Thayer Public Library Events

Ready for Kindergarten, for those entering in September

Kindergarten Readiness with Sing Explore Create This is the last in the series of the  Kindergarten Readiness program this summer. Through rhythm, singing, and multi-sensory activities, students will discover how music can help them manage emotions and stay focused in the classroom. This group provides tools for self-regulation, attention, and social skills, helping young students prepare for Kindergarten. You can register on this August 24 page.  This series is just for students entering Kindergarten this fall, and a parent or caregiver accompanies the child. Siblings may not attend this program, sorry.  It will be held in Logan Auditorium, on the Upper Level.  This program is presented by Sing Explore Create, and is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) grant awarded to the Quincy Braintree Family Network, by the Dept. of Early Education and Care. The Quincy Braintree Family Network is a program of Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc.(QCAP.) This program is also part of Thayer Public Library's "Plant a Seed, Read" Summer Reading Programs. Statewide summer reading programs are supported by the Massachusetts Library System, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Boston Bruins, with funding from the Institute of Museums and Library Services. The Thayer Public Library Summer Reading Program is additionally supported by local sponsor Starland Sportsplex (Hanover).

Mah Jongg Open Play

Join us and play Mah Jongg on Monday mornings! All Players are welcome! Priscilla has retired, please ask the sub at the Reference Desk for the mah jongg cart if it has not been brought up for the start of the program

Nonfiction Book Club

This month's title is The Orchid Thief by Susan Orleans. In Susan Orlean's mesmerizing true story of beauty and obsession is John Laroche, a renegade plant dealer and sharply handsome guy, in spite of the fact that he is missing his front teeth and has the posture of al dente spaghetti. In 1994, Laroche and three Seminole Indians were arrested with rare orchids they had stolen from a wild swamp in south Florida that is filled with some of the world's most extraordinary plants and trees. Laroche had planned to clone the orchids and then sell them for a small fortune to impassioned collectors. After he was caught in the act, Laroche set off one of the oddest legal controversies in recent memory, which brought together environmentalists, Native American activists, and devoted orchid collectors. The result is a tale that is strange, compelling, and hilarious.          New Yorker writer Susan Orlean followed Laroche through swamps and into the eccentric world of Florida's orchid collectors, a subculture of aristocrats, fanatics, and smugglers whose obsession with plants is all-consuming. Along the way, Orlean learned the history of orchid collecting, discovered an odd pattern of plant crimes in Florida, and spent time with Laroche's partners, a tribe of Seminole Indians who are still at war with the United States.          There is something fascinating or funny or truly bizarre on every page of The Orchid Thief: the story of how the head of a famous Seminole chief came to be displayed in the front window of a local pharmacy; or how seven hundred iguanas were smuggled into Florida; or the case of the only known extraterrestrial plant crime. Ultimately, however, Susan Orlean's book is about passion itself, and the amazing lengths to which people will go to gratify it. That passion is captured with singular vision in The Orchid Thief, a once-in-a-lifetime story by one of our most original journalists.

Comics-Making Club ages 7 - 12

Comics-Making Club! Come hang out with other kids who like drawing and graphic novels, like Dog Man! For kids who like to draw, would like to make a comic book story, or make their own comics-style work.   For ages 7 - 12. The library will provide paper and drawing materials. No registration needed. Meets Monthly on a Tuesday. Held in the Stained Glass Tower of the Children's Room. This program is part of Thayer Public Library's "Plant a Seed, Read" Summer Reading Programs. Statewide summer reading programs are supported by the Massachusetts Library System, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Boston Bruins, with funding from the Institute of Museums and Library Services. The Thayer Public Library Summer Reading Program is additionally supported by local sponsor Starland Sportsplex (Hanover).

Rotary Event Tai Chi instruction

Rotary Event Tai Chi instruction  Registration required - Limited availabliltiy

Silent Book Club & Writing Night

Join us for a silent book club & writing night! Join us in the Reading Room (or Cafe if you want to bring snacks) for  Silent Book Club & Writing Night  on Tuesday, June 30 th  from 6-7:30pm.  Bring a book to read or work on your current writing project with other like-minded readers and writers in our community.

