VIRTUAL ONLY - The Writing Room

On Wednesdays, the Writing Room meets virtually. In-person meetings have resumed for Saturday sessions.On these mornings we will meet via videoconference at our regular time: 9:30-12:30, using the exact same structure as we would if we were gathered around the table in ......More

On Wednesdays, the Writing Room meets virtually. In-person meetings have resumed for Saturday sessions.On these mornings we will meet via videoconference at our regular time: 9:30-12:30, using the exact same structure as we would if we were gathered around the table in the Watson Room at Forbes. The only difference will be that we will be connecting by videoconference, rather than face-to-face.Here's all you need to join the Writing Room via Videoconference:Join us in the Virtual Writing Room on Zoom. I will come online 15 minutes before our starting time (at 9:15) to answer any questions you might have. You will have the option to have your camera off or on, so you can join however you feel most comfortable.The sessions will NOT be recorded, and you have the option to be visible or not, so your privacy will be preserved just as it would if we were meeting at the library.How the Writing Room Works: each session opens at 9:30 sharp with brief hellos, followed by the pleasure of getting work done in the company of others. At 11:45 we check in about how the work went and make announcements. At (roughly) 12, anyone who wishes to read for the group does briefly, without critique or spoken response. We're done by 12:30.Writers are welcome to come for all or part of the session. No need to register in advance.

Drop-in Tech Help

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your......More

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Reference Room

MassHire Career Center Registration & Job Search Assistance

Please see Annemarie from the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center for Career Center registration, job search assistance, UI and other available services. Meet on the Mezzanine between 10am and 1pm.Questions about other job seeker services? Please call the MassHire......More

Please see Annemarie from the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center for Career Center registration, job search assistance, UI and other available services. Meet on the Mezzanine between 10am and 1pm.Questions about other job seeker services? Please call the MassHire Greenfield office at 413-774-4361.

Mezzanine

Family History Help

Are you curious about how to get started on a family tree or use census records to explore the history of your neighborhood or house? Book a one-on-one appointment with genealogist Brian Tabor and learn how to research using genealogy resources such as Ancestry, Heritag......More

Are you curious about how to get started on a family tree or use census records to explore the history of your neighborhood or house? Book a one-on-one appointment with genealogist Brian Tabor and learn how to research using genealogy resources such as Ancestry, Heritage Quest and American Ancestors databases. Family History Help is held on the second week of the month:Tuesdays, 6-7pmWednesdays, 10:30am-12pmEmail [email protected] to book an appointment with Brian. The Hampshire Room for Local History is also open on Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays 10-2 for appointments and drop in research.

Bak Study Room

MassHire Job Readiness Workshop: Tips for Mature Workers

We understand that mature jobseekers have unique needs and concerns. In this workshop, we will discuss how the job market has shifted post-pandemic, networking and finding age-friendly employers, and how to get around age bias. We will also provide tips on navigating on......More

We understand that mature jobseekers have unique needs and concerns. In this workshop, we will discuss how the job market has shifted post-pandemic, networking and finding age-friendly employers, and how to get around age bias. We will also provide tips on navigating online job applications and getting around Applicant Tracking Systems (never heard of ATS? We’ll go over those, too!)Register by calling the Greenfield office at 800-457-2603 or 413-774-4361, or sign in to JobQuest, by Wednesday morning. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Community Room

MassHire 50 Jobseekers Club

An opportunity for mature jobseekers to meet, share experiences, and expand their professional network.

Community Room

Drop-in Chess

Drop in for part or all of these casual chess meets, every Wednesday from 1-3pm on the mezzanine. All experience levels welcome. Please bring your own set if you have one.

Mezzanine

MassHire Resume/Cover Letter Consults

Get guidance and feedback from MassHire staff on your resume and cover letter.

Community Room

Nature and Environment Book Club: We Loved It All

Please contact facilitator Hilary Caws-Elwitt for updated meeting info.The Nature and Environment Book Club is devoted to the best of nature writing and environmental reporting with discussions on the second Wednesday of each month. Readers and writers interested in boo......More

