Join NPL’s newly formed Classics Book Group! This group meets in-person 3-4 PM the third Thursday of every month in the Director’s Room. Please call 978-465-4428 x2 if you have any questions or would like to have a librarian put the book on hold for you. Registration is highly requests as space is limited. Click HERE to register.
For the month of November, we will be discussing Natsume Soseki’s “Kokoro.”
“Soseki is the representative modern Japanese novelist, a figure of truly national stature.”—Haruki Murakami
“The father of modern Japanese literature’s best-loved novel…Soseki’s “Kokoro”—meaning “heart” [or “The Heart of Things”]—is the story of a subtle and poignant friendship between two unnamed characters, a young man and an enigmatic elder whom he calls “Sensei.” Haunted by tragic secrets that have cast a long shadow over his life, Sensei slowly opens up to his young disciple, confessing indiscretions from his own student days that have left him reeling with guilt, and revealing, in the seemingly unbridgeable chasm between his moral anguish and his student’s struggle to understand it, the profound cultural shift from one generation to the next that characterized Japan in the early twentieth century.”
And that’s a wrap for our Fall Great Old Book Sale!
The biggest THANK YOU goes to our wonderful community of book lovers, book sellers and everyone else in between. October’s Sale brought in $10,014!
All proceeds from the Book Sale goes right back to the library for books, media, our ever popular museum passes, archival materials, library furniture and programming for all ages.
We are grateful to the Friends of the Newburyport Public Library for all of the hard work and dedication that goes into planning and running our biannual book sales.
Mark your calendars for our Spring Book Sale returning March 25-28, 2026!
Join the Newburyport Public Library for some creative fun with Maker Mondays. (See our calendar here for dates! Maker Mondays typically occur once a month.)
We are using this Maker Monday to officially launch our Seed Library on Monday, March 17! Come by the Library between 6 – 7:30 PM to check out the seeds available in our Seed Library and bring your own to share. Stop in at our Seed Starting Station where you can get planting right away or get creative at our Craft Station and make your own plant markers for your garden.
Due to limited supplies, crafters will be limited to no more than five plant markers. This program will not have a limit on the number of seed starts per attendee, but please be respectful of the time limit set for the program so staff will be able to clean up on time.
Join our newly created group for a casual and fun conversation to find your next great read! The library will offer book suggestions and teach you how to use some of our favorite recommendation tools. We would love to hear about your favorite books too! No need to prepare a review in advance of this informal discussion.
We hope to see you there!
No registration required. This is an adult in-person program that will meet Tuesday, February 18 at 5:30 PM.
We read a variety of mystery, thriller and true crime books; fiction and non-fiction! New readers are always welcome. We also do not discourage those who were unable to finish the current title from attending – we welcome you to join the discussion anyways!”
“Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.
The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job. Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.
Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge…”
Come play BINGO with us and track your reading progress for a chance to win a $30 gift card to Illume Books! Use the online form (linked above) to view the BINGO card and submit what you’ve read. Each submission will enter you into the raffle (even if you don’t hit BINGO), but you can only submit one book per category.
You can enter your submissions at any point during the Winter Reading challenge. Three lucky winners will each win a $30 gift certificate to Illume Books and all winners will be drawn after the conclusion of the program. Participants can win only once.
If you have any questions or would like a physical copy of the BINGO card, please speak with a reference librarian on the second floor.
The Winter Reading program runs from January 13th through March 15th.
Join the Newburyport Public Library Art Hive! The NPL Art Hive is held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month in the Program Room.
What is an Art Hive? Art Hives are community art spaces where participants bring in their own arts and crafts projects to meet, exchange ideas, and socialize with fellow artists in an inclusive and respectful environment. They are often held at an art studio, a local venue, or a public library.
All skill levels are welcome. Please bring in your own supplies and projects to work on. The Library will also provide coloring pages, color pencils, and origami. Suggested art hive projects include knitting and crocheting, collaging, small-scale watercolors and/or drawings.
All donations must be brought in through the front door.
Hardcover, paperback and audio books only; no other media, textbooks or magazines will be accepted. Please, 8 box limit.
Friends of the Library Members’ Sale
Wednesday, October 23: 2 pm-8 pm FOL Members Only. Membership can be purchased at the library. Entry numbers are available in the lobby starting at 12:00 pm Wednesday.
