Outdoor Storytime at MacKay! (Inside if bad weather.)

Join us at the MacKay Library in North Chelmsford for a fun morning of stories, songs, and rhymes! Registration is not required--drop in for some fun!*Storytime will be held outdoors, weather permitting. Please come prepared with sun protection and a blanket! If it is ......More

Join us at the MacKay Library in North Chelmsford for a fun morning of stories, songs, and rhymes! Registration is not required--drop in for some fun!*Storytime will be held outdoors, weather permitting. Please come prepared with sun protection and a blanket! If it is bad weather, we will move inside MacKay.

MacKay Branch - MacKay Side Yard

Drop-in Chess

Drop in at the Library! We will set up some chess boards and instructional books for participants of all ages to stop in and try their hand at chess!

Main Library - Fireplace Area

Flower Arranging Workshop

Floral Design WorkshopChelmsford Public Library– June 21st at 1pmJenna Elliott is the founder of The Naked Flower, Professional Organizers. She has been an organizer and re-designer for 21 years and works with a variety of clients. Prior to starting The Naked Flower (ww......More

Floral Design WorkshopChelmsford Public Library– June 21st at 1pmJenna Elliott is the founder of The Naked Flower, Professional Organizers. She has been an organizer and re-designer for 21 years and works with a variety of clients. Prior to starting The Naked Flower (www.thenakedflower.com) Jenna was a master floral designer and loves to incorporate this passion into her work. This demonstration workshop will give you a step-by-step approach to creating beautiful floral arrangements of your own. She will share tips on: 1. Sourcing flowers2. Design basics3. Color theory in design4. Tools for flower arranging5. Tips and tricks to making your arrangement go the distance

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Technology Works at the Chelmsford Senior Center: Online Security

The Chelmsford Public Library is hosting beginning technology workshops for all ages.This class will provide an introduction to online security. Learn to browse and do other regular tasks safely online. Laptops will be available for you to use, but feel free to bring yo......More

The Chelmsford Public Library is hosting beginning technology workshops for all ages.This class will provide an introduction to online security. Learn to browse and do other regular tasks safely online. Laptops will be available for you to use, but feel free to bring your own device.Need a class at a different time? Ask at the reference desk. We want to help make technology work for you.This class will take place at the Chelmsford Senior Center. If you have any questions, please contact Jianna Christpher at [email protected] or call 978-256-5521 ext.1107.

Offsite - Senior Center

Wooden Forks Workshop

Join Owl Eyes Wilderness Survival to learn how to carve wood into forks. Students will learn knife techniques, safety, and blade sharpening at the beginning of class. Class will also cover the overall "how-to" on carving. All tools and materials will be provided includi......More

Join Owl Eyes Wilderness Survival to learn how to carve wood into forks. Students will learn knife techniques, safety, and blade sharpening at the beginning of class. Class will also cover the overall "how-to" on carving. All tools and materials will be provided including knives, hook knives, sharpeners, and locally sourced carving wood. Students usually make a finished project by the end of class. Skills Covered:Knife SharpeningWood SelectionCarving TechniquesTools NeededStep-by-Step Process on ProjectWooden Spoon Care Tim's bio is extensive but please feel free to pull any information you'd like from our "About" page on the website for his bio https://www.owleyeswilderness.com/about

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Writer's Group

Stop by the library every other Monday for this participant led group. Aspiring and seasoned writers can use this time to work on their writing, discuss their work with other writers or bring copies of your work to get feedback. This is a space to use how you need as yo......More

Stop by the library every other Monday for this participant led group. Aspiring and seasoned writers can use this time to work on their writing, discuss their work with other writers or bring copies of your work to get feedback. This is a space to use how you need as you start out or continue your writing career and allows participants to network with other local writers.

