Coming Soon - Gingerbread Festival!

Starting around December 5th, we'll have some beautiful Gingerbread Creations at the library for your viewing pleasure. And, that's not all! You can fill out a raffle ticket to win one to take home for the holidays. It's one raffle ticket per person per visit. Or, you can exchange goods for the food pantry for raffle tickets - it's a win/win!

Here's one that we made a few years ago for this very same type festival!

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. 

Fixit Clinic at the Ashland Public Library
Saturday, December 3 @ 1-3pm

 Fixit Clinic is an all-ages, do-it-together activity where people bring their broken household things and learn how to assess, disassemble, and repair them instead of sending them to landfill.
Don't toss it, fix it!

Virtual: Author Panel: Women in SciFi featuring Julie E. Czerneda, K. Eason, Mur Lafferty, & Lena Nguyen
Thursday, December 8 @ 7pm
Science Fiction is one of our very favorite genres! After authors such as H.G. Wells, Isaac Asimov, and Mary Shelley made SciFi so popular, we wondered how women currently have impacted the genre. So we asked Julie E. Czerneda, K. Eason, Mur Lafferty, & Lena Nguyen to join us in having a conversation about their journeys into Science Fiction and the books they've published. We're sure it will be an "out of this world" discussion! We hope you can join us.

A Royal High Tea Event
Saturday,  December 10 @ 2pm

Break out your fancy duds (and fascinators!), bring your own fancy teacup, stick your pinky up in the air, and join us!

This Week:

Virtual - LGBTQ+ Book Club
Monday, November 28 @ 7pm
Read or watch "Heartstopper"

Virtual: Jimmy Carter & The Camp David Accords
Tuesday, November 29 @ 2pm
This program contextualizes the diplomatic, economic, cultural and military interactions between empires, nations and peoples in the 20th century that shaped America’s increasingly important role in the world and set the stage for The Camp David Accords. 

Virtual: Dreamcatchers -- Extraordinary Native American Women
Thursday, December 1 @ 2pm
This presentation will celebrate the lives and legacy of members from various tribal affiliations -- amazing individuals who were explorers, doctors, social reformers and advocates.

Virtual: Shopping Rights and Holiday Fraud Prevention
Thursday, December 1 @ 2pm
The Office of Consumer Affairs & Business Regulation is here to provide you with essential information and tips to stay steps ahead of fraudsters during the holiday season, including how to avoid lost or stolen packages, knowing what a store’s return policy is, tips on how to spot and avoid credit card skimming devices and much more.

Virtual: The Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire
Thursday, December 1 @ 7pm
Author Stephanie Schorow will discuss her new book, "The Cocoanut Grove Nightclub Fire: A Boston Tragedy".

(In-Person) Nature Photography with Steve McGrath
Saturday, December 3 @ 10am
Join photographer Steve McGrath out in the "field" for this new monthly series. Learn how to use your various devices to take the best nature photographs that you can! 

Next Week: 

Virtual: Winter Pruning -- Why, When & How To Prune Your Shrubs
Tuesday, December 6 @ 11am
Learn the basics of pruning deciduous shrubs, with an emphasis on structural pruning that can be done during winter, even for spring-flowering shrubs. 

Royal Craftaganza--Fascinators!
Tuesday, December 6 @ 6pm
Join crafter, retired art teacher, professional guilder, and Ashlander, Nancy Atkinson in this workshop to make your own royal fascinator! All materials supplied. 

Virtual - Environmental Book Club
Tuesday, December 6 @ 6:30pm
Read "The Day the World Stops Shopping"

Virtual: Democracy Talks: Russia's Invasion, Ukraine's Resistance, & Prospects for Peace
Tuesday, December 6 @ 7pm
Join us for a discussion of the reasons behind Russian president Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine's determined resistance, and how the war might end. 

Virtual: Spacesuits -- What Every Fashionable Astronaut Is Wearing
Wednesday, December 7 @ 11am
 Join Solar System Ambassador David S. Ball as he discusses spacesuits required for intravehicular, extravehicular, and surface operations. 