Recent Movie for Kids

Watch a recently released movie set in the imaginary world of Zootopia! Adventure and comedy. Held in Logan Auditorium. Rated PG. 1 hour and 48 minutes. This program is part of Thayer Public Library's "Plant a Seed, Read" Summer Reading Programs. Statewide summer reading programs are supported by the Massachusetts Library System, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Boston Bruins, with funding from the Institute of Museums and Library Services. The Thayer Public Library Summer Reading Program is additionally supported by local sponsor Starland Sportsplex (Hanover).

The Reader's Group Book Club

Tonight's title is My Friends by Fredrik Backman. Most people don’t even notice them—three tiny figures sitting at the end of a long pier in the corner of one of the most famous paintings in the world. Most people think it’s just a depiction of the sea. But Louisa, an aspiring artist herself, knows otherwise, and she is determined to find out the story of these three enigmatic figures. Twenty-five years earlier, in a distant seaside town, a group of teenagers find refuge from their bruising home lives by spending long summer days on an abandoned pier, telling silly jokes, sharing secrets, and committing small acts of rebellion. These lost souls find in each other a reason to get up each morning, a reason to dream, a reason to love. Out of that summer emerges a transcendent work of art, a painting that will unexpectedly be placed into eighteen-year-old Louisa’s care. She embarks on a surprise-filled cross-country journey to learn how the painting came to be and to decide what to do with it. The closer she gets to the painting’s birthplace, the more nervous she becomes about what she’ll find. Louisa is proof that happy endings don’t always take the form we expect in this stunning testament to the transformative, timeless power of friendship and art. Book club books are available at the Circulation Desk on the Main Level. They are due back on the day of the discussion. All readers are always welcome!

Try Weaving for ages 6 - 12

Join us to try the traditional craft of weaving, that was used in the 1700's, and other centuries. There will be cardboard looms and yarn to use, plus the easier option of paper weaving for the younger ones. Best for ages 6-12  This program is part of the nations 250th celebrations.  This program is also part of Thayer Public Library's "Plant a Seed, Read" Summer Reading Programs. Statewide summer reading programs are supported by the Massachusetts Library System, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Boston Bruins, with funding from the Institute of Museums and Library Services. The Thayer Public Library Summer Reading Program is additionally supported by local sponsor Starland Sportsplex (Hanover).

Hold Event - Terri

Scrabble

Like to play Scrabble? Join us every Thursday night for open Scrabble play. Bring a friend or make new ones here. All players are welcome! Play starts promptly at 6:30 pm.

Family Board Games and Play

Ready for some summer fun? Drop in and play with board games and LEGOs for school-age children,  plus blocks and tunnels for the younger ones. In honor of the Nation's 250th we will mix in jack's , marbles and Fox and Geese.  Don't miss out on the fun -see you there!  This program is part of the nation's 250th celebration. This program is also part of Thayer Public Library's "Plant a Seed, Read" Summer Reading Programs. Statewide summer reading programs are supported by the Massachusetts Library System, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners and the Boston Bruins, with funding from the Institute of Museums and Library Services. The Thayer Public Library Summer Reading Program is additionally supported by local sponsor Starland Sportsplex (Hanover).

Closed : Saturdays Summer Hours

library Closed Saturday  Summer Hours (June 20- Sept. 7) Monday-Thursday: 9 AM-8 PM Friday: 9 AM-5 PM Saturday and Sunday: Closed

Mah Jongg Open Play

Join us and play Mah Jongg on Monday mornings! All Players are welcome! Priscilla has retired, please ask the sub at the Reference Desk for the mah jongg cart if it has not been brought up for the start of the program

Mass Center for the Book Reading Challenge: September 2026

Join us for our yearly partnership with the Mass Center for the Book!  Read and win prizes!  September's theme is read a book about a journey.   How the challenge works: Choose a book that fits the monthly challenge. After you read, fill out Mass Center’s form to tell them about the book. Using the MCFTB’s submission manager, you will be able to log in and access the entries you’ve logged throughout the year. Dedicated readers will be invited to a year-end celebration hosted by Mass Center for the Book. MCFTB will be drawing two names on the last day of each month to win a free book! Make sure you get those entries in before the end of the month. If you read a book in each of the 12 months, you will be entered in a drawing to win 1 of 2 totes filled with books.