Conference Room

Virtual - "Dead End Road" with True Crime Author E.C. Hanson

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email.** In June 1977, Renee Freer, nicknamed Giggles, went out to play with her friends. A few hours later, she was found bludgeoned t......More

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email.** In June 1977, Renee Freer, nicknamed Giggles, went out to play with her friends. A few hours later, she was found bludgeoned to death with a rock. In a true crime book unlike most, E.C. Hanson stumbles upon an unsolved murder case that haunted his former stepfather. Unable to get specifics from the old and new guard of detectives, Hanson forges ahead, mining what he can from previously released articles and people who lived in the neighborhood at the time. An unusual yet passionate text, DEAD END ROAD honors Renee Freer's memory and asks its how will you help? Join us for this conversation with E.C. as he discusses his book, research, and goal in pursuing this cold case. Register directly on Zoom HERE.RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.About E.C.:E. C. Hanson is an author of Western and horror fiction. His books include ALL THINGS DEADLY: SALEM STORIES, WICKED BLOOD, FAKE SOMEBODIES/REAL NOBODIES, THE CLAIRVOYANT, THE STEPNEY GREEN KILLER, MISCHIEF NIGHT (w/Mark Towse), MOTHMAN HAZE, LONE WOLF, DEATH COUNTY, WHISKEY TEARS, and SCARECROW SLAUGHTER.His works received positive reviews from Kirkus, Phantasmagoria, and Scream Magazine.Applause Books and Smith & Kraus published 8 of his ten-minute plays. Over 35 of his short plays have been developed and produced across the United States.He earned his MFA in Dramatic Writing from NYU in 2013 and received an “Outstanding Writing For The Screen” certificate. Please register for this event and you'll receive the link in the confirmation and reminder emails - make sure to check your spam folder for them, the email will be coming from Zoom.This program is brought to you in collaboration with the Chelmsford, Groton, and Tewksbury Libraries. We're also thrilled to be partnering with a multitude of additional MA & NH Libraries to bring this program to our communities.This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library.

Online - Partner Organization

Intermediate English Conversation Circle

Join our small informal group to practice speaking English. Come for 2 hours or drop in for a little while. We talk about anything and everything. There is no homework, and our conversations range from world issues to personal stories. Come listen, and talk if you want......More

Join our small informal group to practice speaking English. Come for 2 hours or drop in for a little while. We talk about anything and everything. There is no homework, and our conversations range from world issues to personal stories. Come listen, and talk if you want to.Anyone interested in the English Conversation Circles should contact Jianna Christopher at [email protected] or 978-256-5521 x1107.

Conference Room

Zoom Book Club for Grades 3-5

Please join us for a Book Club for children in grades 3 - 5. Each week kids will be expected to read several chapters from a chosen book. Each book will be completed over the course of several weeks. Books will be available at the Circulation Desk at the Chelmsford P......More

Please join us for a Book Club for children in grades 3 - 5. Each week kids will be expected to read several chapters from a chosen book. Each book will be completed over the course of several weeks. Books will be available at the Circulation Desk at the Chelmsford Public Library. Each week participants will engage in discussions, games and fun activities related to the book that the group is reading. A good time is had by all! Registration is required. The Zoom link will be emailed in the early afternoon on Tuesday. For more information feel free to reach out to Deborah in the Children's Room at [email protected] week we will finish exploring the book Save Me a Seat by Sarah Weeks and Gita Varadarajan. Participants are encourage to have read the entire before today's meeting. We will be meeting in person at the library today for an end of the year celebration with waffles and M&Ms! Reach out to Deborah for more information - [email protected]

Online - Zoom (Chelmsfordlibraryzoom)

New Movie Tuesday: Last Breath

Come into the library and watch a free screening of a recent DVD release! Seasoned deep-sea divers battle the raging elements to rescue their crewmate trapped hundreds of feet below the ocean's surface. (Starring Woody Harrelson, Simu Liu, Finn Cole) PG-13, 93 minutes.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

VIRTUAL: Racism and Civil Rights with David Kalivas

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email.**We have reached a critical time as Supreme Court cases and some state laws have eroded civil and voting rights protections along......More