Please contact facilitator Hilary Caws-Elwitt for updated meeting info.The Nature and Environment Book Club is devoted to the best of nature writing and environmental reporting with discussions on the second Wednesday of each month. Readers and writers interested in books ranging from such classics as Annie Dillard’s Pilgrim at Tinker Creek to topical reportage like Elizabeth Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction will want to join the conversation.This month's book is We Loved It All by Lydia Millet. A personal evocation of the glory of nature, our vexed position in the animal kingdom, and the difficulty of adoring what we destroy. Acclaimed novelist Lydia Millet's first work of nonfiction, We Loved It All, is a genre-defying tour de force that makes an impassioned argument for people to see their emotional and spiritual lives as infinitely dependent on the lives of nonhuman beings. Drawing on a quarter-century of experience as an advocate for endangered species at the Center for Biological Diversity, Millet offers intimate portraits of what she calls "the others"--the extraordinary animals with whom we still share the world, along with those already lost. Humans, too, fill this book, as Millet touches on the lives of her world-traveling parents, fascinating partners and friends, and colorful relatives, from diplomats to nut farmers--all figures in the complex tapestry each of us weaves with the surrounding world. Written in the tradition of Annie Dillard or Robert Macfarlane, We Loved It All is an incantatory work that will appeal to anyone concerned about the future of life on earth--including our own.

Watson Room

Zine Club

Wednesday July 9th, 6:30-8:00pm, join us in the Arts and Music Department on the 2nd floor. New members are welcome!Zine Club!

Arts and Music Department

VIRTUAL Herstory book group: TBD

This month's discussion will cover Virginia Hall and reading A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell . This title is available in print, large print, eAudio and eBook formats. The Coolidge Museum at ......More

This month's discussion will cover Virginia Hall and reading A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell . This title is available in print, large print, eAudio and eBook formats. The Coolidge Museum at Forbes Library has started a new book group in 2024 to focus of reading women's history and social history. As her husband John met in Philadelphia to discuss forming a new nation, Abigail Adams wrote to implore him, 'I desire you would remember the ladies and be more generous and favorable to them than your ancestors.' Alas, it would be another 150 years before they even got the right to vote. But women were neither silent nor passive then or now.To elevate the voices of women in American history, a new book club is being offered by the The Calvin Coolidge Presidential Library and Museum. The inspiration for the club, Herstory: Women in American History, came from some members of the museum's Presidential Book Club, who expressed a desire to read more about the context of historical figures, and to hear from and about the women involved in the building of our nation. Selections in the book club will include biographies of women interspersed with texts on significant periods in American history. This way, book club members can place the women they read about in context and gain a fuller understanding of their challenges and achievements.This group meets on Zoom on the 2nd Wednesday of the month at 7:00 PM This group is moderated by Coolidge Museum Committee members Leslie Skantz-Hodgson (Smith Vocational School Librarian) and Rob Weir (retired professor of history). To join the email list or for more information, email [email protected]

Drop-in Tech Help

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your......More

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Reference Room

Preschool Storytime!

Join us for books, songs, and puppets and participate in an open-ended art activity designed to encourage creativity! Great for ages 3-5.

Community Room

Drop-in Tech Help

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your......More

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Reference Room

Magic the Gathering Club for Tweens & Teens

Join us for a casual meetup for tweens & teens interested in the tabletop card game Magic: The GatheringCurious about learning how to play? Know how it works but looking for other players? Hoping to trade cards, or get help building a deck?All are welcome! Bring your ow......More

Join us for a casual meetup for tweens & teens interested in the tabletop card game Magic: The GatheringCurious about learning how to play? Know how it works but looking for other players? Hoping to trade cards, or get help building a deck?All are welcome! Bring your own cards to use if you have them, or if you don't have any - that's ok - Forbes will provide pre-made decks to use at the library. And we also have free cards to take and use for deck building!This program is for ages 10 and meets biweekly, Thursdays from 3:45-5:00 pm in the Community Room (tables are generally set up by 3:30 for folks eager to get games going!) Any questions, please email [email protected]

Community Room

Northampton Literary Society Writing Meet-Up

Join us down in the Forbes Library Community Room on Thursday nights for some lite socializing, low-stakes sharing, and informal critique - as well as some time writing, of course! We warmly welcome writers of all genres and levels of experience.We will start every meet......More

