Adult Programs

We have in person, hybrid or virtual programs! Please click on the link to receive the zoom information if its online. Check your spam folder if you don't see the confirmation in your inbox. 

Join a Book Club!

Mystery Book Club
Wednesday, June 14
Read "The Madness of Crowds" by Louise Penny

Bio/Memoir Book Club
Wednesday, June 21 @ 11am
Read 'Dinners with Ruth' by Nina Totenberg

Another Mini Horror Book Festival @ The Ashland Library!
Saturday, June 24 @ 12:20-3:30pm

We welcome horror authors Victoria Dalpe, Gretchen Felker-Martin, Bracken MacLeod, and Tom Rimer to Ashland for our 2nd Mini Horror Fest! The day will include a panel discussion, small group conversations, and a book sale/signing.

This Week

Virtual: LGBTQ Terminology 101
Monday, June 12 @ 7pm
Join Emily Lunardi for a program that is for anyone looking for clear explanations of LGBTQIA+ lingo, presented in a personable and attainable way. Do you feel confused or overwhelmed by LGBTQIA+ terminology? Do you ever get worried you’ll say the wrong word or pronoun? Then this workshop is for you!

Virtual: The Adventures of Two Grannies on the Road
Tuesday, June 13 @ 10:30am
Join "Grannies" Beth Sobiloff and Marcia Rothwell as they share stories and reflect on their adventures touring all over the Commonwealth. Come hear their story about how they've reinvented themselves later in life, and are living their retirement years to the fullest!

Virtual: Bert & Lou -- The Story of the Herbert Hoover Family with the Hoover Presidential Library
Tuesday, June 13 @ 2pm
Learn about the life of the 31st President of the United States, Herbert Hoover, and his wife Lou Henry Hoover. Born in Iowa, the Hoovers would become world travelers and spend much of their lives in public service, helping provide food relief to millions of people around the world.

Virtual - The Two Nerdy History Girls Ride Again!
Tuesday, June 13 @ 7pm
We keep having so much fun with Loretta and Susan that we had to keep bringing them back for encore performances! We, once again, have Loretta and Susan here to answer all of our burning questions on historical research and publishing.

Virtual: A Celebration of Massachusetts Libraries -- A History of Libraries In The Bay State
Wednesday, June 14 @ 7pm
Massachusetts author and historian Alan Earls will present a slideshow and discussion of some of the important milestones, architectural gems, and key figures in this story as well as an overview of just how richly endowed we are with libraries of all kinds today.

Great Decisions
Thursday, June 15 @ 6:30pm
Discuss Economic Warfare

Virtual - Nature Photography (Discussion Session) with Steve McGrath
Thursday, June 15 @ 7:30pm
Do you love to view and discuss nature photos? Then join us for this virtual discussion of images you’ve taken during the month or to just spectate!

Saturday Knit and Crochet Club and Workshop- Ripple Blankets
*For Ages 14+
Saturday, June 17 @ 2pm
Join us and learn how to crochet a fun and cozy ripple blanket!   Just bring your own crochet hook or knitting needles and some yarn and we will supply the know-how.

Next Week

Virtual: A Trip To Scotland -- Finding the Underwater Gannet in the Shetland Islands
Tuesday, June 20 @ 10:30am
Follow Ken Carlson’s journey to the Shetland Islands in Scotland as he searched for a way to photograph the graceful Northern Gannet seabird diving underwater to fish. Not being a scuba diver made this a challenge, but Carlson finds a way after following up on a clue.

Virtual: Interrogating Presidential Photos with the Ford Presidential Library
Tuesday, June 20 @ 2pm
Since John F. Kennedy, most Presidents have had an official photographer, resulting in a wealth of primary source material. But what can Americans of all ages learn by taking a deeper look, past the subject matter and into the backgrounds and material culture represented in these photos, to learn more about how the lives of our leaders are presented?

Virtual - Paranormal Romance Authors Ilona Andrews and Nalini Singh in Conversation
Wednesday, June 21 @ 5pm
We are so excited to be chatting with two titans of paranormal romance - wife and husband team Ilona & Gordon Andrews and Nalini Singh! We'll be chatting world building, character development, keeping the ideas fresh, and anything else we can think of.

Half-Past Crafts: Needle Felted Cacti Wednesday, June 21 @ 6:30pm
This month we are learning how to needle felt and make cute cacti! This program is generously funded by a grant from the Ashland Cultural Council.

Virtual: Ashland Adult Book Club
Wednesday, June 21 @ 6:30pm
Read "The Edge of Summer" by Viola Shipman.

Paint Night with Ashwini Chitnavis
Thursday, June 22 @ 6pm
We're excited to bring Paint Night to Ashland! We welcome Ashwini Chitnavis to host this session where you learn to paint on canvas. No art experience necessary, just an open mind and a can-do attitude. This program is generously funded by a grant from the Ashland Cultural Council.