Mystery/Suspense Book Club

Join us  Tuesday September 1st @6:30-7:30pm  in Logan Auditorium for the Mystery & Suspense Book Club.  Visitors and new members are always welcome!  Registration is not required, but is appreciated.  Our next book is... With a Vengeance  by Riley Sager

Hold for Staff Training

Evergreen Refresher

NO MONTHLY MOVIE IN SEPTEMBER

There will be no newly released on DVD movie this month.

NO MONTHLY MOVIE IN SEPTEMBER

There will be no newly released on DVD movie this month.

AI Workshop for Small Business

AI Workshop for small business: help with retention  Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce Small Business Program

Hold for Staff Training

Evergreen Refresher

Scrabble

Like to play Scrabble? Join us every Thursday night for open Scrabble play. Bring a friend or make new ones here. All players are welcome! Play starts promptly at 6:30 pm.

Family Board Games and Play

Drop in and play with board games and LEGOs for school-age children,  plus blocks and tunnels for the younger ones. In honor of the Nation's 250th we will mix in jack's , marbles and Fox and Geese.  Don't miss out on the fun -see you there!  This program is part of the nation's 250th celebration.

Closed : Saturdays Summer Hours

library Closed Saturday  Summer Hours (June 20- Sept. 7) Monday-Thursday: 9 AM-8 PM Friday: 9 AM-5 PM Saturday and Sunday: Closed

Holiday - Library Closed

Baby Sign Language

Learn some Baby Sign Language in a fun, playful way.  The 4 week series is on Tuesdays Sept 8, 15, 22, 29 from 11:30 to 12:15.  This series is for babies 5 months old up through littles without verbal skills, and their parent or caregiver. Registration is required and is on this page.  When you register, you are signed up for all 4 weeks. Limited to 12 babies/families.      It will be held in the Children's Room. Miss Sheryl is an experienced teacher and her website is https://babykneads.com/         If the series is full, there is a waitlist option, and there will a repeat of the  4 week series offered later in the Fall. This program is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) grant awarded to the Quincy Braintree Family Network, by the Dept. of Early Education and Care. The Quincy Braintree Family Network is a program of Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc.(QCAP.)

Brown Bag Book Club

This month's selection is The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger. The Brown Bag Book Club meeting will be held in Logan Auditorium, 12-1 PM on Wednesday, September 9th . The group meets on the second Wednesday of the month. Registration required.  Visitors and new members are always welcome!

Democratic Committee Meeting

Democratic Committee Meeting

Teen Advisory Group

Welcome back! This is our first TAG Monthly Meeting of this school year! Join us in the Teen Room! New and returning members welcome- meet new friends and get involved in your community! Interested in future meetings or volunteer opportunities for grades 6-12?  Email the Teen Librarian at ctrudeau@braintree.ocln.org

Library Dept. Heads Meeting

AFSCME meeting

Scrabble

Like to play Scrabble? Join us every Thursday night for open Scrabble play. Bring a friend or make new ones here. All players are welcome! Play starts promptly at 6:30 pm.

Pajama Storytime

Children are encouraged to wear pajamas to this evening program at the library. Miss Elisabeth will read some books and everyone can sing some songs. Best for ages 3 - 5, but open to children of all ages.  Held in the Children's Room. No registration needed.

Second Thursday Book Club

Tonight's discussion book is Care and Feeding by Laurie Woolever. In this moving, hilarious, and insightful bestselling memoir, Laurie Woolever traces her path from a small-town childhood to working within the high-stakes celebrity chef culture at revered restaurants and food publications, alternately bolstered and overshadowed by two of the most powerful men in the business. But there’s more to the story than the two bold-faced names on her resume: Mario Batali and Anthony Bourdain. Behind the scenes, Laurie’s life is frequently chaotic, a high-functioning addict’s often pleasurable buffet of bad decisions at which she frequently overstays her welcome. Acerbic and wryly self-deprecating, Laurie attempts to carve her own space as a woman in this world that is by turns toxic and intoxicating. Laurie seeks to try it all―from a seedy Atlantic City strip club to the Park Hyatt Tokyo, from a hippie vegetarian co-op to the legendary El Bulli―while balancing her consuming work with her sometimes ambivalent relationship to marriage and motherhood. As the food world careens toward an overdue reckoning and Laurie’s mentors face their own high-profile descents, she is confronted with the questions of where she belongs in a story of both workplace toxicity and personal recovery, and how to hold on to the parts of her life’s work that she truly values: care and feeding. This is a story of keeping it together, until several successive implosions―careers, marriages, reputations, lives―show that control is an illusion.   Book Club books are available about one month ahead of the meeting date and are due the night of the discussion. All readers are always welcome!

