Adult Nonfiction Book Club: Tuesday, May 5th 6:30 p.m. to 7:45 p.m.
We will discuss Bread and Roses: Mills, Migrants, and the Struggle for the American Dream, by Bruce Watson.
Copies are available at Main Desk. The ebook is available to download from Libby.
No reservations needed. Drop-ins are welcome! Email Bari Pender at bpender@westfordma.gov for more information!
Virtual: Taxation, Tyranny and Treason — The Road to the Declaration of Independence
Thursday, May 7th 6:30—7:30 PM
This dynamic lecture traces the turbulent decade that transformed colonial protest into outright rebellion. Britain’s victory in the French and Indian War reshaped its empire—and saddled Parliament with staggering debt. In response, long-ignored colonies suddenly found themselves targeted by new taxes and strict trade controls. The Sugar Act, Stamp Act, and Townshend Duties ignited resistance, while the rallying cry of “no taxation without representation” echoed from taverns to town greens.
Tensions soon turned deadly. The Boston Massacre shocked the empire. The Boston Tea Party dared Parliament to respond—and Britain answered with the punitive Coercive Acts. Instead of submission, the colonies united, convening the First Continental Congress and, before long, exchanging gunfire at Lexington and Concord.
From there, the lecture follows the rise of the Second Continental Congress, the appointment of George Washington, the radical influence of Common Sense, and Thomas Jefferson’s crafting of a declaration that challenged monarchy itself.
Rich with visuals and gripping storytelling, this presentation reveals how outrage became ideology—and protest became independence. Register HERE.
Christopher Daley has been speaking all over New England for the past 30 years and virtually via Zoom throughout the United States for the past several years on historical topics of interest; at libraries, historical societies, schools and all sorts of clubs and organizations! He holds a B.A. and an M.A. from Bridgewater State University in Political Science and History. He was formerly the President of the Pembroke Historical Society and Chairman of the Pembroke Historical Commission. He was also a docent at the John Alden House Historic Site as well as Coordinator of Educational Outreach. Additionally, in 2023, Chris retired from his position as history teacher in the Silver Lake Regional School System in Kingston, Massachusetts after teaching for 25 years.
Virtual: SciFi Book Recommendations with Author Elizabeth Bear
Love SciFi but not sure what to read next? Join bestselling author, Elizabeth Bear, quarterly for 30 minutes of pure book recommendations – the best of Science Fiction books out there (out there – see what we did there? :)! We’re sure you’ll find something to like from Bear’s many enthusiastic reviews.
Register directly on Zoom HERE. You can sign up for one session or for all! This program is presented in collaboration with the Ashland Public Library.
-May 13, 2026 07:00 PM
-Aug 12, 2026 07:00 PM
-Nov 18, 2026 07:00 PM
Elizabeth Bear was born on the same day as Frodo and Bilbo Baggins, but in a different year. She is the Hugo, Sturgeon, Locus, and Astounding Award winning author of dozens of novels; over a hundred short stories; and a number of essays, nonfiction, and opinion pieces for markets as diverse as Popular Mechanics and The Washington Post.
Adult Book Club: Thursday, May 14th 6:30 p.m.
We’ll meet in person at 515 Groton Road to discuss Harriet Tubman: the Road to Freedom by Catherine Clinton.
Copies are available at the Main Desk. The e-book and audiobook are available to download from Libby and Hoopla.
Email Kristina Leedberg at kleedberg@westfordma.gov for more information!
Virtual – Historical Fiction Book Recs with Bestselling Author, Jane Healey
Love Historical Fiction but not sure what to read next? Join bestselling author, Jane Healey monthly for 30 minutes of pure book recommendations – the best of historical fiction out there! We’re sure you’ll find something to like from Jane’s many enthusiastic reviews. Register for one or more directly on Zoom HERE.
-May 12, 2026 06:30 PM
-Jun 9, 2026 06:30 PM
-Jul 14, 2026 06:30 PM
-Aug 11, 2026 06:30 PM
-Sep 8, 2026 06:30 PM
-Oct 13, 2026 06:30 PM
-Nov 10, 2026 06:30 PM
-Dec 8, 2026 06:30 PM
Jane Healey is the author of The Beantown Girls, a Washington Post and Amazon Charts bestseller, The Secret Stealers, which was an Amazon First Reads Editor’s Pick and a Historical Novel Society’s Editors’ Choice, and her debut, The Saturday Evening Girls Club. Goodnight from Paris was her novel from Lake Union Publishing and her most recent release, The Women of Arlington Hall has been getting rave reviews. Jane is also the host of Historical Happy Hour, a monthly webinar and podcast featuring interviews with premier historical fiction authors and their latest novels. She and her family live outside Boston. We can’t wait to hear what Jane will be recommending – be ready for your TBR pile to fall over!
This program is presented in collaboration with the Ashland Public Library.
Monday Mystery Book Club: Monday, May 18th at 2:30 p.m. We’ll meet in person on the 3rd floor of Roudenbush Community Center, 65 Main St, to discuss Death of a Scriptwriter By M.C. Beaton.
Copies are available at Main Desk. The audiobook is available to download from Hoopla.
Email Linda Ernick at lernick@westfordma.gov for details!
Virtual: Mastering Stress — Practical Techniques For Relief, Wednesday, May 27th 7:00—8:00 PM
Join mindfulness and meditation instructor Lauren Masse, founder of Bright Heart Coaching, to learn effective strategies to manage and reduce stress in your daily life. This workshop offers practical tools that you can easily incorporate into your routine. Gain insights into the root causes of stress and how to navigate them with confidence. Leave feeling empowered and more in control.
