VIRTUAL Back in a Spell: Author Talk with Lana Harper
Thursday, February 9   7:00 - 8:00 pm
Join us for a magical evening with New York Times bestselling author Lana Harper as she discusses the enchanting third installment of her immensely popular The Witches of Thistle Grove series, Back in a Spell.

VIRTUAL: Talk with Dr. Rebecca Hall, Author of Award-Winning Graphic Novel WAKE:
Saturday, February 11  2:30 - 3:30 pm on Zoom - Via Another Library
Wake: The Hidden History of Women-Led Slave Revolts tells the story of Dr. Rebecca Hall, a historian, granddaughter of slaves, and a woman haunted by the legacy of slavery. The accepted history of slave revolts tells her that enslaved women took a back seat. But she feels the need to look deeper. Her journey takes her through old court records, slave ship captain’s logs, crumbling correspondence, and even the forensic evidence from the bones of enslaved women from the “negro burying ground” uncovered in Manhattan.

Write a Letter to our Troops
Tuesday, February 14    5:30 - 7:30 pm
Getting a letter can be the highlight of a military person's day. Join Adult Services Librarian Danielle to write a letter of thanks (or two or three) to members of our military. The library will be sending the letters to the nonprofit organization "A Million Thanks" for sorting and posting. This is a drop-in event. All ages are welcome. Children under 9 must be supervised, but are welcome to write a letter or make a drawing to be included in a letter written by a guardian. 

VIRTUAL: Classical Music 101
Friday, February 3, 10, 17 & 24  10:00 - 11:00 am
Join music historian Amber Broderick for an 8-week introduction to the world of classical music, designed for general listeners and newcomers. Friends of the Hopkinton Public Library is hosting this class.

Frayed Knot Fiber Arts Circle
Wednesday, February 8 & 22   6:30 - 7:30 pm
Bring your current project or pattern. This group is open to teens and adult of all skill levels. All fiber arts crafts (knitting, crochet, needlepoint, cross-stitch, needle felting, etc.) are more than welcome to join us! This group will meet on the second and last Wednesdays of each month  from 6:30 - 7:30 pm.

VIRTUAL:  Author Talk: Erica Armstrong Dunbar
Wednesday, February 22   7:00 - 8:00 pm
We are excited to welcome writer, historian, and lecturer Erica Armstrong Dunbar for this virtual presentation! She is the author of Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge (National Book Award finalist) and She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman, as well as pieces in the New York Times and Philadelphia Inquirer, and appears in documentaries such as PBS's The Abolitionists.

Adult Programs

Registration is required for many programs. Visit our website calendar to receive participation information. Please confirm the location of the program when registering. Programs are subject to change or cancellation.

VIRTUAL: The Massachusetts Library Collaborative's 50+ Job Seekers Group
January through June - 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of the month, from 9:30am to 11:30am, OR
2nd and 4th Wednesdays of the month, from 6:00pm to 8:00pm, via Zoom.
If you are unemployed and actively looking, underemployed, seeking a new career direction, re-entering the job market after a long employment gap, or recently retired and looking for your "Encore Career", this free networking group program is perfect for you! Remember, 85% of jobs are found through networking! Each biweekly meeting is facilitated by Deborah Hope, MBA, PCIC, an experienced executive career coach. Deborah has facilitated 50+ job seekers networking groups since 2016. Register for the morning sessions here. Register for the evening sessions with this link.

VIRTUAL: Using US Census Records in Genealogy with Eric Migdal
Tuesday, February 7   6:30 - 7:30 pm
Join us for an evening discussing how to best find and use US and State Census records when researching your family tree. Eric Migdal of "It's All Relative Geneaology"  will discuss the US and State census including the data that was collected by the census takers, the changes made and ways to use the information for your genealogical research.

VIRTUAL: Freedom’s Cause: Historical Black Communities and George Washington’s Cambridge Camp
Wednesday, February 8   7:00 - 8:00 pm
From 1775-1776, 105 Brattle Street (today Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters National Historic Site) became General George Washington’s first major headquarters of the Revolution. While Washington’s time at Cambridge Headquarters is well-documented, this site also provides a lens into intersections of Black history in Revolutionary America.

VIRTUAL: An Author Talk with Grace M. Cho
Thursday, February 16  1:00 - 2:00 pm
Tuesday, February 28   8:00 - 9:00 pm
You’re invited to an insightful chat with award-winning author Grace M. Cho as she discusses her memoir, Tastes Like War.  Part food memoir, part sociological investigation, Tastes Like War is a hybrid text about a daughter’s search through intimate and global history for the roots of her mother’s schizophrenia.