Drop-in Play for young children

Children and their care-givers may stop in on Fridays anytime between 10 am and noon to play with toys, puppets, blocks and for social interaction. For little ones through age 5.      Held in the Children's Room. No registration needed.

Hike AT BLUE HILLS - Nature Journaling for Kids ages 6 -12 Registration Required

Designed for children and families, the Friends of the Blue Hills organization is leading a hike today in Braintree. Participants will engage in the basics of nature journaling, including using observation and the senses to explore the natural world. Registration is required at  https://secure.qgiv.com/for/january-march2026events/event/naturejournalingintheparkcopycopy/ .  Participants will meet at 821 West St, Braintree. There is a small trail and a picnic table. This hike will be 2 hours long and encourages curiosity, creativity, and outdoor exploration. The third and last hike in the series is on the library's Event calendar for   Thursday Sept 24 at 5:00 pm.  All journals and drawing materials will be provided.   Presented by the Friends of the Blue Hills, this is part of a youth nature journaling program made possible through funding from the Braintree Cultural Council,  a  local agency, which is funded by Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

TPL Writers Group

The TPL Writers Group meeting meets one Saturday a month, September-November and January-June on a drop-in basis. Share advice, ask questions, and discuss works in progress with other writers in the area. No registration required, but if you would like to receive reminder and announcement emails, please contact Laurie at lcavanaugh@braintreema.gov .

All The Presidents Women: America250

Join the Thayer Public Library as we celebrate America's 250th anniversary with a captivating live performance by the Delvena Theater Company, titled All the Presidents Women. Delve into the  intriguing lives of the United States presidents and the influential women behind them, including wives, mothers and more. Uncover the shocking truths and hidden secrets and experience history in a fun and  entertaining way! This program is offered as part of the nation's 250th celebrations and made possible by the use of State Aid to Public Library Funds. Free and open to all. Delvena Theatre Company has been entertaining audiences for over twenty five years with plays that are thought provoking, often humorous and always enriching

Mah Jongg Open Play

Join us and play Mah Jongg on Monday mornings! All Players are welcome! Priscilla has retired, please ask the sub at the Reference Desk for the mah jongg cart if it has not been brought up for the start of the program

Intro to Tai Chi

This program is sponsored by OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute at UMASS Boston, participants must be pre-registered OLLI Members. Contact UMASS Boston  OLLI 617-287-7312 or ollireg@gmail.com

OLLI: Tai Chi for Arthritis

This program is sponsored by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UMASS Boston, participants must be pre-registered OLLI Members. Contact UMASS Boston  OLLI 617-287-7312 or ollireg@gmail.com

Board Game Night for Adults

Please note, we are meeting one week later this month due to the Monday holiday. Hello fellow adults! Do you enjoy playing board games? Then have we got a cool program for you! Monthly Board Game Nights for Adults! Folks are welcome to bring their own games, but the library has a few to get you started!  Program typically meets the first Monday of the month.  Questions?  Email Christina at ccastle@braintreema.gov  Want a reminder email that the program is coming up?  Make sure to register!  Registration is not required to attend though.

