Sarah Marquesen: Acrylic animal portraits: For the Love of Animals

Dan Chiamis: Animal portraiture: Once Upon A Time At The Zoo

Renee Hill: Macro photography/tiny creatures: Colors of the Seasons

Hosmer Gallery website

Ukulele Strum Group is a community ukulele club, part of the larger Pioneer Valley Ukulele Community (Meetup). We meet weekly at Forbes Library in Northampton to sing and play together just for the fun and joy of it, but also to improve our skills. We are ukulele enthusiasts of all levels of playing experience, including beginners. And we always welcome new members to play, sing, or just watch and listen.

Find out more about our group on our Meet-Up page. 

Based in Western Massachusetts, Tom Knight has been delighting children and their grown-ups with his original, interactive, musical puppet show since 1988.  His unique blend of musicianship and puppetry celebrates reading (“The Library Boogie”), the environment (“The Garbage Monster”), and science (“The Solar System”), with hand-made puppets, catchy songs, and lots of audience participation. 

The vibrant and amusing visual elements appeal to children as young as 2, while fun lyrics engage children up to twelve, and adults, too! Tom has performed more than 1000 times at libraries, schools, pre-schools, summer camps, museums, and festivals across the country.  He just released his 6th studio album for families - Look Both Ways!

“Whimsical and with sensitivity. Never preachy.”– Ithaca Times

“Affirming, empowering, and kid-friendly. Not only educational, it’s thought-provoking.”– School Library Journal

Thank you to The Friends of Forbes Library for sponsoring this event.

Join us for a reading and Q&A with poets Ernie Brill, Connally Ryan, and Jerry Waller. 

Ernie Brill is the author of Journeys of Voices and Choices, a "minimemoir in poetry."

Connolly Ryan is the author of Velocity At Rest, professor in the English Honors Program at UMass Amherst, and a nature photographer.

Jerry Waller is a longtime resident of the Valley, inspired by Dr. Suess, Emily, and even more so by the works of poets, writers and artists that call the Valley home.

Are you a local author eager to share your work with our community? Email spaces@forbeslibrary.org to sign up for a future author showcase.

View a selection of archival periodicals and materials for research or for fun, and buy used queer/trans books/merch.

This event is led by the Sexual Minorities Archive.

This is an inviting program for learning in a friendly and
relaxed atmosphere through weekly Zoom sessions.
Sessions (which start promptly) are from 3-4:30 PM and include advanced conversation and text anaylsis.
Electronic devises are not permited during the classes.
For more information and zoom link, email Silvia at garabato.m7@gmail.com

Este es un programa diseñado para practicar y mejorar el idioma usando distintos temas de comunicación,
como literatura, análisis y conversación.
Es un grupo de inmersión y por esta razón sólo se habla en españnol, sin la ayuda de ningún aparato
electrónico durante el tiempo de clase.

Sarah Marquesen: Acrylic animal portraits: For the Love of Animals

Dan Chiamis: Animal portraiture: Once Upon A Time At The Zoo

Renee Hill: Macro photography/tiny creatures: Colors of the Seasons

Hosmer Gallery website

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?

Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?

Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

We've got bricks, baseplates and minifigs--now all we need is you! Join us for LEGO Club Mondays at 3:30 in the Forbes Library Community Room. Pick a design challenge out of the bowl or simply build a creation of your own choosing. This program is great for ages 4+.

NOTE for summer schedules we will meet on the 5th Monday in July and skip August 

July 29 we will discuss Andrew Jackson 

American Lion by John Meacham (print, large print, e-book, e-audio or CD audio) or alternatives are Andrew Jackson: His Life and Times By: HW Brands (print, large print, CD audio) or Jacksonland by Steve Inskeep (print or CD audio)

The Presidential Book Group is reading biographies of each President in chronological order.  Join us anytime along this journey.  

The group meets on the 4th Monday of the month at 6:30 PM EST, which you can attend in person in the Coolidge Museum or on Zoom. Discussions will be facilitated by Bill Scher, vice president of the Coolidge Museum Committee.

Email Coolidge@forbeslibrary.org to join the email list and receive the zoom link.

Sarah Marquesen: Acrylic animal portraits: For the Love of Animals

Dan Chiamis: Animal portraiture: Once Upon A Time At The Zoo

Renee Hill: Macro photography/tiny creatures: Colors of the Seasons

Hosmer Gallery website

Join us for stories, songs, and puppets! We'll do a 20-minute storytime together, then we'll put out toys for free play and social time until 11. For babies under 18 months and their caregivers.