Teen Program

Rebel the Therapy Dog
Most Tuesdays in February  3:00 - 4:00 pm
All ages are welcome to stop by to visit with Rebel, a sweet Swiss Mountain Dog, for a bit of stress reduction in the Young Adult or Ellsworth Room. Please check our website for any cancelations before coming.

High School Academics and College Admission by the Princeton Review
Wednesday, February 15  6:30 - 7:30 pm
High School Academics and College Admission by the Princeton Review]Do you know how important your high school grades are on your college applications? Learn about why your school grades are important, what a good transcript is, and how to improve your grades. Join us for this grades and admissions session with Princeton Review's Sarah Cao to help you navigate grades and college admission. Register through our website.

Children's Programs

Please register for most programs on our website calendar to receive participation information.

Chess Club is back! (recommended for ages 6-12)
Tuesday, February 7 & 21   4:00 - 4:45 pm
Stop by to play chess and to get tips and tricks! No registration is required for this program.

Chess not your thing? Maybe you like to build things instead!
NEW Lego Club
Tuesday, February 14 & 28   4:00 - 4:45 pm
Friday, February 24   10:30 - 11:30 am
Build a creation out of legos which will be displayed in the children's department. No registration is required for this program.

Baby-Toddler Storytime (ages 0-3)
Wednesday. February 1,8, 15 & 22   10:15 - 10:45 am
Saturday, February 4 & 11   10:15 - 10:45 am

Preschool Storytime  (ages 3-6)
Wednesday, February 1, 8, 15 & 22   11:00 - 11:30 am
Saturday, February 4 & 11    11:00 - 11:30 am

Parent-Child Playgroup
Thursday, February 2, 9 & 23   10:00 - 11:00 am

Literacy Bingo (Alphabet!)
Tuesday, February 21  10:30 - 11:15 am
Drop in for a few rounds of bingo to practice alphabet (letter) recognition and sounds- there will be prizes!

Tabletop Games & Activities
Friday, February 24   1:00 - 4:00 pm
Hopkinton Elementary Schools have a 1/2 day! Drop by the children's programming room to play some table-top games with friends and family (e.g. chess, Guess Who, scrabble, etc.).

Gracie, Therapy Dog
Wednesday, February 1, 8, 15 & 22  7:00 - 7:45 pm

Book Clubs
NEW - Diversity Book Club
We're starting a new passive "book club" for all ages. Starting in January, patrons can check out a book related to a theme. Our first theme is Holocaust Remembrance Month. The Children's, Young Adult, and Adult departments have chosen the following titles respectively:The Tree in the Courtyard by Gottesfeld, White Bird by Palacio, and Send for Me by Fox. Patrons can stop by the library's lobby anytime during January and check out one or more of these titles. Discussion questions will accompany each book so that patrons may ponder them individually or discuss them with friends and family.

Chat 'n' Chew Book Club
Wednesday, February 15  12:30 - 2:00  pm on Zoom
Missing your Book Club? Consider joining the Chat'n'Chew book group. Instead of assigning a book for all participants to read, each person reviews something they read this month.

Library News
The Library will be CLOSED on Monday, February 20 in observation of Presidents Day, as well as Saturday, February 18.

Meeting Dates
The Friends of the Hopkinton Public Library meet Wednesday, February 1 at 6:00 pm for their Annual Meeting followed by their regular monthly meeting.

The Hopkinton Public Library Foundation meets on Monday, February 6 at 7:00 pm.

The Board of Library Trustees meet on Monday, February 27 at 7:00 pm in the Ellsworth Room.  This meeting is open to the public. The agenda will be posted on the Town calendar.

Show Your Support
Learn more about the Friends of the Hopkinton Library. Show your support by becoming a member.  Becoming a member is a great way to show your support for your local library, even if you don’t have time to get involved. You can join or renew your membership here.

The Hopkinton Public Library Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission of supporting Hopkinton Public Library by funding resources, technology, educational and special projects, and long term improvements Their fundraising efforts seek to bridge the gap between the community’s aspirations for its Library and the usual or customary funding available from municipal budgets. Working in partnership with the Library, as well as the supporting organizations of the Trustees and Friends of the Library, the Foundation encourages continued and increased support of the Hopkinton Public Library as a valuable community resource. Meet the team and find out ways to support the library here.