Register directly on Zoom HERE. Sponsored by the Friends of the Library in collaboration with the Friends of the Tewksbury Public Library.
RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
VIRTUAL: Discover the Treasure Within, Thursday, June 4th 6:30—7:45 PM
Each one of us is a unique gift manifesting in the form of a special human being. The universe is blessed by the presence of a diverse population of ever-evolving spiritual beings. No matter how far you have already traveled or how far you still have to go on your life’s journey, you will be enlightened by the topics discussed during this life-changing presentation.
The webinar focuses on how to achieve peace within when surrounded by worldly turmoil and how to maintain that peace, once it is discovered, in a world fueled by competition, materialism and egocentricity. Gary Zukav’s ground-breaking book The Seat of the Soul serves as the backdrop and jumping off point for this seminar (not necessary to have read the book to benefit from the program). This webinar is divided into two segments: lecture and question-and-answer period. Topics covered include spirituality, meditation, inner wisdom, soul silence, coincidence, and intuition.
About the speaker: Motivational speaker and author Constance Hallinan Lagan (NY) inspires people to live lives in accordance with their inner calling. Lecturing nationwide, both in person and virtually, Connie remains faithful to her own inner voice, and, in doing so, makes others aware of their own inner spirit and empowers them to take “right action” to live in peace, happiness and harmony, whether they are seeking to engage in an entrepreneurial pursuit (Business Development), advance their career (Career Advancement), or enrich their lives through personal growth (Personal Enrichment).
Register HERE.
Virtual-Lost: Amelia Earhart’s Three Mysterious Deaths and One Extraordinary Life w Rachel Hartigan, Monday, June 15th 7:00—8:00 PM
We love learning and mysteries and so this is one we’re really looking forward to! Join author Rachel Hartigan as she discusses her book, Lost: Amelia Earhart’s Three Mysterious Deaths and One Extraordinary Life. Unravel one of history’s greatest mysteries in this spellbinding narrative exploring three leading theories of Amelia Earhart’s tragic disappearance. We’re sure we all have our ideas on what could have happened to Amelia Earhart so we hope you’ll join us for this fascinating conversation!
Register directly on Zoom HERE.
RECORDING NOTE: This program will be recorded. All registrants will receive the recording via email within 48 hours of the program.
About Lost: Amelia Earhart’s Three Mysterious Deaths and One Extraordinary Life:
When Amelia Earhart’s plane disappeared in 1937, the clues poured in, attracting wild conspiracies about her tragic fate.
In Lost, former National Geographic reporter Rachel Hartigan delves into Earhart’s disappearance, introducing a host of eccentric characters who have become obsessed with finding the truth. Did the great aviator crash land near the Marshall Islands, only to be captured by Japanese soldiers? Did she manage to land on Nikumaroro Island but die of injury or starvation? Or did she run out of fuel and crash into the ocean?
Interspersed with the search for Earhart is the story of her extraordinary life: her unstable childhood, her itinerant early career, and how a PR-savvy publisher transformed her into an aviation icon and became her husband in an unconventional marriage.
In the spirit of nonfiction blockbusters like The Lost City of Z, Hartigan draws us into the world of Earhart’s devotees and unspools a beguiling tale. The theories lead Hartigan from the pilot’s birthplace of Atchison, Kansas to an expedition on a remote Pacific Island, where forensic dogs attempt to recover a potential sample of Earhart’s DNA.
As tantalizing new evidence mounts, Hartigan and her fellow investigators descend deeper into a world of conspiracy and obsession. Through its irresistible characters and prodigious research, Lost reveals not just why we remember Amelia Earhart as a trailblazer and adventurer, but why unsolved mysteries keep us forever searching for answers.
About Rachel:
I’ve written about everything from the genetics of persimmon trees to the long road to women’s suffrage for National Geographic, where I worked as a writer, reporter, and editor from 2012 to 2024. A former editor of the Washington Post’s Book World, I also covered education and culture for U.S. News & World Report.
This program is sponsored by the Friends of the Ashland Public Library in collaboration with a multitude of MA Libraries to bring this program to our communities.
Virtual – Mystery/Thriller Book Recs with Bestselling Author, Hank Phillippi Ryan
Love Mysteries and Thrillers but not sure what to read next? Join bestselling author, Hank Phillippi Ryan, for this quarterly session of her recommendations of some of the best of mystery/thrillers out there! We’re sure you’ll find something to like from Hank’s many enthusiastic reviews.
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN is USA Today bestselling author of 16 psychological thrillers, winning the most prestigious awards in the genre: five Agathas, five Anthonys, and the coveted Mary Higgins Clark Award. She is also on-air investigative reporter for Boston’s WHDH-TV, winning 37 EMMYs and dozens more journalism honors for her groundbreaking journalism and true crime stories. Her newest thriller, ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS, came out in September from Minotaur Books, and is an instant USA Today Bestseller. It is already in second printing.
Register directly on Zoom HERE. You can sign up for one session or for all!
Wednesday, June 17th, 2026 6:30—7:00 PM
Thursday, September 17th 6:30—7:00 PM
Thursday, December 17th 6:30—7:00 PM
This program is presented in collaboration with the Ashland Public Library.
Virtual – Women’s Fiction Book Recs with Bestselling Author, Kristan Higgins
Love Women’s Fiction but not sure what to read next? Join bestselling author, Kristan Higgins (and Ashland fave!), quarterly for 30 minutes of pure book recommendations – the best of women’s fiction out there! We’re sure you’ll find something to like from Kristan’s many enthusiastic reviews. This program is presented in collaboration with the Ashland Public Library.
Register for one or more directly on Zoom HERE.
-Jul 16, 2026 06:30 PM
-Oct 15, 2026 06:30 PM
