PLASTIC PEOPLE The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics

The Chelmsford Public Library is hosting a free public screening of the film, Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics. We hope that you will join us for this informational screening.FILM SYNOPSIS: The ground-breaking feature documentary Plastic People invest......More

The Chelmsford Public Library is hosting a free public screening of the film, Plastic People: The Hidden Crisis of Microplastics. We hope that you will join us for this informational screening.FILM SYNOPSIS: The ground-breaking feature documentary Plastic People investigates our addiction to plastic and the growing threat of microplastics on human health. Almost every bit of plastic ever made breaks down into “microplastics.” These microscopic particles drift in the air, float in all bodies of water, and mix into the soil, becoming a permanent part of the environment. Now, leading scientists are finding these particles in our bodies: organs, blood, brain tissue, and even the placentas of new mothers. What is the impact of these invisible invaders on our health? And can anything be done about it? Acclaimed author and science journalist Ziya Tong takes a personal approach by visiting leading scientists around the world and undergoing experiments in her home, on her food, and her body while collaborating with award-winning director Ben Addelman in an urgent call to action for all of us to rethink our relationship with plastic

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)

Big Kid Storytime (Ages 3-5)

Drop in for books, songs, and fun for children ages 3-5! We will read three or four books, with songs and activities between each. If you prefer a storytime with fewer books and more movement, try the Toddler Storytime on Mondays at 10am.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Writer's Group

Stop by the library on the second and fourth Monday of each month 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 spac......More

Stop by the library on the second and fourth Monday of each month 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

Little Learners Playgroup; drop in for ages 0-5

Come and join us for Little Learners Play Group! Every week we will explore a new topic. We'll read a story, and then enjoy a related hands-on activity. Everyone from age 0-8 is welcome to attend with their caregiver. We can't wait to see you there!This week's program ......More

Come and join us for Little Learners Play Group! Every week we will explore a new topic. We'll read a story, and then enjoy a related hands-on activity. Everyone from age 0-8 is welcome to attend with their caregiver. We can't wait to see you there!This week's program theme will be Recycling!Presented by Chris Cole, CFCE Coordinator for Community Teamwork Incorporated. The Family Resource Network is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant (CFCE) from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Homeschool Hangout

Drop in at the Main Library to play some board games, hang out, and meet other homeschooling families! Also, get to know our Youth Services librarians and let us know if you need any help with library programs or resources! Homeschool Hangout meets on the 1st and 3rd ......More

Drop in at the Main Library to play some board games, hang out, and meet other homeschooling families! Also, get to know our Youth Services librarians and let us know if you need any help with library programs or resources! Homeschool Hangout meets on the 1st and 3rd Tuesdays of the month. Open to all ages.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

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!

Conference Room

VIRTUAL: America's Failed Response to the Opioid Crisis with Author Shoshana Walter With Special Guest Host Barbara Kingsolver

Join us for a special conversation between award-winning journalist Shoshana Walter and bestselling and award-winning author Barbara Kingsolver as they chat about Walter’s book Rehab: An American Scandal. In this work, Walter, a Pulitzer finalist, exposes the country’s ......More

