HPL Newsletter - July 2026
Matthew Leathers
From the Director’s Desk…
In the first World War, an anonymous Soldier said that war was, “months of boredom punctuated by moments of extreme terror.“ As a young teen, not yet able to get my license, I modified that quote to describe the summer: months of boredom punctuated by moments of extreme fun. Families of all sorts are likely feeling this and may be looking for something to interrupt the boredom this July. Luckily the library is here to help. Take a look at some events we have coming to help inject some fun into your summer. We always have so much going at the Library, so stay tuned to our calendar.
Our July programs include:
Anime Movie Nights for Teens 6-12th Grade July 1st: Penguin Highway July 15th: Patema Inverted July 29th: The Legend of Hei August 12th: The Wonderland
Drop in CreatorSpace Hours Check the library calendar for open hours
Music and Movement Wednesday, July 15 | 10:00 - 10:45 AM
Understanding A.I and Misinformation: A Conversation with Journalist Philip Eil Wednesday, July 15 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM
Clay Sea Turtle Dish with Pop Up Art School - Craft for Teens Tuesday, July 14 | 4:00 - 5:30 PM
Coffee House: Songs of Tradition, Sung Anew Saturday, July 18 | 2:30 - 3:30 PM
250th: DIY Declarations Monday, July 20 | 4:00 - 5:30 PM
Whalemobile Tuesday, July 21 | 2:00 - 4:30PM PM (Five half-hour sessions )
Teens: Kokedama with Tower Hill Tuesday, July 28 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Respectfully submitted,
Jessica “Jak” Miller
Assistant Library Director
July’s Guest Librarian:
Caitlin Pletcher, Teen Volunteer
Caitlin is a 16-year-old girl who loves reading all types of books, from romance to thrillers to graphic novels and everything in between! She volunteers at the library and has been coming here as long as she can remember (she’s even been to all of the past locations!) so the library is really important to her. When she’s not reading, you can probably find her running, playing the violin, listening to music, or shopping. She would love to run a half marathon over the summer with her friends.
Caitlin’s favorite season is fall, her favorite holiday is Halloween, and her favorite month is October. She loves fall in New England so much that she wants to live here for the rest of her life, though she definitely wants to do some traveling first. Ciatlin loves helping others. Her goal is to be a doctor after going to medical school. Despite enjoying so many solitary activities, she’s been told that she talks a lot, so feel free to ask her for a book recommendation whenever you see her around the library!
Caitlin recommends:
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Speak
Austen, Jane. Emma
Becker, Harmony. Himawari House
DasGupta, Sayanti. Rosewood: A Midsummer Meet Cute
Gonzales, Sophie. Never Ever Getting Back Together
Green, John. Looking for Alaska
Gupta, Ruchira. I Kick and Fly
Jackson, Tiffany D. The Weight of Blood
Khan, Sabina. The Love and Lies of Rukhsana Ali
Levenseller, Tricia. Daughter of the Pirate King
Liang, Ann. This Time it’s Real
Niven, Jennifer. All the Bright Places
Van Draanen, Wendelin. The Running Dream
Yoon, Nicola. Everything, Everything
Yoon, Nicola. Instructions for Dancing
Adventure Pass of the Month - American Heritage Museum
The American Heritage Museum, located in Hudson, MA, is dedicated to military history. Exhibits examine conflicts from the Revolutionary War through 9/11 and the “War on Terror.” A good portion of the museum is focused on the sizable Littlefield collection, which includes many rare items from the United States and other countries. Among other artifacts, visitors to the museum will encounter aircraft, tanks, guns, and automobiles, some dating from the beginning of the 20th century.
Our Adventure Passes are generously funded by The Friends of Hopkinton Public Library.
Library "Thing" of the Month - Playstation 4 Pro Kit
The Hopkinton Public Library’s Library of Things collection features a Playstation 4 Pro! Looking to play some of your favorite Playstation games, or need some quick and easy entertainment? Borrow the Hopkinton Public Library’s Playstation 4 kit! Our Playstation 4 kit comes with the videogame console, a controller, an HDMI cable, and a power cable. Also consider browsing our collection of Playstation 4 games!