**PLEASE NOTE THIS IS A VIRTUAL PROGRAM THAT WILL TAKE PLACE VIA ZOOM. Registrants will receive a link to access the Zoom Webinar via email.**We have reached a critical time as Supreme Court cases and some state laws have eroded civil and voting rights protections along with a resurgence of white supremacist activities across the country. This has contributed to increased discontent and polarization with no clear resolution and these challenges weaken the bonds of our communities. Unfortunately, racism and the struggle for civil rights and equity is not new to the American experience and to help us understand the historical context on where we find ourselves as a society, Dr. David Kalivas will offer an analysis of the history of racism and civil rights in the United States. David M. Kalivas, Ph.D., currently serves as Senior Adjunct Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. Prior to retirement, he was a full-time professor of history at Middlesex Community College for nearly 40 years and for the last thirteen years of his career at the college he served as founding director of the Commonwealth Honors Program. His teaching and research interests cover a broad range of topics in world history with specialties in the history of racism, religion, and cross-cultural interactions. David has a Ph.D. from Northeastern University, a Master's from the University of Connecticut, and Bachelor's Degree from Suffolk University.RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.Made possible by the Groton Public Library Endowment Trust. Sign up directly via Zoom here!

Online - Partner Organization

Beginner English

ESL learners can stop by for basic lessons in English with an instructor. The instructor has taught for many years in both local schools and abroad. Please bring a notebook and your questions about English and its challenges. Materials will also be provided for partici......More

ESL learners can stop by for basic lessons in English with an instructor. The instructor has taught for many years in both local schools and abroad. Please bring a notebook and your questions about English and its challenges. Materials will also be provided for participants. This is a weekly meeting, every Wednesday afternoon. Students are not obligated to come for meetings each week and are welcome to drop in on the weeks they are able. If you have any questions, please reach out to Jianna Christopher at [email protected] or 978-256-5521 ext. 1107

Conference Room

Teen Children's Programs Volunteer Training - Grades 9-12

Do you like interacting with Children? Do you love books? Are you looking for community service hours? Then you might want to consider volunteering to help with Children's Programming! Register here to complete our in-person training to be a Children's Programming Volu......More

Do you like interacting with Children? Do you love books? Are you looking for community service hours? Then you might want to consider volunteering to help with Children's Programming! Register here to complete our in-person training to be a Children's Programming Volunteer. Our volunteers serve an essential purpose - helping keep our programs running smoothly! In this training, library staff will lead teens in some fun team-building activities, present them with information on the expectations of the program, and walk teens through the library to show them where they can find all the materials needed to run our various programming and answer any questions that may come up. After attending this training, volunteers will be equipped to earn community service hours by assisting with in-person children's programs.Volunteers will need to complete an application and have it signed by a parent or guardian before registering for this training and earning service hours.If you are already an active volunteer you do not need to submit a new application!

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

VIRTUAL Knitting Circle

VIRTUAL: AUTHOR HOUR IN MASSACHUSETTS: Bestselling Author Martha Hall Kelly

Bestselling author Martha Hall Kelly will discuss her new historical fiction novel, The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club, in this installment of "Author Hour in Massachusetts."About Martha: Martha Hall Kelly is the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls, ......More

