty neglected films and highlight their importance and value. Some of the films are by famous directors, including D.W. Griffith, Charlie Chaplin, Alfred Hitchcock, Orson Welles, Frank Capra, and David Lean. Others were briefly popular and then lost in a rush of new releases and changing moviegoing tastes. Still others are off-beat personal projects or films that never found a good audience. All of them are brilliant and worthy of viewing. We won’t watch any movies during the talk, but attendees will be given a link to download a pdf summary of the selected films as a guide for future viewing on DVD or streaming services. [Register for Zoom link]

Tuesday, September 15, 7:30 p.m.

Explore simple mindful wellness practices that settle the mind, honor the body and enhance overall well-being. Together, we’ll examine the path toward freedom from stress and experience the power of the pause in a time of crisis. Lara Wilson, founder of Concord’s non-profit mindful wellness collaborative, Be Well Be Here, will share ways to integrate mindfulness into daily life through meditation and movement tailored to your natural way of BEing. Free and open to ALL! [Register for Zoom link]

Join educator, lecturer, and genealogy researcher Linda MacIver for a 6-week genealogy series via Zoom. The class will meet every Thursday at 2 p.m. from September 17 - October 29. There will be no class on September 24. The series will include an introduction to researching your family tree, using the library's resources, and finding your immigrant ancestors. Registration is required. Commitment to attending the first two classes is mandatory. [Register for the Series]

Everyday, Main Library Front Lawn

All ages

The Children's Department has put together a StoryWalk on the Main Library front lawn. Please bring your children, grand-children and families to walk and read enlarged book pages from Dr. Seuss's Green Eggs & Ham displayed along the brick walkway outside the Main Street entrance.

Wednesdays @ 10:00 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

All ages

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

Every Thursday @ 11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Ages 5 and up

Did you know that reading to dogs boosts reading skills & emotional & social skills for children? Join us for a "Read around the Zoom" group reading experience. Using Zoom meeting platform, we will all take turns reading aloud to Luna and to each other. Luna is taking a much deserved vacation this week. She will be back next week! [Sign up for September 10]

Unable to browse the children's books in the Library? Our Children's Department has launched a new service called Book Bundles with pre-selected groups of children’s books on popular topics, such as Pirates, Princesses and Caldecott winners. You can see all the choices and submit an electronic request by visiting Book Bundles.

Congratulations to all the 500+ kids and teens who have participated in our Summer Learning Program. All participants are encouraged to stop by the Main Library and pick up a "mystery" book as a special reward for their reading efforts. The books are wrapped and sorted by age level and are available for pickup outside the Sudbury Road entrance. Pickup hours are Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 5:45 p.m. 

Kanopy Movies and TV Series (View Credit-Free Offerings)

OverDrive’s COVID Response Collections - Always Available eBooks and Audiobooks for Kids, Teens and Adults

Teen eBooks and Audiobooks 

[View a step-by-step Hoopla user guide] [Hoopla eBook New Features]

[View Kanopy user instruction]