VIRTUAL: An Evening for People Who Love Animals

The BFL, in collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library, presents this virtual conversation with authors and animal lovers Melanie Kaplan and E.B. Bartels about their new books.  In Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research,......More

The BFL, in collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library, presents this virtual conversation with authors and animal lovers Melanie Kaplan and E.B. Bartels about their new books.  In Lab Dog: A Beagle and His Human Investigate the Surprising World of Animal Research, author Melanie Kaplan investigates the breeding and use of beagles for biomedical research, drug and product testing, and education. She takes readers on a journey, peeking behind laboratory doors and visiting with researchers, activists, ethicists, veterinarians, lawmakers, and innovators. Along the way, she finds thoughtful and caring humans on all sides of the debate, explores promising developments in nonanimal testing, and discovers puzzle pieces from her own beagle’s past. Equal parts journalism and love story, Lab Dog offers a nuanced view on our relationship with a species that we both love and exploit, and a reason to hope for a better future for all. Melanie Kaplan is a longtime independent journalist whose travel and science writing has appeared in The Atlantic, the Washington Post, the Wall Street Journal, and National Parks magazine.  E.B. Bartels, author of Good Grief: On Loving Pets, Here and Hereafter, has had a lot of pets—dogs, birds, fish, tortoises. As varied a bunch as they are, they’ve taught her one universal truth: to own a pet is to love a pet, and to own a pet is also—with rare exception—to lose that pet in time. But while we have codified traditions to mark the passing of our fellow humans, most cultures don’t have the same for pets. Bartels takes us from Massachusetts to Japan, from ancient Egypt to the modern era, in search of the good pet death. We meet veterinarians, archaeologists, ministers, and more, offering an idiosyncratic, inspiring array of rituals — from the traditional (scattering ashes, commissioning a portrait), to the grand (funereal processions, mausoleums), to the unexpected (taxidermy, cloning). The central lesson: there is no best practice when it comes to mourning your pet, except to care for them in death as you did in life, and to find the space to participate in their end as fully as you can. E.B. Bartels, is a nonfiction writer, a teacher, an editor, and a former bookseller with an MFA from Columbia. Her essays and interviews have appeared in Salon, Slate, WBUR, Literary Hub, and Catapult, among others. 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.    

Bacon Free Library, 58 Eliot Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States

Mystery Book Club

Join us for a virtual Zoom discussion of King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby. Copies available at the library, or borrow through Libby and Hoopla. Please email [email protected] to register and receive the Zoom link.

MA

Jammin With You @ BFL

Be prepared to laugh, dance, sing, and jam your way through 30 minutes of non-stop family fun at the Bacon Free Library! This performance is geared toward kids ages 1 – 7, but fun for the whole family. With modern takes on children’s classics and classic original tunes,......More

Be prepared to laugh, dance, sing, and jam your way through 30 minutes of non-stop family fun at the Bacon Free Library! This performance is geared toward kids ages 1 – 7, but fun for the whole family. With modern takes on children’s classics and classic original tunes, you’ll be humming and bopping all the way home. Registration is required due to space limitations. Jammin With You 2/6/26 @ BFL Child's Name*Email* Δ The historic nature of our building limits accessibility. From December through March, this program is offered at the Bacon Free Library on the 1st Friday of the month and also in an accessible location at the Common Street Spiritual Center on the 3rd Friday of the month. View our event calendar for date and registration information.

Bacon Free Library, 58 Eliot Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States

Art For All! Blackout Poetry

Create a poem by circling some words on a page, and crossing out the rest. Alternatives: cut and collage to make a ransom-note style poem, or create a concrete poem by crafting your words in the shape of an object.Drop-in OR curbside pickup for take & make. Art for All ......More

Create a poem by circling some words on a page, and crossing out the rest. Alternatives: cut and collage to make a ransom-note style poem, or create a concrete poem by crafting your words in the shape of an object.Drop-in OR curbside pickup for take & make. Art for All techniques may include collage, wax resist art Zentangle/doodling lettering poetry, and more. Ages 4-adult.

MA

All Together: Preschool Storytime

Join us on Mondays and Tuesdays for stories and songs!  Note: The historic nature of our building limits accessibility. This program is also offered in an accessible location at the Morse Institute Library (click here for dates, times, and more information).

Bacon Free Library, 58 Eliot Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States

All Together: Preschool Storytime

Join us on Mondays and Tuesdays for stories and songs!  Note: The historic nature of our building limits accessibility. This program is also offered in an accessible location at the Morse Institute Library (click here for dates, times, and more information).

Bacon Free Library, 58 Eliot Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States

Lapsit Storytime

Stories, bounces, and songs for babies 0-24 months and their grownups! The historic nature of our building limits accessibility. This program is also offered in an accessible location at the Morse Institute Library (click here for dates, times, and more information)....More

Stories, bounces, and songs for babies 0-24 months and their grownups! The historic nature of our building limits accessibility. This program is also offered in an accessible location at the Morse Institute Library (click here for dates, times, and more information).

Bacon Free Library, 58 Eliot Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States

VIRTUAL: The Art Spy - The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland

  In this virtual program, author Michelle Young will discuss her new book, The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland. A riveting and stylish saga set in Paris during World War II, The Art Spy uncovers the true story of how an unlik......More

  In this virtual program, author Michelle Young will discuss her new book, The Art Spy: The Extraordinary Untold Tale of WWII Resistance Hero Rose Valland. A riveting and stylish saga set in Paris during World War II, The Art Spy uncovers the true story of how an unlikely heroine infiltrated the Nazi leadership to save the world’s most treasured masterpieces. This book was longlisted for the 2025 American Library of Paris Book Award. Michelle Young, an award-winning journalist and author, is a graduate of Harvard College in the History of Art and Architecture and holds a master’s degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, where she is a Professor of Architecture. She is also the founder of the publication Untapped New York.  Register here for the Zoom link.  This program is held in collaboration with the Tewksbury Public Library.  RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.  

Bacon Free Library, 58 Eliot Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States

History Book Club

Join us for a virtual discussion of: Night flyer: Harriet Tubman and the faith dreams of a free people by Tiya Miles. Copies of the book will be available at the Bacon Free Library.  Order your own copy HERE For details on how to attend this virtual meeting via Zoom, pl......More

Join us for a virtual discussion of: Night flyer: Harriet Tubman and the faith dreams of a free people by Tiya Miles. Copies of the book will be available at the Bacon Free Library.  Order your own copy HERE For details on how to attend this virtual meeting via Zoom, please contact [email protected] The Zoom link to the discussion will be sent at a later date. 

MA

Français à la bibliothèque

BONJOUR !Vous parlez français ? un peu, beaucoup, pas de problèmes. Venez nous rejoindre pour parler ou pour écouter.

MA

Art for All! Valentines

Make a Valentine for a loved one personalize with a poem made from letters of their name.Drop-in OR curbside pickup for take & make. Art for All techniques may include collage, wax resist art Zentangle/doodling lettering poetry, and more. Ages 4-adult.

Bacon Free Library, 58 Eliot Street, Natick, MA, 01760, United States