Bestselling author Martha Hall Kelly will discuss her new historical fiction novel, The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club, in this installment of "Author Hour in Massachusetts."About Martha: Martha Hall Kelly is the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls, Lost Roses, Sunflower Sisters, and The Golden Doves. Born and raised in Massachusetts, she was inspired to write this novel by her mother’s family, the Smiths, who settled on Martha’s Vineyard in 1891. She received journalism degrees from both Syracuse and Northwestern universities and worked as an advertising copywriter for many years before becoming a novelist. With more than two million copies of her books sold and translated in fifty countries, Martha lives in Litchfield, Connecticut, and Hobe Sound, Florida.About The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club: Two sisters living on Martha’s Vineyard during World War II find hope in the power of storytelling when they start a wartime book club for women in this spectacular novel inspired by true events, from the New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls.2016: Thirty-four-year-old Mari Starwood is still grieving after her mother’s death as she travels to the storied island of Martha’s Vineyard, off the coast of Massachusetts. She’s come all the way from California with nothing but a name on a piece of paper: Elizabeth Devereaux, the famous but reclusive Vineyard painter. When Mari makes it to Mrs. Devereaux’s stunning waterfront farm under the guise of taking a painting class with her, Mrs. Devereaux begins to tell her the story of the Smith sisters, who once lived there. As the tale unfolds, Mari is shocked to learn that her relationship to this island runs deeper than she ever thought possible.1942: The Smith girls—nineteen-year-old aspiring writer Cadence and sixteen-year-old war-obsessed Briar—are faced with the impossible task of holding their failing family farm together during World War II as the U.S. Army arrives on Martha’s Vineyard. When Briar spots German U-boats lurking off the island’s shores, and Cadence falls into an unlikely romance with a sworn enemy, their quiet lives are officially upended. In an attempt at normalcy, Cadence and her best friend, Bess, start a book club, which grows both in members and influence as they connect with a fabulous New York publisher who could make all of Cadence’s dreams come true. But all that is put at risk by a mysterious man who washes ashore—and whispers of a spy in their midst. Who in their tight-knit island community can they trust? Could this little book club change the course of the war . . . before it’s too late?About Author Hour in Massachusetts: "Author Hour in Massachusetts" is a series of virtual author talks this spring featuring some of the publishing industry's top trending writers. These webinars -- held from 7pm (ET) to 8pm (ET), Monday through Thursday -- are free and open to all. This series, which runs through June 20, 2025, is being promoted by more than 50 public libraries in Massachusetts. Register for the Martha Hall Kelly event on ZOOM by clicking HERE.Bookstore Partnership: If interested, you may purchase a copy of The Martha's Vineyard Beach and Book Club from Wellesley Books, our official bookstore partner, HERE.

Online - Partner Organization

Teen DnD (Grades 7-12)

Join us for a Dungeons and Dragons summer campaign! Please email Youth Librarian Julia Sullivan at [email protected] for more information.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Science Fiction Book Group

Our new Science Fiction Book Group will meet on the third Thursday of each month IN PERSON, with Lesley, in the Fireplace area. This month's discussion will be The Fifth Season, N. K. Jemison"Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, masquerading as an ordin......More

Our new Science Fiction Book Group will meet on the third Thursday of each month IN PERSON, with Lesley, in the Fireplace area. This month's discussion will be The Fifth Season, N. K. Jemison"Three terrible things happen in a single day. Essun, masquerading as an ordinary schoolteacher in a quiet small town, comes home to find that her husband has brutally murdered their son and kidnapped their daughter. Mighty Sanze, the empire whose innovations have been civilization's bedrock for a thousand years, collapses as its greatest city is destroyed by a madman's vengeance. And worst of all, across the heartland of the world's sole continent, a great red rift has been been torn which spews ash enough to darken the sky for years. Or centuries. But this is the Stillness, a land long familiar with struggle, and where orogenes -- those who wield the power of the earth as a weapon -- are feared far more than the long cold night. Essun has remembered herself, and she will have her daughter back. She does not care if the world falls apart around her. Essun will break it herself, if she must, to save her daughter."The books will be available at the Borrower Services desk.

Main Library - Fireplace Area

VIRTUAL: Art on Thursdays- June - From Graffiti to Museum Galleries: The Art & Advocacy of Keith Haring

Please CLICK HERE to register on zoom and receive the link. TThis is a great Pride Month program!Keith Haring's vibrant and iconic art captured the spirit of 1980s New York City, blending pop art, graffiti, and social activism. What made his bold, energetic figures and ......More

Please CLICK HERE to register on zoom and receive the link. TThis is a great Pride Month program!Keith Haring's vibrant and iconic art captured the spirit of 1980s New York City, blending pop art, graffiti, and social activism. What made his bold, energetic figures and symbols so universally appealing? Haring's work, characterized by its simplicity and accessibility, addressed pressing issues including AIDS awareness. From subway stations to museums, Haring's art continues to inspire and provoke thought decades after his untimely death. Image: Keith Haring. Untitled, 1982.Th.Speaker Bio: Jane Oneail is a sought-after speaker, educator, and independent art historian. Jane curates and delivers engaging art appreciation programs through her company Culturally Curious, founded in 2017. She holds a master’s in Art History from Boston University and a master’s in Education from Harvard University. Born and raised in New Hampshire, she has worked at some of the state's most esteemed cultural institutions, including the League of New Hampshire Craftsmen, where she served as Executive Director, and the Currier Museum of Art, where she held the role of Senior Educator. Jane has also taught at the college level for more than a decade, most recently at Southern New Hampshire University. For more information visit iamculturallycurious.comProgram provided by the Chelmsford Public Library and sponsored by the Friends of the Library. This program is brought to you in collaboration with the Ashland, Groton, and Tewksbury Libraries.

