NEW! Classics Book Group (In-Person)

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.”

— Penguin Random House 

Maker Monday: Community Seed Swap and Seed Library Launch! 

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.

NEW! Reader’s Roundtable

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.

Printing Price Change

Starting January 1st, the cost for printing and copying will increase by 5¢ due to the cost of upkeep and supplies.

Black & white will now be 20¢/page and color will be 40¢/page.

We appreciate your understanding.

NEW! Art Hive

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.

Adults only. See our calendar for dates. Please call 978-465-4428 x2 with any questions. 

The Great Old Book Sale is almost here!

Book Sale Donations

Saturday, October 19: 9:30 am-4:30 pm

Monday, October 21: 9:30 am-7:30 pm

Tuesday, October 22: 9:30 am-2:30 pm

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.

Council on Aging Outreach Services Drop-In Hours

Starting on Thursday, September 12 (12:30-1:30 PM), Outreach Specialist from the Council on Aging, Ann Freeman, will be available at the Newburyport Public Library twice a month to Newburyport residents.

Stop by to get connected to services and information, including information on housing, home care, food, transportation, finance, health, and family issues. Residents will be helped on a first-come first-served basis. See Reference staff for directions. Consultations and referrals are confidential and free to all. 

Please see the Events calendar for exact dates or call us at 978-465-4428.

Shelving and Teen Advisory Board Volunteer Applications are now being accepted.

Please review the Volunteer Program here. This link contains the policy, the application, and the description for the shelving and Teen Advisory Board positions. In order to apply, please complete the application and either drop off the physical copy with a librarian or scan and email the completed application to the info@newburyportpl.org.

If you would like a physical copy of the application, please contact a librarian by calling 978-465-4428 or emailing info@newburyportpl.org.

Archives Special Summer Walk-In Hours

Need some help getting started on researching your Newburyport home for If This House Could Talk? Or are you researching your family history in Newburyport?

Whatever your question is in relation to Newburyport history, we are happy to connect you with the resources that we have available. You can get started by seeing what we have available by visiting our Archival Center page and clicking on Genealogy Research, House History Research, Local History Research, or Collections.

In addition to our regular hours, the Newburyport Archival Center is offering special Drop-In House History Research Help on Wednesdays 2-4PM until July 24th.

There are also Special Summer Walk-In Hours from 9am to 12pm on the following Saturdays: July 6, July 13, July 20, July 27, August 3, and August 10.

Need help on a different date or time? Please view the Archival Center Hours here or contact us at 978-465-4428 or by emailing info@newburyportpl.org. While appointments are encouraged during certain times so that we can better assist you, you can always feel free to stop by the Archival Center (basement level) or Reference Desk (second floor) to check on availability.

Newburyport Public Library Board of Directors Meeting – now hybrid

As of 1:17 pm today, we are offering the upcoming Newburyport Public Library Board of Directors meeting in hybrid format. The meeting will also be open for in person attendees and will be held in the Program Room on the first floor of the library.

Please review the full Zoom invite information below:


Link to the Zoom Meeting
Full link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81449309599?pwd=Z0hKQ2FPTGJ2STBoYzRqLzVRZ2RDdz09

Meeting ID: 814 4930 9599
Passcode: 805616


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