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Programs listed here are often suitable for all ages. The Library also has a wide variety of programs specifically intended for children and teens.
Special Events | Computer classes | Author visits | Book & Craft Clubs | Adult Literacy
Movies | Small Business | Civic Engagement
Special Events
Central Library Celebrates 100th Anniversary in 2012
Visit our Centennial Celebration page with more information about the history of the Central Library.
Read more about the history of the Springfield City Library
 COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS AT THE PINE POINT BRANCH LIBRARY
Covering topics of local interest
The Pine Point Branch Library, 204 Boston Road (263-6855), will host a series of free discussions at 6 p.m. on four upcoming Wednesdays. We hope to connect area residents with local experts in order to deepen an understanding of community issues. More...
 Small Business Workshops
at the Sixteen Acres Branch Library
This is a series of presentations designed to help people understand the business of setting up a small business or franchise. The first and third presentations will be by Raymond Milano of the Small Business Administration; the second will be led by Frank Dunne of FranNet, a national organization charged with helping people set up and maintain a franchise. All workshops will be held in the Sixteen Acres Branch Library Community Room, 187 Parker Street, (413) 263-6858. More...
 STITCHING WITH STEVEN AT THE LIBRARY
Highlighting Hand Looming and Crocheting
Second & Fourth Sundays, 2 - 3:30 pm
Central Library, WellmanHall
Download our flyer
Stop by the Central Library's Wellman Hall on Sunday afternoons beginning in January and you may get hooked on a new craft! You can talk to our new “stitching pro” Steven, plus meet other needle workers and exchange tips, techniques and favorite resources to refine your skills. On the second and fourth Sunday of the month, from 2-3:30 p.m., Steven will display his needlework and be available to take your questions. All skill levels are welcome, and basic guidance with knitting is also offered. Needlework is a great way to make gifts, practice artistry, coordination, and dexterity, and can be fun for hours! Join us at the Central Library, located at 220 State Street in Springfield.
 Poetry Workshops at the Central Library
Springfield City Library presents a series of Saturday Poetry Workshops led by local poet, educator and teaching artist Maria Luísa Arroyo. Sessions will take place in the Central Library Community Room, 220 State Street in Springfield. June's Poetry Reading will be held in the Library's Rotunda. More...
Ongoing Events
Computer Training
The library offers a continuing series of classes in basic computer use, searching the Internet, subject-oriented research, and a variety of other topics. The current schedule is posted on the Hi!Tech@the Library page.
Trainings for the Foundation Center Online Database are scheduled quarterly, and can also be arranged upon request by contacting Donna Goldthwaite at 263-6828 x437 or dgoldthwaite@springfieldlibrary.org.
One-on-one introductory computer training is available by appointment at the Forest Park and East Forest Park Branches. Please contact those branches directly for more information.
Finding Reliable Health & Medical Information Online
Would you like to find out where to get reliable, relevant health information on the Internet? Consider signing up for one or all of the free computer workshops to be taught by Margot Malachowski, Outreach Librarian at Baystate Health. More....
Author Visits
The library hosts author events at branches throughout the system. Most events include author readings and lectures, as well as signings. Events may be either stand-alone visits or part of a thematic series. If there is a writer you'd like to see at the library, please contact the Central Library Reference Desk at 263-6828 x213 or email askalibrarian@springfieldlibrary.org.
2011:
David Chura, I don't wish nobody to have a life like mine: tales of kids in adult lockup
2010:
(City Thinks, October): Dr. Ronald Mallett, Time Traveler: A Scientist's Personal Mission to Make Time Travel a Reality
Keshawn Dodds, Menzuo in the Calling of the Sun Prince
James McCommons, Waiting on a Train
M.P. Barker, A Difficult Boy
Timothy Black, When a Heart Turns Rock Solid: The Lives of Three Puerto Rican Brothers On and Off the Streets
M J Nicholas (Nicholas Burlak), Love and War: An American Volunteer in the Soviet Red Army
2008:
City Thinks (November): Rob Gifford, author of China Road: A Journey into the Future of a Rising Power
G Michael Dobbs, Springfield (Postcard History Series) Read his blog post about the event!
María Luisa Arroyo , Gathering Words/Recogiendo palabras
Sheila Connolly , One Bad Apple
Dan Gordon, Haunted Baseball
Suzanne Strempek Shea , Sundays in America
Michael Tougias , King Philip's War: The History and Legacy of America's Forgotten Conflict
Dr. Steve Sobel , on the "Healing Power of Laughter"
Mike Dobbs , Escape! How Animation Broke Into the Mainstream in the 1990's
Mass Book Award Author series:
Martin Espada, poetry reading
Kim McLarin, Jump the Sun
Mameve Medwed, How Elizabeth Barrett Browning Saved My Life
Dawn Clifton Tripp, The Season of Open Water
Contributing writers from Letters From Mississippi: Reports from Civil Rights Volunteers & Poetry of the 1964 Freedom Summer
2007:
Evie Rhodes, The Forgotten Spirit : A Christmas Tale
Marc Songini, The Lost Fleet: A Yankee Whaler's Struggle Against the Confederate Navy and Arctic Disaster
Jeanne Birdsall, The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy
Carole O'Malley Gaunt, Hungry Hill: A Memoir
Michael C. White, Soul Catcher
Anna Hines, Pieces: A Year In Poems and Quilts
Book Discussion and Crafts Groups
The Library hosts a number of monthly groups which discuss a pre-selected book, or share recent good reads. There are groups which meet at the Central Library, Mason Square, Forest Park, East Forest Park, and Sixteen Acres Branches. Visit the Book Discussion Group page to find the best group for you!
Weekly knitting and crocheting clubs are available at the East Forest Park, Forest Park, and East Springfield branches. Visit the branch pages for more information.
Adult Literacy
 Read/Write/Now
The Read/Write/Now Adult Learning Center, based at the Pine Point Branch on Boston Road, provides adult basic education at no cost to participants.
R/W/N produces a Directory of Adult Basic Education programs in Springfield. The Directory is available online .
For more information, visit the Read/Write/Now webpage, or contact project manager Janet Kelly at 263-6389.
PRACTICE SPEAKING ENGLISH AT THE LIBRARY
Join a Conversation Circle at the Brightwood Branch
Tuesdays, 1 - 2:30 pm
Thursdays, 6:30 - 8 pm
Download our flyer
 Brightwood Branch Library, 359 Plainfield Street, will offer adults learning to speak English the opportunity to develop confidence and build vocabulary by joining a conversation group, meeting Tuesdays from 1-2:30 p.m. or Thursdays from 6:30-8 p.m. beginning November 15. The free Conversation Circles, for adults who speak any language, are a fun way to make new friends and practice speaking English. Please register by calling (413) 263-6805, visiting the Brightwood Branch Library, or signing up online. The library is located in the same building as the Chestnut Accelerated Middle School, with free parking next it. More...
Movies
The Forest Park Branch hosts regular screenings of popular family-friendly films. Light refreshments are provided. Visit the Forest Park Branch page for upcoming films!
A list of most recently purchased dvds, available to check out from the library, is updated monthly.
Small Business Start-up
The Library offers an occasional series of small business start-up workshops, in collaboration with the Western Massachusetts branch of the Small Business Administration.
Check the Small Business Workshops page, or contact the Library for upcoming dates.
Civic Engagement
The Forest Park Branch has a long tradition of sponsoring candidate debates.
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