Summer Reading Returns to the SPL! | |
Sign-Ups Start June 20th for Kids, Teens, and Adults | | |
- Kids can sign up at any Somerville Public Library location where they'll get a bookmark, pin, reading log, and bingo sheet.
- When kids return to the library each week, starting June 26th, they'll get a sticker and a key chain tag.
- If kids complete their bingo sheet, they'll be entered into a raffle for a $60 Gift Card from All She Wrote Books! Other prizes will also be available for filling out reading logs.
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- Visit the Teen Room at the Central Library, or the Children's areas at West and East to sign up in-person.
- You'll get a cool Journaling Kit when you submit your first review and vinyl stickers for each review you submit after.
- Every review gets you another chance to win the Grand Prize: a pair of Apple Airpods!
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- Come to any Somerville Public Library location to pick up your Adult Summer Reading bingo card. Each time you cross out a full line (horizontal, vertical, or diagonal), bring your bingo card to any SPL location to claim a small prize (limit 5x).
- If you cross off every square on the card, bring it to any SPL location and fill out raffle tickets for the chance to win the grand prize!
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Friday, June 2 and Friday, June 23 at 3pm at the Central Library
Friday, June 9 at 4pm at the East Branch
Tuesday, June 13 and Tuesday, June 27 at 4pm at the West Branch
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Stop by our library branches to pick up a pride flag pin in celebration
of Pride Month! Flags and pronoun pins will be available on demand,
and librarians are happy to answer questions about them.
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Tuesday, June 13 at 6:30pm in the Central Library Auditorium | |
Artists Greer Muldowney and Caleb Cole will talk about their
solo projects and publications-- as well as their collaborations.
Caleb Cole is a Midwest-born, Boston-based artist whose work
addresses the opportunities and difficulties of queer belonging.
Using collage, assemblage, photography, and video, they bring
secondhand objects and media together for chance encounters.
Greer Muldowney is an artist, photography professor and
independent curator based in Somerville, Massachusetts. Her work
often tackles the relationship of policy making and how it affects
landscape, housing and community.
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Tuesdays & Thursdays, June 13 - Sep. 5 at 10am at the East Branch | |
Pathways to Citizenship is a beginner ESOL/civics class for adults who are interested in improving their English skills in order to apply for US citizenship.
ESOL Workbooks will be provided. Classes are in-person at East Branch Library (115 Broadway) on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10-12:30.
Requirements: Must have a green card in order to attend.
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Wednesday, June 21 at 6:30pm in the Central Library Auditorium | |
Bad artists welcome!
Come to our Cursed Cards craft night and create haunted, horror-filled
cards to your twisted heart's content. Remind your loved ones and enemies that your unhinged soul means business! All supplies will be provided
by the library. Brought to you by Summer Scares 2023!
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Wednesday, June 21 at 7pm in the West Branch Backyard | |
Are you looking to make new connections in the queer community?
Come to the library’s all-inclusive Queer Open Mic Night for a low-stakes evening of music and fun! If you have a song you've been working on, or
you want to conquer your stage fright, bring it all here. We won't bite!
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Thursday, June 22 at 7pm at the East Branch | |
Join Alex as she teaches about the moon and shows it off through a
telescope! Summertime is the perfect time to see the moon; on June 22nd,
the moon will be a beautiful crescent, perfect for seeing craters and details. Before the viewing, learn more about Earth's very own natural satellite
and learn how craters form with Alex as she leads an activity where you
form your very own moon craters! We'll even get to touch a piece of
actual lunar meteorite! We'll then move outside to see those craters in
real life through Meridian Academy's Mobile Observatory, the MAMO.
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Fridays, June 30 - Aug. 18 at 3pm in the Central Library Auditorium | |
Join the Somerville Public Library for an opening crafting hour for queer and trans teens every Friday afternoon starting June 30th through August 18th!
LGBTQIA+ youth (and allies!) ages 11-18 are invited to join us. Crafting materials will include perler beads, beads for jewlery, sketchbooks
and pencils, shrinky dinks, and friendship bracelets. This is a drop-in
program, so feel free to arrive anytime between 3:00 and 4:30.
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An Update from our ELL Department | |
Our recent Pathways to Citizenship class took a field trip to City Hall
and had lunch with Mayor Katjana Ballantyne. Congratulations to
our citizenship students!
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This month's recommendations are our favorite LGBTQ+ titles!
Looking for recommendations? Check out our
What Should I Read Next? reading recommendation service!
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From sexual and cultural identity to body hair, colorism, mental health, and the debilitating beauty standards placed on South Asian women, author Sharan Dhaliwal speaks openly about life as a queer woman of color. Part memoir, part guide, this powerful and personal book is an encouraging and uplifting read that will resonate with many.
Recommended by Bethany, Reference Librarian
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After nonbinary lesbian Bianca witnesses their neighbor's murder through their birdwatching telescope, they must team up with their best friend Anderson and, later, their crush Elaine to uncover who killed the neighbor before their own life is put on the line. This book is a delightful mix of murder mystery thrills, queer/trans coming-of-age moments, and laugh-out-loud teen awkwardness that's sure to charm even the most cynical readers.
Recommended by Kayla, Generalist Librarian
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The Gay Regency retelling of The Sound of Music you didn't know you needed! Captain Phillip Dacre expects things to run a certain way, especially his children, but when he returns home following his latest naval cruise he finds them in the care of the local vicar, Benedict Sedgwick, having run off all tutors, governesses, and nannies in the area. The opposites attract romance that follows is sure to delight readers.
Recommended by Brigid, Generalist Librarian
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Endpapers by Jennifer Savran Kelly | |
A genderqueer book conservator struggles with commitment issues and feelings of identity in 20-years-ago New York City. A compelling mystery of a WWII-era queer love story - the artifacts of which are hidden in said endpapers - drives Dawn and this otherwise character-driven novel forward.
Recommended by Alyssa, Reference Librarian
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Fans of the Great British Bake Off will love this contemporary romance, where protagonist Dahlia attempts to get a new start on her life on the baking competition show Chef's Special. But what's really cooking is the interest she has in her competitor London, who is also the first nonbinary contestant the show has ever had.
Recommended by Laura, Generalist Librarian
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After 18 year old Ben comes out as nonbinary and is rejected by their parents, they move in with their estranged older sister, Hannah. Ben also finds themself wanting to come out to a new romantic interest, Nathan, in this heartfelt and complex imagining of what it means to be family and experience love with acceptance.
Recommended by Karen, Deputy Director
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Although Aidan is excited to welcome his new sibling, his own experiences with gender make him anxious about how to be a supportive brother.
Recommended by Annie, Children's Librarian
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From the SPL's zine and small press collection, this zine is perfect for family members looking for an introduction to gender identity. The author's personal anecdotal experience and research combine for a great guide on what you can do to foster a welcoming environment for your non-binary relative.
Recommended by Tim, Technology Librarian
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