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?

Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?

Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Every Tuesday, teens ages 12+ are invited to play our Nintendo Switch in the YA Room! We'll have enough controllers for 8 players at a time. Challenge your friends to a Mario Kart race, try out new games, and meet fellow gamers!

This program is for teens only; we have a separate game time for players under the age of 12.

Bring your own book--or borrow one from our collection--and read alongside neighbors and friends. Gather at 6:30pm for a group welcome, then settle in for an hour of quiet reading, followed by (optional) sharing and socializing. You might just discover your new favorite book!

This Silent Book Club chapter meets on the last Tuesday of each month in the Reading Room. All are welcome to come read in community with us, no library card needed!

On Wednesdays, the Writing Room meets virtually. In-person meetings have resumed for Saturday sessions.

On these mornings we will meet via videoconference at our regular time: 9:30-12:30, using the exact same structure as we would if we were gathered around the table in the Watson Room at Forbes. The only difference will be that we will be connecting by videoconference, rather than face-to-face.

Here's all you need to join the Writing Room via Videoconference:

• Join us in the Virtual Writing Room on Zoom.  
• I will come online 15 minutes before our starting time (at 9:15) to answer any questions you might have. 
• You will have the option to have your camera off or on, so you can join however you feel most comfortable.
• The sessions will NOT be recorded, and you have the option to be visible or not, so your privacy will be preserved just as it would if we were meeting at the library.

How the Writing Room Works: each session opens at 9:30 sharp with brief hellos, followed by the pleasure of getting work done in the company of others. At 11:45 we check in about how the work went and make announcements. At (roughly) 12, anyone who wishes to read for the group does briefly, without critique or spoken response. We're done by 12:30.

Writers are welcome to come for all or part of the session. No need to register in advance. 

Please see Annemarie from the MassHire Franklin Hampshire Career Center for Career Center registration, job search assistance, UI and other available services. Meet on the Mezzanine between 10am and 1pm.

Questions about other job seeker services? Please call the MassHire Greenfield office at 413-774-4361.

Drop in for part or all of these casual chess meets, every Wednesday from 1-3pm on the mezzanine. All experience levels welcome. Please bring your own set if you have one. 

Read to Sunny is cancelled until further notice. We're sorry for the inconvenience.

Hello! I'm Sunny and I'm Forbes Library's reading buddy dog! You can book a 15-minute appointment to read to me on Wednesdays between 3:30-4:30. I'm a good listener and like to look at the pictures, too. Reading to me is a great way for you to practice reading! We'll meet inside the Children's Department. 

To register, please call 413-587-1010 or sign up at the Forbes Library Children's Desk. This program is great for children ages 4-10. Happy reading! 

Our computer help volunteer will not be available this morning. Feel free to stop by the Reference Desk for informal computer help.

Join us for books, songs, and puppets and participate in an open-ended art activity designed to encourage creativity! Great for ages 3-5. 

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?

Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Join us down in the Forbes Library Community Room on Thursday nights for some lite socializing, low-stakes sharing, and informal critique - as well as some time writing, of course! We warmly welcome writers of all genres and levels of experience.

We will start every meeting with a friendly check in, followed by a 15-20 minute writing prompt. After an optional share out, you are welcome to hang out and work on whatever you’ve got - flesh out the prompt, work on your novel, maybe get crafty with some visual poetry or collage.

This is an inclusive, expansive creative space. If you have a cool idea, bring it and share - we welcome collaborators with open arms! We also understand that one's capacity and enthusiasm for participation fluctuates - come when you can, and stay as long as you like. Absolutely no sweat if you can't make it - we look forward to seeing you next time you're here. We are also working toward online accessibility - contact noholitsociety@gmail.com for info on accessing our prompts online!


 Let’s get together, get some good work done, and enjoy each other's company!

Optional pre-registration is through Eventbrite, where you’ll find info on our open mics and other events as well. Updates are also on Instagram @noholitsociety 

About us:

Northampton Literary Society is a vibrant and supportive community of readers, writers, and artists of all kinds. We are always seeking and offering opportunities for creative expansion and collaboration. Let's make meaningful connections and grow our writing community!

Sign up for our mailing list to get our monthly newsletter featuring local literary news, events, and featured writing from our members each month!

Visit the Hosmer Gallery from August 2 – August 31, 2024 to view artwork by Chaldea Emerson Deyman, Pamela Acosta Hernández, and Wendy Woodson.