Join us for a special conversation between award-winning journalist Shoshana Walter and bestselling and award-winning author Barbara Kingsolver as they chat about Walter’s book Rehab: An American Scandal. In this work, Walter, a Pulitzer finalist, exposes the country’s failed response to the opioid crisis, and the malfeasance, corruption, and snake oil which blight the drug rehabilitation industry.Today, more people have access to treatment than ever before. So why isn’t it working? The answer is that in America—where anyone can get addicted—only certain people get a real chance to recover. Despite record numbers of overdose deaths, our default response is still to punish, while rehabs across the United States fail to incorporate scientifically proven strategies and exploit patients. In this book, you’ll find the stories of four people who represent the failures of the rehab-industrial complex, and the ways our treatment system often prevents recovery. April is a black mom in Philadelphia, who witnessed firsthand how the government’s punitive response to the crack epidemic impeded her mother’s recovery—and then her own. Chris, a young middle-class white man from Louisiana, received more opportunities in his addiction than April, including the chance to go to treatment instead of prison. Yet the only program the judge permitted was one that forced him to perform unpaid back-breaking labor at for-profit companies. Wendy is a mother from a wealthy suburb of Los Angeles, whose son died in a sober living home. She began investigating for-profit treatment programs—yet law enforcement and regulators routinely ignored her warnings, allowing rehab patients to die, again and again. Larry is a surgeon who himself struggled with addiction, and would eventually become one of the first Suboxone prescribers in the nation, drawing the scrutiny of the Drug Enforcement Administration. Be sure to register now to participate in this urgent conversation and learn insight on how we might fix the system to save lives.About the Author: Shoshana Walter is a reporter for the Marshall Project covering the criminal justice system. Her reporting has been honored as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and Selden Ring, and she has won the Knight Award for Public Service, the Edward R. Murrow Award, and the Livingston Award for Young Journalists. She started her work on the treatment system at The Center for Investigative Reporting, where her work appeared in The New York Times Magazine, in newspapers, and on NPR stations across the country. She is based in Oakland, California.About the Guest Host: Barbara Ellen Kingsolver is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, essayist, and poet. Her widely known works include The Poisonwood Bible, the tale of a missionary family in the Congo, and Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, a nonfiction account of her family's attempts to eat locally. In 2023, she was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for the novel Demon Copperhead. Her work often focuses on topics such as social justice, biodiversity, and the interaction between humans and their communities and environments. The views expressed by presenters are their own and their appearance in a program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by Chelmsford Public Library.

Online - Partner Organization

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].

Online - Zoom (Chelmsfordlibraryzoom)

PJ Storytime!

Wear your jammies and bring a stuffie for storytime with Ms. Julia in the Library! We will meet in the window seat area of the Children's Room.

Main Library - Children's Room

Sensory Storytime - Registration Required

Join Ms. Marty in the McCarthy Meeting Room for a Sensory Storytime, designed for neurodivergent children and caregivers. We will read, sing, and do some sensory play activities together. In order to keep the group small, registration is required. Children are welcome t......More

Join Ms. Marty in the McCarthy Meeting Room for a Sensory Storytime, designed for neurodivergent children and caregivers. We will read, sing, and do some sensory play activities together. In order to keep the group small, registration is required. Children are welcome to bring or wear headphones, fidget toys, chews, and other comfort objects with them to storytime.If you have any questions about the storytime and whether it will be a good fit for your family, please email Marty at [email protected]

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Singalong (All Ages)

Join Marty for a morning of movement and song for the whole family! Enjoy favorite tunes and discover new songs you will love in English and a variety of world languages.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

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

31 Historical Fiction Titles with Janis Daly

Join award-winning historical fiction author, Janis Robinson Daly, as she shares a curated list of thirty-one titles of historical fiction to celebrate Women’s History Month. Each book spotlights women in history whose achievements languished in the shadows until author......More

