Nature Photography Workshop with Ed Comeau
2026-03-21 12:30 - 13:30 (America/New_York) | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Whether you’re using a smartphone, DSLR, or mirrorless camera, this workshop will help you get more out of your camera and improve your photos. Nature photographer Ed Comeau will lead a presentation covering core photography concepts that include composition, lighting, framing, depth of field, and more. The workshop is designed for beginners and casual photographers and focuses on techniques that apply across all types of cameras and devices.
Ed’s photography centers on landscapes and wildlife of the Quabbin Reservoir region, as well as images from Maine, Alaska, and other locations. His work has been exhibited in a number of places in the valley as well as featured in the Country Bank calendar for the past two years. You can find his work at www.comeauphotography.com and on Instagram @edcomeauphotography.

Author Talk: Corinne Demas
2026-03-24 17:30 - 19:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Join us in welcoming Corinne Demas, author of the recently published “Daughters: A Novel”. Corinne is the award-winning author of thirty-nine books, including seven novels, two short story collections, a memoir, a poetry collection, and numerous books for children. She is a Professor Emerita of English at Mount Holyoke College and lives in the Pioneer Valley with her family, two donkeys, and a precocious puppy. Refreshments will be served.

Knife Sharpening Workshop
2026-03-28 12:00 - 14:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Has your favorite knife lost its edge? Would you love to get it sharpened and learn more about how to care for your blades so they’ll last you a lifetime? James from Sharpen Something! will bring his sharpening equipment and expertise. Come learn knife care and get something sharpened! Please feel free to bring one knife for sharpening – serrated or straight edged. Please no blade lengths longer than 10 inches.

Pelham Revolutionary War Soldiers History Research Workshop
2026-03-31 17:30 - 19:00 | MA
Help us track down Pelham’s Revolutionary War soldiers! Approximately 150 Pelham men served during the Revolutionary War, but details of their lives, service, and burial locations are scattered across different books, databases, and archival documents. Come join us at the library for a History Research Workshop, where you will learn about the sources for this local history project and then try your hand at tracking down some of the information we still need.
Each workshop is limited to 5 participants. Please register at https://tally.so/r/NpV5ZO
Please bring a laptop! We will spend the first 10-15 minutes introducing the sources and how to navigate them, and then everyone will be given a name to track down more information.
The research from these workshops will feed into a Pelham Historical Society tour of Revolutionary War veteran graves at Cook-Johnson Cemetery on July 25th. The research also helps DAR’s Betty Allen Chapter, which has taken on a massive project to locate and restore the graves of Revolutionary War soldiers across all Hampshire County cemeteries.
If you have any questions, contact Allegra at pelhamhistoryroomcoordinator@gmail.com.

Nature Journaling Workshop
2026-04-11 12:00 - 14:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Acquaint yourself with the natural world through a slow drawing and writing process. We unknowingly pass by so much beauty every day. Join our Nature Journaling Workshop and learn techniques to notice outdoor wonders that might otherwise be missed.
This workshop, geared for adults and teens, is co-sponsored with the Kestrel Trust. Space is limited and registration is required. Register at KestrelTrust.org/connect/events

Native Plants in the Early Nineteenth Century Garden
2026-04-18 13:00 - 15:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Many gardeners today value both the beauty and environmental benefits of native American plants. New Englanders of the 1700s and 1800s also admired native plants alongside their favorite Old World flowers and shrubs. Join Christie Higginbottom, former coordinator of the historic horticulture program at Old Sturbridge Village, as she recommends a variety of native plants for the home garden with information about their historic use and cultivation.
This program is co-sponsored with the Pelham Historical Society.

CLOSED: Patriots Day
2026-04-20 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States

Pelham Picks Up! A Weeklong Community Clean-up Event
2026-04-20 - 2026-04-26 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
The Pelham Library and Pelham Sustainability Committee invite you to a week-long effort to pick up roadside trash. Help make Pelham more attractive and safer for wildlife! Sign up at the library, school or the Pelham Spring Fair.

Choose a road convenient to you
Pick up litter during the week and dispose of it in your trash or recycling
Take pictures of the trash you collect and send them to us. We’ll create an album with the results!

TIPS: Wear bright colored clothing, gloves, a sunhat, bug spray & sunscreen and bring water. Watch out for poison ivy and ticks! Bring your friends!

BOOK GROUP: Demon Copperhead
2026-04-22 19:00 - 21:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
This month’s title is “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver. All are welcome and copies are available at the desk.