Fresh Local Organic by Chaldea Emerson Deyman - The colorful illustrations of Chaldea Emerson Deyman invite the viewer into cozy imaginative scenes of animal domestic life. Her art is a celebration of local food, music, family and tiny dwellings. All the work is done in watercolor and colored pencil on paper.

The pond-dwellers or Contra-corriente by Pamela Acosta Hernández - Pamela Acosta is a Mexican artist from the borderlands along the Rio Grande Valley. She creates visual narratives about a myriad of beings, quests and the symbiotic relationships formed between beings and their environments, exploring how we construct, transform and are transmuted by our surroundings.

Collages by Wendy Woodson - Reimagined historical portraiture, imaginary landscapes & characters created with found materials and photography collages.

Artists' Gallery Reception: Saturday, August 3, 3:30-5:30pm

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council​, a state agency.

For more details, visit the Hosmer Gallery website.

Join us for Toddler Storytime every Friday morning! We will sing songs, read stories, and have fun. This event is best suited for 1.5-3-year-olds and their caregivers. 

Visit the Hosmer Gallery from August 2 – August 31, 2024 to view artwork by Chaldea Emerson Deyman, Pamela Acosta Hernández, and Wendy Woodson.

Fresh Local Organic by Chaldea Emerson Deyman - The colorful illustrations of Chaldea Emerson Deyman invite the viewer into cozy imaginative scenes of animal domestic life. Her art is a celebration of local food, music, family and tiny dwellings. All the work is done in watercolor and colored pencil on paper.

The pond-dwellers or Contra-corriente by Pamela Acosta Hernández - Pamela Acosta is a Mexican artist from the borderlands along the Rio Grande Valley. She creates visual narratives about a myriad of beings, quests and the symbiotic relationships formed between beings and their environments, exploring how we construct, transform and are transmuted by our surroundings.

Collages by Wendy Woodson - Reimagined historical portraiture, imaginary landscapes & characters created with found materials and photography collages.

Artists' Gallery Reception: Saturday, August 3, 3:30-5:30pm

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council​, a state agency.

For more details, visit the Hosmer Gallery website.

Ukulele Strum Group is a community ukulele club, part of the larger Pioneer Valley Ukulele Community (Meetup). We meet weekly at Forbes Library in Northampton to sing and play together just for the fun and joy of it, but also to improve our skills. We are ukulele enthusiasts of all levels of playing experience, including beginners. And we always welcome new members to play, sing, or just watch and listen.

Find out more about our group on our Meet-Up page. 

Join Sanctuary yoga instructor Fran Astino for a free gentle flow class!

Fran’s classes are for all experience levels. They’re designed to help you connect with your breath and align your mind, body, and spirit. You will explore a variety of yoga postures and breathing techniques, while also having the freedom to practice in a way that feels authentic to you. Her classes focus on a slower flow and are often accompanied by calming music. By the end of the class, you should feel more grounded and centered, with a deeper connection to yourself. 

We will meet on the West Lawn by 10:15am. Please bring: 

• Yoga mat - If you do not have a yoga mat, we will have some on hand to borrow
• Water bottle - water fountains and restrooms are available inside
• Sun protectant 

Registration and waiver required. Please register online to sign the waiver ahead of time. (Paper waivers will also be available at the class.)

This program is presented in partnership with Sanctuary. 

The Poop Museum is the place to come for those who are curious and have questions about poop, and also, if like Susie Maguire, they LOVE poop, and think it’s fascinating! Susie is a poop expert who thinks poop is THE most interesting subject in the world. She has studied poop for years and loves nothing more than sharing her expansive knowledge of poop
with the people of the world. At The Poop Museum, everyone learns many fantastic, fabulous and fun facts about human, animal and insect poop, many of which truly amaze and surprise.

Just a few of the poopers that visitors to the Poop Museum will meet, include:

- The world’s messiest pooper
- The animal that has poop attack powers
- The animal that uses poop as protection
- The rainbow pooper
- The animal that has to hold its poop ALL winter long

At The Poop Museum, everyone learns A LOT, and some of the facts that are shared are mind blowing! But The Poop Museum is also full of laughter ... because ... well ... our subject is poop and Susie has found a wonderful way to blend solid science, with the hilarity that humans love, when it comes to poop. 

So come and see us to learn and laugh and talk all about poop when The Poop Museum visits your town! 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Thank you to The Friends of Forbes Library for sponsoring this event.