Join award-winning historical fiction author, Janis Robinson Daly, as she shares a curated list of thirty-one titles of historical fiction to celebrate Women’s History Month. Each book spotlights women in history whose achievements languished in the shadows until authors discovered their stories and wrote them, imagining the women’s emotional responses as they strode forward with dreams in their minds and hopes in their hearts. Come share which novels you’ve read on the list of thirty-one and discover others to add to your To Be Read list. Includes a Bingo-styled game with prizes, book signing, and more. Get ready to add more interesting books to your To Be Read list. Learn more at www.janisrdaly.com.Bio: Inspired by the discovery that an ancestor founded the Woman’s Medical College of PA in 1850, Daly wrote her first best-selling novel, The Unlocked Path, which celebrates pioneering women doctors at the turn of the 20th Century. Its sequel, The Path Beneath Her Feet, honors the work of the American Women’s Hospitals in rural America during the 1930s. Her third book with Black Rose, Under Two Flags, is scheduled for a March 2026 release.Daly graduated with a B.A. in Psychology from Wheaton College, at the time, a women’s college. At Wheaton, she developed a fond appreciation of the supportive relationships established between students and a heightened awareness of female-centric issues. Daly is a partner and supporter of the National Women’s History Alliance, the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum project. Her annual literary citizenship program, #31titleswomeninhistory, has gained recognition from historical fiction authors and avid readers as an innovative way to celebrate Women's History Month in March. Splitting her time between Cape Cod, New Hampshire, New Jersey and snowbird destinations, a tablet becomes Janis Robinson Daly’s library and desk, packed for reading and writing, wherever she might land.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

PlaySpace (Ages 2-3)

Join our PlaySpace program for twos and threes to enjoy a story and then bring it to life with activities, crafts, and play! (Drop in, registration is not required.)

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Homework Cafe Grades 9-12

Come to the library after school on Thursdays from 3 to 5 to hang out and be productive! The homework cafe is a perfect place to work on group projects, study, collaborate, and have fun while doing schoolwork. Enjoy snacks and drinks to fuel your brain and lofi beats to......More

Come to the library after school on Thursdays from 3 to 5 to hang out and be productive! The homework cafe is a perfect place to work on group projects, study, collaborate, and have fun while doing schoolwork. Enjoy snacks and drinks to fuel your brain and lofi beats to study and relax to.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

History Book Group: Oathbreakers

This month's book is Oathbreakers: The war of brothers that shattered an empire and made Medieval Europe by David Perry and Matthew Gabriele (2024) 280 pages. The story of the Carolingian Civil War (840-843), a bloody, protracted battle pitting brother against brother, ......More

This month's book is Oathbreakers: The war of brothers that shattered an empire and made Medieval Europe by David Perry and Matthew Gabriele (2024) 280 pages. The story of the Carolingian Civil War (840-843), a bloody, protracted battle pitting brother against brother, father against son, that would end an empire, upend a continent, and lay down the modern borders of Europe If you are new to this group, please register, particularly if you plan to join virtually. Contact Jeff Hartman at [email protected] if you have any questions. Our meetings are held in the library conference room on the lower level and simultaneously via Zoom.

Conference Room

VIRTUAL: Art on Thursdays- March - Fierce Females: Women in Art, Part IV

Please CLICK HERE to register on zoom and receive the link.The revolutionary spirit of women artists continues to transform our understanding of what art can be and who gets to create it, from the neoclassical elegance of Angelica Kauffman's mythological scenes to Yayoi......More

Please CLICK HERE to register on zoom and receive the link.The revolutionary spirit of women artists continues to transform our understanding of what art can be and who gets to create it, from the neoclassical elegance of Angelica Kauffman's mythological scenes to Yayoi Kusama's mesmerizing infinity rooms that challenge our perception of space itself. This program celebrates the fearless creativity and determination of women who refused to be confined by expectations. Through exploring the diverse voices and groundbreaking techniques of these visionary women, we witness the ongoing revolution that refuses to let talent be silenced by tradition, helping to ensure that future generations inherit a more complete and inspiring vision of artistic greatness. Image: Angelica Kauffman. Self-Portrait Hesitating Between Painting and Music, (detail) 1794. Nostell Priory, West Yorkshire.

Online - Zoom (AAdams)

Baby Storytime (0 to walking)

Join Deborah and fellow parents for a wonderful introduction to early literacy. Caregivers share parenting experiences with one another and bond with their babies through lap bounces, nursery rhymes, songs, and board books. Registration is not required--drop in for some......More

Join Deborah and fellow parents for a wonderful introduction to early literacy. Caregivers share parenting experiences with one another and bond with their babies through lap bounces, nursery rhymes, songs, and board books. Registration is not required--drop in for some fun!