OLLI: Through Mona's Eyes: Art, Story & Seeing Museums in Paris

This program is sponsored by OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute at UMASS Boston, participants must be pre-registered OLLI Members. Contact UMASS Boston  OLLI 617-287-7312 or ollireg@gmail.com

Baby Sign Language week 2

Learn some Baby Sign Language in a fun, playful way.  The 4 week series is on Tuesdays Sept 8, 15, 22, 29 from 11:30 to 12:15.  This series is for babies 5 months old up through littles without verbal skills, and their parent or caregiver. Registration is required.  When you register on the September 8 event, you are signed up for all 4 weeks. Limited to 12 babies/families.      It will be held in the Children's Room. Miss Sheryl is an experienced teacher and her website is https://babykneads.com/         If the series is full, there is a waitlist option, and there will a repeat of the  4 week series offered later in the Fall. This program is funded by the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) grant awarded to the Quincy Braintree Family Network, by the Dept. of Early Education and Care. The Quincy Braintree Family Network is a program of Quincy Community Action Programs, Inc.(QCAP.)

OLLI Program: Everybody Has a Story!

This program is sponsored by Osher Lifelong Learning Institute at UMASS Boston, participants must be pre-registered OLLI Members. Contact UMASS Boston  OLLI 617-287-7312 or ollireg@gmail.com

Comics-Making Club ages 7 - 12

Comics-Making Club! Come hang out with other kids who like drawing and graphic novels, like Dog Man! For kids who like to draw, would like to make a comic book story, or make their own comics-style work.   For ages 7 - 12. The library will provide paper and drawing materials. No registration needed. Meets Monthly on a Tuesday. Held in the Stained Glass Tower of the Children's Room.

Knitting Group

Join the Thayer Public Library’s informal knitting group! Bring your knitt, crochet, or fabric project and enjoy the company of other knitters every 3rd Tuesday from 7-8:30pm (6:30-7:45pm in the Summer). Basic skills are needed and help may be available from other knitters. Beginners to experts are welcome. No registration necessary (but registrants are sent program reminders).  Walk – ins welcome!

LIBRARY CLOSED FOR STAFF DEVELOPMENT DAY

The library is closed all day for staff training, in accordance with the BLSA contract.

Library closed

Library closed all day for a staff development day

OLLI Program : Art for Wellbeing: Creativity, Reflection and Connection in Retirement

This program is sponsored by OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute at UMASS Boston, participants must be pre-registered OLLI Members. Contact UMASS Boston  OLLI 617-287-7312 or ollireg@gmail.com

Tween Book Club

Tween Book Club! Join for exciting reads, fun discussions and pizza! For grades 5-7! Register online! Then pick up your book at the circulation desk with your library card. Earliest pickup is the date of the previous month's book club.     September's Book "I never had a brain until Freak came along . . . " That's what Max thought. All his life he'd been called stupid. Dumb. Slow. It didn't help that his body seemed to be growing faster than his mind. It didn't help that people were afraid of him. So Max learned how to be alone. At least until Freak came along. Freak was weird, too. He had a little body -- and a really big brain. Together Max and Freak were unstoppable. Together, they were Freak the Mighty.

Scrabble

Like to play Scrabble? Join us every Thursday night for open Scrabble play. Bring a friend or make new ones here. All players are welcome! Play starts promptly at 6:30 pm.

Drop-in Play for young children

Children and their care-givers may stop in on Fridays anytime between 10 am and noon to play with toys, puppets, blocks and for social interaction. For little ones through age 5.      Held in the Children's Room. No registration needed.

OLLI Program : Discovering Documentaries

This program is sponsored by OSHER Lifelong Learning Institute at UMASS Boston, participants must be pre-registered OLLI Members. Contact UMASS Boston  OLLI 617-287-7312 or ollireg@gmail.com

Set up

Saturday Storytime for Children

Saturday Storytime has books, songs and a craft, with Miss Elisabeth. Best for ages 2 1/2 - 4, but open to all children. Held in the Storytime Corner of the Children's Room.

South of Boston Boardgame Meetup Group : A Day of Play Co-hosted by Thayer Public Library

Join us for a day of fun, strategy, and friendly competition at the South of Boston Boardgame Meetup Group, a special day co-hosted by the Thayer Public Library . Whether you're a seasoned board gamer or just curious to try something new, this drop-in style event will offer a wide variety of modern board games such as Catan, Ticket to Ride, and Carcasonne. Group is willing to teach beginners, but many of the boardgames are easy to learn. Come solo or bring friends , best for ages 13+ —no registration required. Just show up and play! Program is free and light Refreshments will be served