About Susie Maguire:
Susie is an award winning teacher, storyteller and event creator for children and adults. As a creative learning and development specialist and consultant, Susie’s company created
events around the world for many of the world’s biggest and best companies including Unilever, Hewlett-Packard, Pepsi-Co, Facebook, Ericsson and many more.

Susie is blessed to have a son (now 20) who she world-schooled as they travelled to more than 60 countries. They have called the US, Canada, France, the UK and now The Netherlands (Holland) home.

Susie has worked with children all over the world, for more than 20 years at children’s charities, schools, libraries, nurseries, kindergartens, home education groups and organisations like The Institute of Imagination in London.

Come learn about current trends and issues in immigration, and how to support friends and neighbors who are seeking asylum in Western Mass. This orientation will include an introduction to immigration justice values and asylum law, the history and structure of our network, and how to get involved and start working with us to build the welcoming communities we all deserve to live in!

Presented by Western Mass Asylum Support Network

This is an inviting program for learning in a friendly and
relaxed atmosphere through weekly Zoom sessions.
Sessions (which start promptly) are from 3-4:30 PM and include advanced conversation and text anaylsis.
Electronic devises are not permited during the classes.
For more information and zoom link, email Silvia at garabato.m7@gmail.com

Este es un programa diseñado para practicar y mejorar el idioma usando distintos temas de comunicación,
como literatura, análisis y conversación.
Es un grupo de inmersión y por esta razón sólo se habla en españnol, sin la ayuda de ningún aparato
electrónico durante el tiempo de clase.

Join us for an artists' reception in the Hosmer Gallery, hosted by this month's featured artists: Chaldea Emerson Deyman, Pamela Acosta Hernández, and Wendy Woodson. 

For exhibit details, visit the Hosmer Gallery website.

SANE, or Support and Accountability in Novel Editing, is a year-round extension group of the November Writing Challenge region of Western Massachusetts. If you have participated in the November Writing Challenge, plan to participate, or never want to participate, you are welcome at SANE. Having a work to edit is not a requirement. Meetings include writing/editing "sprints," idea collaboration, and general camaraderie. Sharing and feedback are not generally features of meetings. Bring your writing in whatever form that takes, whether it's laptop, pen and paper, or typewriter, and join us!

For more details, email Aimie Z. at aylaanne@gmail.com. 

Visit the Hosmer Gallery from August 2 – August 31, 2024 to view artwork by Chaldea Emerson Deyman, Pamela Acosta Hernández, and Wendy Woodson.

Fresh Local Organic by Chaldea Emerson Deyman - The colorful illustrations of Chaldea Emerson Deyman invite the viewer into cozy imaginative scenes of animal domestic life. Her art is a celebration of local food, music, family and tiny dwellings. All the work is done in watercolor and colored pencil on paper.

The pond-dwellers or Contra-corriente by Pamela Acosta Hernández - Pamela Acosta is a Mexican artist from the borderlands along the Rio Grande Valley. She creates visual narratives about a myriad of beings, quests and the symbiotic relationships formed between beings and their environments, exploring how we construct, transform and are transmuted by our surroundings.

Collages by Wendy Woodson - Reimagined historical portraiture, imaginary landscapes & characters created with found materials and photography collages.

Artists' Gallery Reception: Saturday, August 3, 3:30-5:30pm

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council​, a state agency.

For more details, visit the Hosmer Gallery website.

Visit the Hosmer Gallery from August 2 – August 31, 2024 to view artwork by Chaldea Emerson Deyman, Pamela Acosta Hernández, and Wendy Woodson.

Fresh Local Organic by Chaldea Emerson Deyman - The colorful illustrations of Chaldea Emerson Deyman invite the viewer into cozy imaginative scenes of animal domestic life. Her art is a celebration of local food, music, family and tiny dwellings. All the work is done in watercolor and colored pencil on paper.

The pond-dwellers or Contra-corriente by Pamela Acosta Hernández - Pamela Acosta is a Mexican artist from the borderlands along the Rio Grande Valley. She creates visual narratives about a myriad of beings, quests and the symbiotic relationships formed between beings and their environments, exploring how we construct, transform and are transmuted by our surroundings.

Collages by Wendy Woodson - Reimagined historical portraiture, imaginary landscapes & characters created with found materials and photography collages.

Artists' Gallery Reception: Saturday, August 3, 3:30-5:30pm

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council​, a state agency.