General Sale
Thursday, October 24: 9:30 am-7:30 pm
Friday, October 25: 9:30 am-4:30 pm
Saturday, October 26: 9:30 am-2:30 pm
Volunteers are always welcome. A volunteer sign-up book can be found in the library lobby next to the Book Sale poster or you can sign up online using Signup Genius HERE.
This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Newburyport Public Library. Proceeds will benefit the Newburyport Public Library collections and programs.
The Summer Reading program runs June 8th through August 10th.
Events
The Newburyport Public Library is offering tons of fun events for summer! Check out our events calendar for details, and join us on Saturday, June 8, 2024 for our kickoff event with a petting zoo on the front lawn!
KIDS (Ages 0-12)
Download the Beanstack app or visit: newburyportpl.beanstack.org to create an account. If you used Beanstack last year, you should still have an account. If you want to log reading for multiple kids at the same time, we recommend using the app instead of a web browser.
Mark off each day you spend time reading (or listening, or being read to) this summer.
Every time you log ten days (consecutive or non-consecutive!), you get to pick a prize from the Library’s prize bucket.
As you log days, you’ll also earn virtual raffle tickets. Use these raffle tickets to enter for a grand prize bag! We’ll pull winners at the end of the summer.
Grand prizes this year include Walkie Talkies, Glow in the Dark Magnatiles, and more!
Log the minutes you read to earn badges and tickets.
What can you read? Anything! Just track the time you spend reading (or listening). Tracking your reading time or achieving activity badges earns you tickets, which you can then use to win prizes. And yes, you can use your summer reading book for school to earn tickets.
We will have two drawings this summer. Some of the prizes will change between the two drawings, but you’ll be able to enter for the grand prizes all summer long. Grand prizes will be drawn on the last day.
This year’s prizes include gift cards to Jen Ju Boba, Lexie’s, a Bluetooth projector, themed mystery bags, books, and more!
ADULTS
Come play BINGO with us and track your reading progress for a chance to win a $30 gift card to Jabberwocky!
Use the online form (linked below) to view the BINGO card and submit what you’ve read. Each submission will enter you into the raffle (even if you don’t hit BINGO). You can only submit one book per category.
Attending any program hosted by the Newburyport Public Library will also enter you into the raffle! Submit your attendance via the online form.
You can enter your submissions at any point during the Summer Reading challenge. Three lucky winners will each win a $30 gift certificate to Jabberwocky and all winners will be drawn after the conclusion of the program. Please note, participants can only win once.
If you have any questions or would like a physical copy of the BINGO card, please speak with a reference librarian on the second floor.
View the BINGO card and submit your reading progress HERE!
Prizes are funded by the Friends of the Newburyport Public Library.
The theme for National Library Week 2024 is Ready, Set, Library! National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and Newbery and Pura Belpré-award winning author Meg Medina is the 2024 Honorary Chair.
Ways to Celebrate
1. Visit your library.
National Library Week is the perfect time to visit your library. Bring the kids or invite your friends. Meet the librarians. Check out books or other great items in your library’s collection or attend a program. Take time to learn all your library has to offer!
2. Tell ALA how YOU library for a chance to win
The American Library Association needs your help spreading some library love by sharing what you appreciate most about the services and resources your library provides.
Do you love getting lost in the stories of the library’s summer reading program, storytime, or book club? When you walk through the library’s doors, are you looking for a quiet nook to study? Do you attend programs to enrich your mind, meet local authors, or find support from your community? What’s your favorite thing to check out—books, movies, outdoor games?
ALA wants to know how YOU library!
Participating is easy:
Snap a pic or shoot a video showcasing your favorite thing about your library.
Post to Instagram, X, Threads, or on the I Love Libraries Facebook page with the hashtag #HowILibrary.
And don’t forget to tag your library to let them know how much they are appreciated!
What’s in it for you? In addition to the gratification of supporting libraries, there’s also a chance to win great prizes from ALA. The promotion starts Sunday, April 7, at noon CT and ends Friday, April 12, at noon CT.
Join the #HowILibrary movement, and let’s make this the best National Library Week ever! Official Rules (PDF)
3. Follow your library, ALA, and I Love Libraries on social media.