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

All Ages Storytime

Join Deborah for a fun morning of stories, songs, and rhymes! Registration is not required--drop in for some fun!

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Volunteer Fair at the Chelmsford Senior Center

This Volunteer Fair is an opportunity for non-profit organizations, community groups, and town departments to connect with potential volunteers and new members, network with each other, and to showcase their organizations. This event is sponsored by the Chelmsford Publi......More

This Volunteer Fair is an opportunity for non-profit organizations, community groups, and town departments to connect with potential volunteers and new members, network with each other, and to showcase their organizations. This event is sponsored by the Chelmsford Public Library and the Chelmsford Senior Center.To have your organization participate in the Volunteer Fair, please fill in the form on our website, here: https://www.chelmsfordlibrary.org/about/get-involved/volunteer/chelmsford-volunteer-fair-2026For more information, please contact Assistant Director Julie Iatron at [email protected] or 978-256-5521 x1115.

Offsite - Senior Center

Bibliobites Book Group

Come explore the ever-expanding, ever-changing world of food and cooking with us! Bibliobites is a book group with a culinary focus. We read cookbooks, culinary memoirs, and food-focused fiction. Sometimes we review food-related films. Sometimes, we have potluck lunch......More

Come explore the ever-expanding, ever-changing world of food and cooking with us! Bibliobites is a book group with a culinary focus. We read cookbooks, culinary memoirs, and food-focused fiction. Sometimes we review food-related films. Sometimes, we have potluck lunches. Most of the time, our meetings are lively discussions of our experiences with that month's title. No registration required; join us anytime

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)

Big Kid Storytime (Ages 3-5)

Drop in for books, songs, and fun for children ages 3-5! We will read three or four books, with songs and activities between each. If you prefer a storytime with fewer books and more movement, try the Toddler Storytime on Mondays at 10am.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Technology Works @ the Senior Center: Boston Public Library eCards

Stop by the Chelmsford Senior Center to learn how to sign up for a Boston Public Library eCard. As residents of Massachusetts, folks can sign up to receive a BPL eCard to access Boston Public Library's online databases and other resources. Learn how to sign up and what ......More

Stop by the Chelmsford Senior Center to learn how to sign up for a Boston Public Library eCard. As residents of Massachusetts, folks can sign up to receive a BPL eCard to access Boston Public Library's online databases and other resources. Learn how to sign up and what types of resources you'll be able to access!

Offsite - Senior Center

Little Learners Playgroup; drop in for ages 0-5

Come and join us for Little Learners Play Group! Every week we will explore a new topic. We'll read a story, and then enjoy a related hands-on activity. Everyone from age 0-8 is welcome to attend with their caregiver. We can't wait to see you there!This week's program ......More

Come and join us for Little Learners Play Group! Every week we will explore a new topic. We'll read a story, and then enjoy a related hands-on activity. Everyone from age 0-8 is welcome to attend with their caregiver. We can't wait to see you there!This week's program theme will be Recycling!Presented by Chris Cole, CFCE Coordinator for Community Teamwork Incorporated. The Family Resource Network is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement Grant (CFCE) from the Massachusetts Department of Early Education and Care.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

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!

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].

Online - Zoom (Chelmsfordlibraryzoom)

Chelmsford Civics Academy: The Library!

Chelmsford's first Civics Academy seeks to strengthen civic engagement by providing residents with a deeper understanding of town government and operations. The eight-week program wraps up on March 31 with a behind-the-scenes look at Chelmsford Public Library! This prog......More

Chelmsford's first Civics Academy seeks to strengthen civic engagement by providing residents with a deeper understanding of town government and operations. The eight-week program wraps up on March 31 with a behind-the-scenes look at Chelmsford Public Library! This program is full (applications were due in December 2025), but you can get more information about the Civics Academy, the full class schedule, and information about the application process here: https://www.chelmsfordma.gov/1233/Chelmsford-Civics-Academy.For questions about the Chelmsford Civics Academy please call the Town Manager's office at 978-250-5202 or email [email protected]

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

PJ Storytime!