Join us down in the Forbes Library Community Room on Thursday nights for some lite socializing, low-stakes sharing, and informal critique - as well as some time writing, of course! We warmly welcome writers of all genres and levels of experience.We will start every meeting with a friendly check in, followed by a 15-20 minute writing prompt. After an optional share out, you are welcome to hang out and work on whatever you’ve got - flesh out the prompt, work on your novel, maybe get crafty with some visual poetry or collage.This is an inclusive, expansive creative space. If you have a cool idea, bring it and share - we welcome collaborators with open arms! We also understand that one's capacity and enthusiasm for participation fluctuates - come when you can, and stay as long as you like. Absolutely no sweat if you can't make it - we look forward to seeing you next time you're here. We are also working toward online accessibility - contact [email protected] for info on accessing our prompts online! Let’s get together, get some good work done, and enjoy each other's company!Optional pre-registration is through Eventbrite, where you’ll find info on our open mics and other events as well. Updates are also on Instagram @noholitsociety About us:Northampton Literary Society is a vibrant and supportive community of readers, writers, and artists of all kinds. We are always seeking and offering opportunities for creative expansion and collaboration. Let's make meaningful connections and grow our writing community!Sign up for our mailing list to get our monthly newsletter featuring local literary news, events, and featured writing from our members each month!

Community Room

Western Mass CPUSA General Meeting

General meeting of the Western Mass club of the CPUSA

Watson Room

Toddler Storytime

Join us for Toddler Storytime every Friday morning! We will sing songs, read stories, and have fun. This event is best suited for 1.5-3-year-olds and their caregivers.

Community Room

Kids' Gaming Club

Every Friday, kids ages 7-12 can join us in the Community Room to hang out with other young gamers and play the library's Nintendo Switch! We generally play Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart 8, Super Mario: Wonder, and Mario Party.

Community Room

Crocheting and Knitting Group

Mezzanine

Ukulele Strum Group

Ukulele Strum Group is a community ukulele club, part of the larger Pioneer Valley Ukulele Community (Meetup). We meet weekly at Forbes Library in Northampton to sing and play together just for the fun and joy of it, but also to improve our skills. We are ukulele enthus......More

Ukulele Strum Group is a community ukulele club, part of the larger Pioneer Valley Ukulele Community (Meetup). We meet weekly at Forbes Library in Northampton to sing and play together just for the fun and joy of it, but also to improve our skills. We are ukulele enthusiasts of all levels of playing experience, including beginners. And we always welcome new members to play, sing, or just watch and listen.Find out more about our group on our Meet-Up page.

Coolidge Museum

Drop-in Tech Help

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your......More

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Reference Room

LEGO Club!

We've got bricks, baseplates and minifigs--now all we need is you! Join us for LEGO Club Mondays at 3:30 in the Forbes Library Community Room. Pick a design challenge out of the bowl or simply build a creation of your own choosing. This program is great for ages 4 .

Community Room

Dungeons and Dragons for Kids: Late Spring Session

Registration will open at 6pm on April 21st. Calling all young adventurers! Our Dungeons & Dragons Club continues! Participants will sign up for four sessions at once, and will meet on the following Mondays from 3:45 - 5:15pm: May 19, June 2, June 16, and June 30. Parti......More

Registration will open at 6pm on April 21st. Calling all young adventurers! Our Dungeons & Dragons Club continues! Participants will sign up for four sessions at once, and will meet on the following Mondays from 3:45 - 5:15pm: May 19, June 2, June 16, and June 30. Participants must commit to all four sessions.D&D is a great way for kids to practice collaboration, strategy, and storytelling, and we welcome participants of all experience levels. This program is for kids ages 9 , and is limited to six participants per session. Registration is necessary.

Watson Room

Second Monday Book Discussion: Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone

We'll be reading Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone by James Baldwin. Request a copy of this book by placing a hold. About the book: At the height of his theatrical career, the actor Leo Proudhammer is nearly felled by a heart attack. As he hovers between life and d......More

We'll be reading Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone by James Baldwin. Request a copy of this book by placing a hold. About the book: At the height of his theatrical career, the actor Leo Proudhammer is nearly felled by a heart attack. As he hovers between life and death, Baldwin shows the choices that have made him enviably famous and terrifyingly vulnerable.For between Leo's childhood on the streets of Harlem and his arrival into the intoxicating world of the theater lies a wilderness of desire and loss, shame and rage. An adored older brother vanishes into prison. There are love affairs with a white woman and a younger black man, each of whom will make irresistible claims on Leo's loyalty. Tell Me How Long the Train's Been Gone is overpowering in its vitality and extravagant in the intensity of its feeling. Literary minded discussion. Open to new members. Join us in person or join via Zoom!

Watson Room

Baby Storytime

Join us for stories, songs, and puppets! We'll do a 20-minute storytime together, then we'll put out toys for free play and social time until 11:00. For babies under 18 months and their caregivers.