Online - Zoom (AAdams)

NEW DATE! History Book Group: Say Nothing

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DATE! We are experimenting with shifting this months meeting so that members can attend the One Book Chelmsford author talk in April.This month's book is Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe (2019......More

PLEASE NOTE THE NEW DATE! We are experimenting with shifting this months meeting so that members can attend the One Book Chelmsford author talk in April.This month's book is Say Nothing: A True Story of Murder and Memory in Northern Ireland by Patrick Radden Keefe (2019), 432 pages.If you are new to this group, please contact Jeff Hartman at [email protected] to register.

Conference Room

Outdoor Storytime at MacKay! (Inside if bad weather.)

Join us at the MacKay Library in North Chelmsford for a fun morning of stories, songs, and rhymes! Registration is not required--drop in for some fun!*Storytime will be held outdoors, weather permitting. Please come prepared with sun protection and a blanket! If it is ......More

Join us at the MacKay Library in North Chelmsford for a fun morning of stories, songs, and rhymes! Registration is not required--drop in for some fun!*Storytime will be held outdoors, weather permitting. Please come prepared with sun protection and a blanket! If it is bad weather, we will move inside MacKay.

MacKay Branch - MacKay Side Yard

Bibliobites Book Group

Bibliobites is a book group with a culinary focus. We read a combination of cookbooks, culinary memoirs, and food-centric fiction. We often pick a theme for a meeting and encourage members to try recipes related to the theme. We do not discourage members from bringing i......More

Bibliobites is a book group with a culinary focus. We read a combination of cookbooks, culinary memoirs, and food-centric fiction. We often pick a theme for a meeting and encourage members to try recipes related to the theme. We do not discourage members from bringing in those recipes for taste-testing! This month: we'll be returning to ish territory once more with Greekish by Georgina Hayden. This book showcases classic Greek flavors that play happily with a variety of Mediterranean ingredients for a tasty melange of the familiar and surprising. From soup to nuts, breakfast to dinner, you'll find accessible and tasty dishes perfect for any day. This will be our last meeting until September, so we'll close out our Bibliobites "year" with a potluck lunch of recipes from this book. Info on choosing a dish to bring will be provided here about 2 weeks before the event. Questions? Please contact group leader Andrea Grant, [email protected].

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Dress to Impress Summer Kickoff! Grades 5-8

The popular Roblox Dress-Up game is taking over the library! Come and put together your best outfits based on fun themes. Accessories will be provided.Grades 5-8

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Was the Book Better? - Jurassic Park (1993)

Our new movie series asks the all important question - did you like the book better? Featuring some of the best book-to-film adaptations out there! An industrialist invites some experts to visit his theme park of cloned dinosaurs. After a power failure, the creatures ru......More

Our new movie series asks the all important question - did you like the book better? Featuring some of the best book-to-film adaptations out there! An industrialist invites some experts to visit his theme park of cloned dinosaurs. After a power failure, the creatures run loose, putting everyone's lives, including his grandchildren's, in danger. Based on Michael Crichton's blockbuster novel and featuring the latest 90s special effects - just in time for the new release of Jurassic World: Rebirth in July! (Directed by Stephen Spielberg and starring Sam Neill, Laura Dern, and Jeff Goldblum) PG-13, 127 minutes.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Toddler Storytime (Ages 1-2)

Join us for shorter books, lots of rhymes, and songs with movement perfect for wiggly toddlers and their caregivers.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Preschool Storytime (Ages 3-6)

Drop in for books, songs, and fun for children ages 3-6. Children younger than 3 who enjoy shorter books are encouraged to attend the Toddler Storytime on Mondays at 10am.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)