Make Your Own Wrapping Paper with Jan Poppendieck
Wednesday, December 7 @ 6:30pm
Join us for an evening of learning how to make your own wrapping paper with Jan. We'll use stamps, colored pencils, and other organic materials to make your wrapping paper beautiful and earth friendly!

Virtual - Friday Night Film Discussion:
Friday, December 9 @ 7pm
Watch "The Carer"

Cookbook Club
Saturday, December 10 @ 12pm
Cook from "Holiday Cookies : Showstopping Recipes to Sweeten the Season" and bring at least a dozen cookies for a cookie swap!

Weekly ELL Classes with Hopkinton Library

These weekly classes alternates between in person and online. Contact the group leader for information on joining for the meetings. We are happy to be collaborating with the Hopkinton Public Library for this series! 

Beginner ELL Conversation Circle
Thursdays at 2pm
Contact Janet Fannon to join

Advanced ELL Conversation Circle
Fridays at 11am

Contact Ellen Deustch to join

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! 

Family Movie: DC League of Super-Pets
*(Animated, Rated PG)
Saturday, December 3 @ 10:30am

Krypto the Super-Dog must convince a rag-tag shelter pack—a hound, potbellied pig, turtle and squirrel—to master their own newfound powers and help him rescue the Justice League.

This Week

Project ABC Play, Learn, and Grow Group
*for Ages 0 to 5
Tuesday, November 29 @ 11am
This program is limited to 20 people in the storytime room and is first come, first serve. 

PJ Story Time with Ryan (and his stuffed animals!)
*For Ages 3 and up
Tuesday, November 29 @ 5:30pm
We will read stories about a different one of Ryan's stuffed animals every week.

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

Friday Morning Storytime
*For Pre-School Aged Kids
Friday, December 2 @ 11am

Next Week

Project ABC Play, Learn, and Grow Group
*for Ages 0 to 5
Tuesday, December 6 @ 11am
This program is limited to 20 people in the storytime room and is first come, first serve. 

PJ Story Time with Ryan (and his stuffed animals!)
*For Ages 3 and up
Tuesday, December 6 @ 5:30pm
We will read stories about a different one of Ryan's stuffed animals every week.

(Hybrid) - Lapsit 
*Infants, Toddlers &  Caregivers
Wednesday, December 7 @ 10:30am
Please register to receive the zoom link if joining us online.

Friday Morning Storytime
*For Pre-School Aged Kids
Friday, December 9 @ 11am

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

Saturday Video Games 
Saturday, December 3 @ 1:30om
Come to the library afterschool to play switch games with your friends! Nintendo Switch, Xbox, games and snacks will be provided.

Calling all Tweens and Teens! Ana still needs your help in bringing back a Teen Advisory Board.

If you are interested, email them at [email protected]. 

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. 

Boston Tabloid -- The Killing of Robin Benedict

A Trip To The Dordogne Region Of France with The Traveling Librarian

Boston's Haymarket & The Market District with Historic New England

Literary Café presents Hank Phillippi Ryan and Marjan Kamali

The Friends of The Ashland Library

The next Friends book sale is a two day event! Friday, December 2nd from 6-8pm for Members Only (become a member on the spot!) and Saturday, December 3rd from 10-4pm. 

Then in 2023,  Friends Mini Book & Art Sale and Donation Day is moving to the 1st Saturday of the month from 10-1pm (next sale is Saturday, Jan 7th). Same great format - you can shop AND drop your books for donation off at the same time - just a bit earlier in the month. .

If you cannot make it at this time you can drop off small donations in the drop box that is in the lobby of the library. 

Contact the Friends with any questions — they'd love to hear from you! 

Art in the Library

“Paintings In & Around Boston”
Watercolors by Diane G. Bell
November 1-December 3, 2022

Franklin MA artist Diane Bell is exhibiting her wonderful watercolor paintings of the Boston and the New England region.

Questions? 

Contact us at [email protected] or 508-881-0134.