Wear your jammies and bring a stuffie for storytime with Ms. Julia in the Library! We will meet in the window seat area of the Children's Room.

Main Library - Children's Room

VIRTUAL: 50 Job Seekers Networking Group -- Cover Letters

The Library 50 Job Seekers Networking Group meets via Zoom on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, from 9:30am to 11:30am. Informal networking takes place from 9am to 9:30am and 11:30am to noon. If you are unemployed and actively looking, underemployed, seeking a n......More

The Library 50 Job Seekers Networking Group meets via Zoom on the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, from 9:30am to 11:30am. Informal networking takes place from 9am to 9:30am and 11:30am to noon. If you are unemployed and actively looking, underemployed, seeking a new career direction, re-entering the job market after a long employment gap, or recently retired and looking for your "Encore Career," this networking group program is perfect for you! Remember, 85% of jobs are found through networking!Join us in a professional forum for networking with peers in a safe and comfortable environment conducive to developing new relationships and developing skills and strategies to help in your career transition. Each meeting features a new topic. Meetings include a presentation and interactive workshop on topics relevant to career transition, guest speakers, access to hiring managers, small group breakout rooms to network, and 1-on-1 coaching guidance. Participating on a regular basis will give job seekers the many tools and strategies needed for a successful job search.Each biweekly meeting is facilitated by Deborah Hope, MBA, PCIC, an experienced executive career coach. Deborah is a former Fortune 500 executive, investment banker and entrepreneur. She transitioned to executive coaching over 12 years ago. Deborah has coached with Harvard Business School Executive Education programs and the Massachusetts Conference for Women. She has been trained or certified in a variety of coaching models and assessment tools. Deborah has facilitated 50 job seekers networking groups since 2016. This week's topic (April 1) is Cover Letters. Register directly on Zoom HERE. This group is sponsored by approximately 30 Massachusetts public libraries.RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.ACCESSIBILITY NOTE: The Tewksbury Public Library does not discriminate on the basis of disability and is committed to providing a reasonable modification to participate in our events, services or documentation. Contact Director Diane Giarrusso at 978-640-4490 or [email protected] at least two weeks before an event to arrange for modification, or at any time you need accessible documents.

Online - Partner Organization

Sensory Storytime - Registration Required

Join Ms. Marty in the McCarthy Meeting Room for a Sensory Storytime, designed for neurodivergent children and caregivers. We will read, sing, and do some sensory play activities together. In order to keep the group small, registration is required. Children are welcome t......More

Join Ms. Marty in the McCarthy Meeting Room for a Sensory Storytime, designed for neurodivergent children and caregivers. We will read, sing, and do some sensory play activities together. In order to keep the group small, registration is required. Children are welcome to bring or wear headphones, fidget toys, chews, and other comfort objects with them to storytime.If you have any questions about the storytime and whether it will be a good fit for your family, please email Marty at [email protected]

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

Singalong (All Ages)

Join Marty for a morning of movement and song for the whole family! Enjoy favorite tunes and discover new songs you will love in English and a variety of world languages.

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)

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

Crafty Kids Club: Grades K-4

Join Miss Stephanie to make crafts at the Chelmsford Public Library in the McCarthy Meeting Room. This craft will take place every month of the following Wednesdays.February 4March 11April 1May 6Questions about this event? Email Stephanie at [email protected]......More

Join Miss Stephanie to make crafts at the Chelmsford Public Library in the McCarthy Meeting Room. This craft will take place every month of the following Wednesdays.February 4March 11April 1May 6Questions about this event? Email Stephanie at [email protected].

McCarthy Meeting Room (Entire Room)