Community Room

Drop-in Tech Help

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your......More

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Reference Room

Drop-in Tech Help

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your......More

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Reference Room

VIRTUAL: Poetry Discussion:

Join us this Tuesday for a poetry discussion. Zoom meeting linkMeeting ID: 896 9249 9767Passcode: 254365This weekly poetry discussion group is open to everyone including regulars and drop-ins. All voices are honored: first-time poetry readers and life-long devotees. Eac......More

Join us this Tuesday for a poetry discussion. Zoom meeting linkMeeting ID: 896 9249 9767Passcode: 254365This weekly poetry discussion group is open to everyone including regulars and drop-ins. All voices are honored: first-time poetry readers and life-long devotees. Each week, the group convenes to discuss the work of a particular poet, usually contemporary, and sometimes one reading in the area. No prior reading or preparation required. Email hfaerstein AT aol.com to join the weekly mailing list.

VIRTUAL ONLY - The Writing Room

On Wednesdays, the Writing Room meets virtually. In-person meetings have resumed for Saturday sessions.On these mornings we will meet via videoconference at our regular time: 9:30-12:30, using the exact same structure as we would if we were gathered around the table in ......More

On Wednesdays, the Writing Room meets virtually. In-person meetings have resumed for Saturday sessions.On these mornings we will meet via videoconference at our regular time: 9:30-12:30, using the exact same structure as we would if we were gathered around the table in the Watson Room at Forbes. The only difference will be that we will be connecting by videoconference, rather than face-to-face.Here's all you need to join the Writing Room via Videoconference:Join us in the Virtual Writing Room on Zoom. I will come online 15 minutes before our starting time (at 9:15) to answer any questions you might have. You will have the option to have your camera off or on, so you can join however you feel most comfortable.The sessions will NOT be recorded, and you have the option to be visible or not, so your privacy will be preserved just as it would if we were meeting at the library.How the Writing Room Works: each session opens at 9:30 sharp with brief hellos, followed by the pleasure of getting work done in the company of others. At 11:45 we check in about how the work went and make announcements. At (roughly) 12, anyone who wishes to read for the group does briefly, without critique or spoken response. We're done by 12:30.Writers are welcome to come for all or part of the session. No need to register in advance.

Drop-in Tech Help

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your......More

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Reference Room

MassHire Career Center Registration & Job Search Assistance

Please see Annemarie from the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center for Career Center registration, job search assistance, UI and other available services. Meet on the Mezzanine between 10am and 1pm.Questions about other job seeker services? Please call the MassHire......More

Please see Annemarie from the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center for Career Center registration, job search assistance, UI and other available services. Meet on the Mezzanine between 10am and 1pm.Questions about other job seeker services? Please call the MassHire Greenfield office at 413-774-4361.

Mezzanine

MassHire Job Readiness Workshop: Resumes that Rock

Do you want your resume to get noticed and make it past Applicant Tracking Systems? (Never heard of ATS? We'll cover that, too!) Learn about three types of resumes and which one is the best choice for you. We'll also talk about strengthening your application with accomp......More

Do you want your resume to get noticed and make it past Applicant Tracking Systems? (Never heard of ATS? We'll cover that, too!) Learn about three types of resumes and which one is the best choice for you. We'll also talk about strengthening your application with accomplishment statements and how to make your resume look professional and up-to-date.Register by calling the Greenfield office at 800-457-2603 or 413-774-4361, or sign in to JobQuest, by Wednesday morning. Walk-ins are also welcome.

Community Room

MassHire Franklin Hampshire Jobseekers Club

An opportunity for jobseekers in Franklin and Hampshire county, as well as the North Quabbin region, to meet, share experiences, and grow their professional network.

Community Room

Drop-in Chess

Drop in for part or all of these casual chess meets, every Wednesday from 1-3pm on the mezzanine. All experience levels welcome. Please bring your own set if you have one.

Mezzanine

MassHire Resume/Cover Letter Consults

Get guidance and feedback from MassHire staff on your resume and cover letter.

Community Room

Far Out Film Discussion

Community Room

Drop-in Tech Help

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your......More

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Reference Room

Preschool Storytime!

Join us for books, songs, and puppets and participate in an open-ended art activity designed to encourage creativity! Great for ages 3-5.