Virtual - The Big Dig with Author David Kruh
Friday, June 23 @ 1pm
In this illustrated slide show talk David, a former Big Dig spokesperson, will show how Boston has changed over the past 400 years, from the reduction of Beacon Hill, through the filling in of the Back Bay, ending with the country's most expensive construction job - the Big Dig.

Virtual - Friday Night Film Discussion
Friday, June 23 @ 7pm
Watch "Columbus"

Knitting

Saturday Knit & Crochet Club

Saturdays at 2pm

Monday Knit & Crochet Club

Mondays at 6pm

Children's Programs

Unless otherwise specified, all programs are in-person walk-in. There may be room capacity limits for some, though, so come early! 

Special Programs for Children

Rubber Duck Hunt
*For Ages 2-5

Saturday, June 17 @ 10:30am
Have fun searching for hidden rubber ducks in the Children's Room!

Join us for Summer Reading

Join the Summer Reading Program this summer! Pick up a reading log to keep track of how much you read or join us online with Beanstack to earn up to 10 Prize Books at the end of the summer. Read anything you like! Everything you read counts for your reading log. The Summer Reading program will end on August 19th. 

Summer Reading Kick Off Event:

The Pineapple Project
Saturday, June 24 at 10:30 a.m.
For ages 3-8 (but all are welcome!)
The Pineapple Project is a theater piece that encourages the audience to be themselves while accepting others, and validates each child's individual freedom to be who they are, without gender bias. The performance is funny, engaging and empowering.

Teacher Tales
Select Mon, Tues, and Wed at 6:30 pm
For families

Come to storytimes at the Ashland Library for a Read-Aloud with Teachers from Mindess and 
Warren Schools!

See the town calendar for specific dates and teachers

Bi-Monthly Recurring

Lego Club
*For Kids Age 5 & Up
Thursday, June 15 @ 4pm
Each child will be given a box filled with an assortment of Lego blocks to build a creation using only what's inside the box within the 45 minute time limit.

Bi-Monthly Recurring

Read to a Dog with Knives and Machete 
*Really the dogs names
Thursday, June 22 @ 6pm
Children with some reading ability will have the chance to read to one of our registered therapy dogs for 10 minutes. 

Recurring Programs

Monday Afternoon Story and Craft
*For Ages 4-7
Mondays @ 4pm
Stop into the children's room as we read a story and do a related craft project.

Project ABC Nutrition for Littles
*for ages 0 to 5
Thursday, June 22, 2023
Registration is Required
YMCA nutrition staff offers this monthly hands on learning through age-appropriate cooking activities, art and crafts, gardening, and more!"

PJ Story Time with Ryan (and his stuffed animals!)
Tuesdays @ 5:30pm
Come in your pajamas, and bring your favorite stuffed animals! We will read stories about a different stuffed animal every week. 

More Recurring Programs

(Hybrid) - Lapsit
*Infants, Toddlers &  Caregivers
Wednesdays @ 10:30am
Please register to receive the zoom link if joining us online.

Friday Afternoon Story and Craft
*For Ages 4-7
Fridays @ 4pm
Stop into the children's room as we read a story and do a related craft project.

Saturday Story Time
*For Ages 3 and up
Occasional Saturdays @ 10:30am
Come listen to Ryan read some of his favorite stories aloud!

Visit our website calendar for all of the details.

Crafty Saturdays! 
Saturdays 10am-3pm

Drop in on Saturdays in the Children's Room and find a different craft to do every week! 

Teen Programs

Recurring Programs

After School Video Games
Friday, June 16 @ 3:30pm
Come to the library afterschool to play switch games with your friends! Nintendo Switch, Xbox, games and snacks will be provided.

If you're in 8th grade or higher (aged 13 or up) and want to keep up-to-date on events, be the first to know about new books coming in, and have easy access to library resources, join our Discord server!

Program Videos

Check out the library's YouTube Channel! We are recording many of our programs so subscribe today so you don't miss out. No new recording events from last week but we have a lot coming up! 

Friends of the Ashland Library

Friends of the Ashland Public Library Mini Book Sale and Donation Day!
Saturday, July 1 @ 10-1pm

Shop or Drop! We have thousands of gently used books if you're looking for something special for the adults, teens, and kids in your life. Drop off your donations, too - we love to see what come in and out the door :). 

100% of the proceeds of these sales fund library programs, museum passes, and the Library's summer reading initiatives. 

Art in the Library

Downstairs Gallery

“After the Fact”
Recent Paintings by Jim Eng
May 2 – June 17, 2023

Upstairs Display Case

“My Resin Realm”
by Lisa
April 4- June 17, 2023

Click Here to Read More Information about Ashland Public Library Weekly News June 12, 2023