Book bans are on the rise across the country as states seemingly compete to see who can place the most restrictions on free speech. As this latest wave of censorship activity continues to build, what is your role as a library user? In this interactive Zoom webinar on Thursday, September 22 at 7PM during Banned Books Week, you’ll learn about why intellectual freedom is important and what you can do to support libraries, library workers, and free expression during these challenging times.

Presented by Martin Garnar, PhD, director of the Amherst College Library, chair of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Intellectual Freedom Committee, and editor of the 10th edition of the Intellectual Freedom Manual. 

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries.

Author Rachel S. Geller will deliver a presentation based on her book, Saving the World, One Cat at a Time: What I Know About Cats – And Why You Should Know It, on Wednesday, September 14 via Zoom.

Dubbed the “Cat Whisperer,” Dr. Rachel Geller will explain common cat behavior problems encountered by owners, followed by a Q&A, so bring your questions for this expert’s advice. Whether the cat in question is avoiding the litterbox, acting hostile toward another cat in the same household, having separation anxiety, or scratching the furniture, Dr. Geller has easy-to-implement solutions and answers based on her lifelong understanding of cats and their behavior. Dr. Geller will also offer advice on how to choose the perfect cat for your household and integrate your new cat successfully into your family. 

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries. 

Dr. Geller is a certified Cat Behavior and Retention Specialist through the Humane Society and a certified Humane Education Specialist through the Academy of Prosocial Learning. She is currently a cat behaviorist/consultant for The Cat Connection, Here Today Adopted Tomorrow Animal Sanctuary and Baypath Humane Society, and provides cat behavior help both locally and throughout the country to her clients, including cat owners and shelters. 

Learn about commonly encountered wildlife such as deer, coyote, and raccoons, and their intersection with the wild and developed spaces we inhabit on Wednesday, August 24 at 11AM via Zoom. Find out best practices for maintaining bird feeders and attracting visitors. From amazing pollinators to problematic mosquitoes and ticks, we’ll introduce some incredible insects and how we impact each other. Whether you watch it from your window or your screens, you’ll learn more about how to peacefully co-exist with these unique neighbors here in the Commonwealth.

Led by Tia Pinney, a Biologist, Lead Naturalist, and educator at Mass Audubon’s Drumlin Farm Wildlife Sanctuary in Lincoln. Since 1994, when she first started working at the farm, Tia has overseen efforts to maintain New England’s wildlife on our 206-acre property, managing staff and volunteers in planting projects and citizen science.

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries.

This lecture on Thursday, August 11 at 11AM via Zoom focuses on the key points that gardeners should consider before they invest in a hydrangea. With over 600 cultivars to select from, it’s easy to select a plant based on some attributes only to find that it will definitely not be the “right plant in the right place.” The seven species are identified, examples of each are provided, and their best use in the landscape is examined.

Led by Kathie Skinner, a Senior Principal Master Gardener, the past Education Coordinator and current Master Gardener Training Coordinator for the Massachusetts Master Gardner Association.

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries.

Receive a refresher on Monday, August 8 at 2PM via Zoom on the key skills that are required when interviewing for any job — (1) speaking confidently, (2) constructing answers to off-the-cuff questions, (3) giving and receiving feedback and (4) rehearsing. The session will include an interactive segment in which members respond to mock interview questions and receive feedback on their answers. Led by MJ Kahn, SVP of Technology at OpFocus and a seasoned Toastmasters member and leader.

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries.

Bestselling author B.A. Shapiro will discuss her new book, Metropolis: A Novel, on Wednesday, July 27 at 7PM via Zoom. Shapiro will be interviewed by Gary Braver, a bestselling and award-winning author of eight critically acclaimed mysteries and medical thrillers.

About The Book: The New York Times bestselling author of The Art Forger delivers a spellbinding and moving novel about what we hang on to, what we might need to let go, and how unexpected events can lead us to deeper truths. Six people, six secrets, six different backgrounds. They would never have met if not for their connection to the Metropolis Storage Warehouse in Cambridge, Massachusetts. When someone falls down an elevator shaft at the facility, each becomes caught up in an intensifying chain of events. Was it an accident? A murder attempt? Suicide? As her characters dip in and out of one another’s lives trying to find answers and battling societal forces beyond their control, B. A. Shapiro both questions the myth of the American dream and builds tension to an exhilarating climax. Taut and emotional, Metropolis is impossible to put down and impossible to forget.

About The Author: B.A. Shapiro is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of nine novels, including Metropolis, The Collector’s Apprentice, The Muralist and The Art Forger, which won the New England Book Award for Fiction, among other honors. Her books have been selected as Community Reads throughout the country and have been translated into over a dozen languages. She holds a PhD in sociology and has directed research projects for a residential substance abuse facility, worked as a systems analyst/statistician, headed the Boston office of a software development firm, and served as an adjunct professor teaching sociology at Tufts University and creative writing at Northeastern University. She likes writing novels the best. Barbara splits her time between Boston and Naples, Florida. Learn more about B.A. HERE.

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries.

Learn how to read the landscape, search for wildlife, and understand the ecological relationships between species you may be familiar with on Wednesday, July 27 at 11AM via Zoom. From the rolling dunes of Cape Cod to the rocky North Shore, the beaches of Massachusetts offer unique opportunities for life to converge. How do horseshoe crabs, least tern, ribbed mussels, and people interact on the coastline?

Explore best practices when combing the beach in search of wildlife clues and leave with recommendations from Mass Audubon Teacher-Naturalists on the best places to explore. Led by Douglas Lowry, the Adult Education Specialist for Mass Audubon’s Southeast Region. He’s also a Senior Field Instructor for the National Outdoor Leadership School.

 Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries.

Learn how to build relationships that will help your career using both conventional & unusual methods on Monday, July 18 at 2PM via Zoom. Discover effective communication techniques and explore calendar management and research tools. Learn why job seekers should always consider themselves in marketing and sales. Discover how to better market and sell yourself. Led by Ray Mascola, business development advisor, coach and owner of “Targeting Sales Growth.”

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries.

This presentation on Thursday, July 14 at 11AM via Zoom describes some of the common beneficial and pest insects that gardeners encounter in New England. Not all insects are bad for the garden. In fact, we rely on many to rid us of other unwanted invaders. We will take a look at their habits and their life cycles as we discuss how their presence affects the success of our garden year. 

Led by Bonnie Power, who has been a Massachusetts Master Gardener since 2016 and a serious outdoor/indoor gardener most of her life. Curious and research-oriented by nature, she has many horticultural interests and areas of expertise. Bonnie holds both a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Zoology, which informs her perspective on the management of garden insects. She also volunteers at Garden in the Woods, a Native Plant Trust botanical garden in Framingham, where she is a guide.

Register directly on Zoom HERE. This virtual event is a collaboration between several libraries.