Community Room

Drop-in Tech Help

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your......More

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Reference Room

Discerning the Truth with Marie Lu

Please register to attend this virtual author event.Explore the intricate world of Legend with Marie Lu as she encourages readers to look beyond the surface and reveal hidden secrets. Explore the depths of deceit, battle for power, and the lengths characters will go to ......More

Please register to attend this virtual author event.Explore the intricate world of Legend with Marie Lu as she encourages readers to look beyond the surface and reveal hidden secrets. Explore the depths of deceit, battle for power, and the lengths characters will go to unmask the Truth. Legend is a dystopian novel where two unlikely characters, June and Day, cross paths in search for the Truth. Can they set aside their differences and preconceptions for the greater good? Readers will devour Marie Lu’s words as they are challenged to think critically about the world around them and reminded to never judge a book by its cover. Register now for an event you don’t want to miss!About the Author: Marie Lu is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Legend trilogy and The Young Elites trilogy. She graduated from the University of Southern California and jumped into the video game industry, working for Disney Interactive Studios as a Flash artist. Now a full-time writer, she spends her spare time reading, drawing, playing Assassin’s Creed, and getting stuck in traffic. She lives in Los Angeles, California (see above: traffic), with one husband, one Chihuahua mix, and two Pembroke Welsh corgis. This program is presented by the Library Speakers Consortium.

Northampton Literary Society Writing Meet-Up

Join us down in the Forbes Library Community Room on Thursday nights for some lite socializing, low-stakes sharing, and informal critique - as well as some time writing, of course! We warmly welcome writers of all genres and levels of experience.We will start every meet......More

Join us down in the Forbes Library Community Room on Thursday nights for some lite socializing, low-stakes sharing, and informal critique - as well as some time writing, of course! We warmly welcome writers of all genres and levels of experience.We will start every meeting with a friendly check in, followed by a 15-20 minute writing prompt. After an optional share out, you are welcome to hang out and work on whatever you’ve got - flesh out the prompt, work on your novel, maybe get crafty with some visual poetry or collage.This is an inclusive, expansive creative space. If you have a cool idea, bring it and share - we welcome collaborators with open arms! We also understand that one's capacity and enthusiasm for participation fluctuates - come when you can, and stay as long as you like. Absolutely no sweat if you can't make it - we look forward to seeing you next time you're here. We are also working toward online accessibility - contact [email protected] for info on accessing our prompts online! Let’s get together, get some good work done, and enjoy each other's company!Optional pre-registration is through Eventbrite, where you’ll find info on our open mics and other events as well. Updates are also on Instagram @noholitsociety About us:Northampton Literary Society is a vibrant and supportive community of readers, writers, and artists of all kinds. We are always seeking and offering opportunities for creative expansion and collaboration. Let's make meaningful connections and grow our writing community!Sign up for our mailing list to get our monthly newsletter featuring local literary news, events, and featured writing from our members each month!

Community Room

Toddler Storytime

Join us for Toddler Storytime every Friday morning! We will sing songs, read stories, and have fun. This event is best suited for 1.5-3-year-olds and their caregivers.

Community Room

HYBRID: Afternoon Book Discussion: James

This month's book is James by Percival Everett. You can request a copy of the book from the library catalog. About the book: When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can f......More

This month's book is James by Percival Everett. You can request a copy of the book from the library catalog. About the book: When Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he runs away until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck has faked his own death to escape his violent father. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond.Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a literary icon, this brilliant and tender novel radically illuminates Jim’s agency, intelligence, and compassion as never before. James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature.This is a hyrbid meeting -- so you can either join us on Zoom or in the Watson Room this month! Join Zoom Meetinghttps://us02web.zoom.us/j/81924408925?pwd=ZyG4eUqHNBlNTC2ZLKFijNKaFTVysh.1Meeting ID: 819 2440 8925Passcode: 272243---One tap mobile 16469313860,,81924408925#,,,,*272243# US 13017158592,,81924408925#,,,,*272243# US (Washington DC)---Dial by your location 1 646 931 3860 US

Watson Room

HYBRID: Social Justice Book Group: Between Shades of Gray

This month we will discuss Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. You can request this title from our catalog. About the book:Fifteen-year-old Lina is a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life -- until Soviet officers invade her home and tear her family apart. Separate......More