For more details, visit the Hosmer Gallery website.

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?

Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?

Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

We've got bricks, baseplates and minifigs--now all we need is you! Join us for LEGO Club Mondays at 3:30 in the Forbes Library Community Room. Pick a design challenge out of the bowl or simply build a creation of your own choosing. This program is great for ages 4+.

Respectful, queer/LGBT-friendly, easy-going bunch who want an excuse to get out more and talk about books. And have some snacks. Meetings take place on the first Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. You can reach our group at paradisecityreaders@gmail.com. 

This month's discussion will be about Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo. 

About the book: 

Seventeen-year-old Lily Hu can't remember exactly when the feeling took root—that desire to look, to move closer, to touch. Whenever it started growing, it definitely bloomed the moment she and Kathleen Miller walked under the flashing neon sign of a lesbian bar called the Telegraph Club. Suddenly everything seemed possible. But America in 1954 is not a safe place for two girls to fall in love, especially not in Chinatown. Red-Scare paranoia threatens everyone, including Chinese Americans like Lily. With deportation looming over her father—despite his hard-won citizenship—Lily and Kath risk everything to let their love see the light of day.

Visit the Hosmer Gallery from August 2 – August 31, 2024 to view artwork by Chaldea Emerson Deyman, Pamela Acosta Hernández, and Wendy Woodson.

Fresh Local Organic by Chaldea Emerson Deyman - The colorful illustrations of Chaldea Emerson Deyman invite the viewer into cozy imaginative scenes of animal domestic life. Her art is a celebration of local food, music, family and tiny dwellings. All the work is done in watercolor and colored pencil on paper.

The pond-dwellers or Contra-corriente by Pamela Acosta Hernández - Pamela Acosta is a Mexican artist from the borderlands along the Rio Grande Valley. She creates visual narratives about a myriad of beings, quests and the symbiotic relationships formed between beings and their environments, exploring how we construct, transform and are transmuted by our surroundings.

Collages by Wendy Woodson - Reimagined historical portraiture, imaginary landscapes & characters created with found materials and photography collages.

Artists' Gallery Reception: Saturday, August 3, 3:30-5:30pm

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council​, a state agency.

For more details, visit the Hosmer Gallery website.

Join us for stories, songs, and puppets! We'll do a 20-minute storytime together, then we'll put out toys for free play and social time until 11. For babies under 18 months and their caregivers.

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?

Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

Do you need help using your computer, tablet, or smartphone? Did you run into a sticky software problem? Do you want to learn how to use a new piece of technology?

Come to a drop-in tech help session! Bring your device, or use one of the library's computers, to have your questions answered by a knowledgeable volunteer.

The Musical Petting Zoo is a fun and informative hands-on traveling exhibit of musical instruments! After an introduction to the instruments, participants get a chance to bow a violin, blow a horn or tap out a rhythm on a drum. Here’s your chance to try an instrument in a judgment-free zone that encourages exploration and excitement!

Thank you to The Friends of Forbes Library for sponsoring this event.

Every Tuesday, teens ages 12+ are invited to play our Nintendo Switch in the YA Room! We'll have enough controllers for 8 players at a time. Challenge your friends to a Mario Kart race, try out new games, and meet fellow gamers!

This program is for teens only; we have a separate game time for players under the age of 12.

Visit the Hosmer Gallery from August 2 – August 31, 2024 to view artwork by Chaldea Emerson Deyman, Pamela Acosta Hernández, and Wendy Woodson.

Fresh Local Organic by Chaldea Emerson Deyman - The colorful illustrations of Chaldea Emerson Deyman invite the viewer into cozy imaginative scenes of animal domestic life. Her art is a celebration of local food, music, family and tiny dwellings. All the work is done in watercolor and colored pencil on paper.

The pond-dwellers or Contra-corriente by Pamela Acosta Hernández - Pamela Acosta is a Mexican artist from the borderlands along the Rio Grande Valley. She creates visual narratives about a myriad of beings, quests and the symbiotic relationships formed between beings and their environments, exploring how we construct, transform and are transmuted by our surroundings.

Collages by Wendy Woodson - Reimagined historical portraiture, imaginary landscapes & characters created with found materials and photography collages.

Artists' Gallery Reception: Saturday, August 3, 3:30-5:30pm

This program is supported in part by a grant from the Northampton Arts Council, a local agency which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council​, a state agency.

For more details, visit the Hosmer Gallery website.