Worcester Public Library

We need your help! There's only 10 days left of September and we have only had 396 new library cards sign ups. We are trying to get to 1,000 so the Friends of the Worcester Public Library can donate $1,000 to the Worcester Animal Rescue League. You can help us by telling all your friends and family to get a library card right away! They can start here: https://mywpl.org/LibraryCard and come pick up their card at any WPL location!

Your community needs you! If you’ve ever considered volun­teering in the area but didn’t know where to start, visit our Volunteer Fair on Saturday, October 3 from 10 AM - 12 PM in the Fiction Area and Newspapers & Magazines Area on the 1st floor of the Main Library! Whether you enjoy working with books, assisting people in crisis, or being a mentor, representatives from local organizations will be available to discuss volunteer opportunities for all interests and backgrounds, especially for those aged 16 and older.

One week away! Join us for the 6th Annual Worcester Public Library Block Party on Saturday, September 26 from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Main Library. We'll transform the block into a lively celebration packed with free family fun, live entertainment, food trucks, local vendors, activities, a Friends book Sale, and more.

Happy

On 9/26, our library's Harvest in the City 2026 Block Party will feature entertainment, vendors, food trucks, and a Friends of the Worcester Public Library used book sale but did you that in the '70s and '80s the Friends used to throw massive book festivals for the community that originally featured poetry readings, workshops, local authors, music, exhibitions of local history materials, and of course, a book sale to raise money for the library? Today we're sharing a little bit of the history of the book festivals, including the appearance of our very first mascot, a bookworm named WhiPpLe (pictured in the first image). The first book festival happened in 1973 and raised over $1,100 to benefit the Worcester Collection (this was years before we had a formal climate-controlled Worcester Room). The Friends of the WPL Newsletter recapped the festival in its November 1973 edition (second through fourth image in this post). In 1974, approximately 4,000-5,000 people attended the event and bought $2,000 worth of books. This was also around the time that WhiPple entertained Worcester Public Library patrons! By 1975, 10,000 people attended the book festival and spent $4,000! Over the next decade, the book sale portion of the festival grew in size until the library no longer had enough room for the book sale books and the Friends held the event in the YWCA. Eventually, lack of storage of the books for the annual sale led the Friends to offer monthly and special book sales, and then in 1992, the Friends opened their first bookstore and gift shop, called "Books 'n More." The Friends still have a bookstore on the 1st floor of the Main Library and are also looking forward to seeing you all at the block party's book sale on the 26th!

Teens, do you babysit or simply keep an eye on the kids in your family or neighborhood? Join a representative from the Auburn Fire Department to learn the basics of CPR in this interactive workshop.

Ages 12-18 are invited to the Tatnuck Branch Library on Monday, September 21st starting at 3:30 pm to learn the basics of CPR! This program is offered as a stand-alone training and a supplement to babysitter training for teens and tweens at the library. While you will not be certified in CPR, you will gain the skills and confidence to respond in an emergency. Please check the library's online calendar for upcoming babysitter training courses.

Registration required. Sign up here: https://www.mywpl.org/event/17160695.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Worcester Public Library.

Give us your best six word story based on this image.

Attention teens! Come learn about the library as a teen volunteer!

This Fall, teens ages 12-18 are invited to volunteer at the Main Library! We'll start each session by touring a new area of the library to learn about the work that goes on there, then we'll help out with tasks like creating displays, writing book blogs, and more!

Each session will take place on a Saturday, starting at 9:30 am and should wrap up by 11 am.

* September 19
* October 10
* October 24
* November 7
* November 21

Registration required. You can sign up here: https://www.mywpl.org/event/16940107.