This month we will discuss Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. You can request this title from our catalog. About the book:Fifteen-year-old Lina is a Lithuanian girl living an ordinary life -- until Soviet officers invade her home and tear her family apart. Separated from her father and forced onto a crowded train, Lina, her mother, and her young brother make their way to a Siberian work camp, where they are forced to fight for their lives. Lina finds solace in her art, documenting these events by drawing. Risking everything, she imbeds clues in her drawings of their location and secretly passes them along, hoping her drawings will make their way to her father's prison camp. But will strength, love, and hope be enough for Lina and her family to survive? A moving and haunting novel perfect for readers of The Book Thief.We strive to learn more about the world outside our own bubbles. We read both nonfiction and fiction on timely topics and in our discussions try to challenge our own assumptions without judging one another.Join us on Zoom! We will be hosting a hybrid meeting, so you can also attend in person in the Watson Room at Forbes. Join Zoom Meeting https://us02web.zoom.us/j/93620070920?pwd=c0tKQnorNDNqRGxFajRvWWlRNnJyQT09Meeting ID: 936 2007 0920Passcode: 340325One tap mobile 13126266799,,93620070920#,,,,*340325# US (Chicago) 16465588656,,93620070920#,,,,*340325# US (New York)Dial by your location 1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago) 1 646 558 8656 US (New York) 1 301 715 8592 US (Washington DC) 1 346 248 7799 US (Houston) 1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose) 1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)Meeting ID: 936 2007 0920Passcode: 340325Find your local number: https://us02web.zoom.us/u/kcnCepHoM3

Watson Room

Kids' Gaming Club

Every Friday, kids ages 7-12 can join us in the Community Room to hang out with other young gamers and play the library's Nintendo Switch! We generally play Super Smash Bros., Mario Kart 8, Super Mario: Wonder, and Mario Party.

Community Room

Crocheting and Knitting Group

Mezzanine

Ukulele Strum Group

Ukulele Strum Group is a community ukulele club, part of the larger Pioneer Valley Ukulele Community (Meetup). We meet weekly at Forbes Library in Northampton to sing and play together just for the fun and joy of it, but also to improve our skills. We are ukulele enthus......More

Ukulele Strum Group is a community ukulele club, part of the larger Pioneer Valley Ukulele Community (Meetup). We meet weekly at Forbes Library in Northampton to sing and play together just for the fun and joy of it, but also to improve our skills. We are ukulele enthusiasts of all levels of playing experience, including beginners. And we always welcome new members to play, sing, or just watch and listen.Find out more about our group on our Meet-Up page.

Coolidge Museum

Kids' Escape Room: Presented by Wicked Fun Games

Join the folks from Wicked Fun Games for Escape from the Wizard's Tower--an escape room for kids ages 8-12! Follow the journal entries, gather ingredients, & cast spells! Registration is required and limited to 10 people. Please click the "Begin Registration" button abo......More

Join the folks from Wicked Fun Games for Escape from the Wizard's Tower--an escape room for kids ages 8-12! Follow the journal entries, gather ingredients, & cast spells! Registration is required and limited to 10 people. Please click the "Begin Registration" button above to sign up. We will have a separate escape room at 4:00 today for teens.

Community Room

KidLit Children’s Writers & Illustrators Meetup

This new group is for writers and illustrators at any level of experience who are passionate about creating stories for kids and teens. We meet on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of every month from 3-4:30 pm in the Watson Room at the library.Our focus is on building a suppor......More

This new group is for writers and illustrators at any level of experience who are passionate about creating stories for kids and teens. We meet on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of every month from 3-4:30 pm in the Watson Room at the library.Our focus is on building a supportive critique group where we can share work, offer constructive feedback, and grow as creators. While we lean toward picture book projects, writers and illustrators working on middle-grade and YA are welcome to join as well. Our group welcomes SCBWI members and hopes to connect with others in the SCBWI community, though you don’t need to be a member to join us. New members are especially welcome as we grow this creative community. Bring your work-in-progress, your ideas, or just your enthusiasm!For more information, please contact Emily: Ellisbrune (AT) ellisbrune.com

Watson Room

Teen Escape Room: Presented by Wicked Fun Games

Join the folks from Wicked Fun Games for Escape from the Wizard's Tower--an escape room for teens ages 13-18! Follow the journal entries, gather ingredients, & cast spells! Registration is required and limited to 10 people. Please click the "Begin Registration" button a......More

Join the folks from Wicked Fun Games for Escape from the Wizard's Tower--an escape room for teens ages 13-18! Follow the journal entries, gather ingredients, & cast spells! Registration is required and limited to 10 people. Please click the "Begin Registration" button above to sign up. We will have a separate escape room at 2:00 today for kids.

Community Room