You can reserve this by visiting our Library of Things page. The Library of Things is generously supported by the Hopkinton Public Library Foundation.
Programs are hosted at the library unless otherwise noted.
Registration is required for many programs.
Programs are subject to change or cancellation. Registration is required for many programs, accessible through our website calendar. Please view our calendar for a complete list of upcoming programs.
For Multiple Ages
Understanding A.I and Misinformation – A Conversation with Journalist Philip Eil Wednesday, July 15 | 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM Ellsworth Conference Room For all ages. Click here to register!
Acrobatic Performance with Li Liu Saturday, July 25 | 2:00 - 2:45 PM Betty Strong Room (Large Event Room) For all ages. Click here to register!
Children's Programs
Whalemobile
Tuesday, July 21 | 2:00 - 4:30 PM
Betty Strong Room (Large Event Room)
For kids from Grade 1 to Grade 6.
Click here to register for the 2:00 PM session!
Click here to register for the 2:30 PM session!
Click here to register for the 3:00 PM session!
Click here to register for the 3:30 PM session!
Click here to register for the 4:00 PM session!
Teen and Preteen Programs
Anime Movie Night (for Teens)
Wednesday, July 1 | 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Wednesday, July 15 | 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Wednesday, July 29 | 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Wednesday, August 12 | 5:30 - 7:30 PM
Betty Strong Room (Large Event Room)
For grades 6 to 12.
Click here to register!
YA CreatorSpace Crafternoon Monday, July 6 | 3:00 - 5:00 PM CreatorSpace (Downstairs) For ages 11 to 17. Click here to register!
YA Dungeons & Dragons Wednesday, July 8 | 5:30 - 7:30 PM Wednesday, July 22 | 5:30 - 7:30 PM Betty Strong Room (Large Event Room) For grades 6 to 12. Click here to register!
Clay Sea Turtle Dish with Pop Up Art Tuesday, July 14 | 4:00 - 5:30 PM Betty Strong Room (Large Event Room) For ages 11 to 17. Click here to register!
Teens: Kokedama with Tower Hill
Tuesday, July 28 | 4:00 - 5:00 PM
Betty Strong Room (Large Event Room)
For ages 12 to 18.
Click here to register!
Diversity Book Club
We have a passive "book club" for all ages. Patrons can check out a book related to a theme and then engage in an at-home discussion activity. This month’s theme is “Revolutionary Women”. Patrons can stop by the library lobby anytime during the month to check out a themed title for adults, young adults and children.
National Treasures Book Club
Join us for the National Treasures book discussion group, where we read classic American literature through the ages. Revisit those high school cornerstones to see if they’re any different than you remember. Or, if you haven’t read them before, see what all the fuss is about!
There will not be a meeting in July. The book for August is "So Big" by Edna Ferber. Books will be available for pickup at the Circulation Desk. The book club will meet on the fourth Tuesday of the month. Registration is optional!
From July 2nd through July 5th, the Library will be closed in observance of Independence Day.
On July 14th, the Board of Library Trustees will be meeting in the Ellsworth Room.
Learn more about the Friends of the Hopkinton Library. Show your support by becoming a member. Becoming a member is a great way to show your support for your local library, even if you don’t have time to get involved. You can join or renew your membership here.
The Hopkinton Public Library Foundation, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with a mission of supporting Hopkinton Public Library by funding resources, technology, educational and special projects, and long term improvements. Their fundraising efforts seek to bridge the gap between the community’s aspirations for its Library and the usual or customary funding available from municipal budgets. Working in partnership with the Library, as well as the supporting organizations of the Trustees and Friends of the Library, the Foundation encourages continued and increased support of the Hopkinton Public Library as a valuable community resource. Meet the team and find out ways to support the library here.