Intro to iNaturalist for the 2026 City Nature Challenge and Pelham's First BioBlitz!
2026-04-24 10:00 - 12:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Did you ever wonder how many species live in Pelham? There are probably too many to count, but in collaboration with iNaturalist and UMass, we’re going to see how many we can find over4 days in April!
Started in 2016 as a competition between Los Angeles and San Francisco, the City Nature Challenge (CNC) has grown into an international event, motivating people around the world to find and document wildlife in their own cities. This workshop, led by Melanie Radik of UMass, will introduce participants to iNaturalist and help you get started. Bring a smartphone or tablet with WIFI capability and the iNaturalist app installed. After an introduction in the Community Room, we’ll head outside and see what we can find right here on the library grounds.
The City Nature Challenge runs from April 24-27. You can learn more at https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/city-nature-challenge-2026-western-mass All observations found in Pelham will be automatically added to the Pelham project (link to follow soon), and results shared with the community. Let’s get out there and explore!

R.U.S.H. (Rise Up Singing in Harmony): An Open Singing Circle
2026-04-25 14:00 - 16:00, 2026-05-23 14:00 - 16:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Our free, open singing circle meets once a month in the Ramsdell room. Accompanied by at least one guitar, we sing requests out of the Rise Up Singing and Rise Again songbooks–and we have copies to share. Sometimes we bring snacks. Drop i or stay the whole time!

Shiitake Mushroom Growing Workshop
2026-04-28 17:00 - 18:30 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Learn to grow delicious shiitake mushrooms with Elijah from Boulder Top Farm in Montague. Everyone will get to inoculate a log with spore and take it home. All materials will be provided. Space is very limited, so please sign up at
https://www.signupgenius.com/…/10C0D4EAAA72EA3FEC61…

This program will be held outside. The rain date is Tuesday, May 5. This program is for adults only.

Artist's Reception: Barbara Cooper
2026-05-02 12:00 - 14:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Join Pelham artist Barbara Cooper for a reception for her exhibit, “April, 2025-May, 2026: A Retrospective”.
From the artist: “One year ago, last April, I was diagnosed with NSCAC – non small cell adeno carcinoma, a form of lung cancer that is most often found among non-smokers. I was told it is treatable, not curable. Last May, 2025, I began treatment as part of a clinical trial conducted by Dana
Farber Cancer Institute. This exhibit includes some of the art I made during that momentous year.
This retrospective journey begins with the two largest pieces: “Diagnosis” and “Crossroads.” The latter represents the beginning of treatment. The smaller works in this exhibit reflect my reactions
to the various emotional and physical ups and downs I experienced as treatments progressed, stalled, and changed course between April 1, 2025 and April 1, 2026. Looking back, I am extremely grateful. I realize I am very fortunate to have come through this past year breathing better than I did in
April 2025. Thank you to all my family, friends, and medical providers for the best possible beginning of this journey.”

Jug Band Jam Session and Experimental Improvisation
2026-05-16 12:00 - 14:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Join us for an experimental improvisation and Jug Band Jam! Bring instruments, sing, make noise, express yourself and let your light shine!

Wild Bees and Other Insects: The Pollination Heroes of the Vegetable Garden
2026-05-17 13:00 - 14:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Come learn about pollinators with Heidi Dollard, co-chair of the Massachusetts Pollinator Network and learn how to address the biodiversity needs in your garden while increasing plant yields. The complex relationships between flowers and pollinators is both fascinating and essential for life on Earth.
NOTE: This event is NOT at the library. If it’s not raining, meet at the Pelham Community Garden near the Buffam Falls Conservation Area at the north end of Meetinghouse Road where Buffam, North Valley an Meetinghouse Roads come together. If it’s raining, meet at Pelham Community Hall, across the street from the library.
This event is co-sponsored with the Pelham Community Garden Committee.

Pelham Library Book Group: "The Cold Millions"
2026-05-27 19:00 - 21:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
This month’s title is “The Cold Millions” by Jess Walter. All are welcome and copies are available at the desk.

Building Community Across Differences: A Conversation on Understanding and Connection
2026-06-04 18:00 - 20:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Join us for pizza and a conversation on understanding and connection across differences. Led by Jennifer Moyston, we’ll build on themes from her fall workshop, Interrupting Bias and Building Belonging in a Municipality. Together we’ll explore ways to thoughtfully respond to change, new perspectives, and people with different lived experiences while developing tools to foster understanding, and respect, and connection.
This workshop is co-sponsored with the Select Board and the ARAC.

Nature Journaling Workshop
2026-06-06 10:30 - 12:30 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Acquaint yourself with the natural world through a slow drawing and writing process. We unknowingly pass by so much beauty every day. Join our Nature Journaling Workshop and learn techniques to notice outdoor wonders that might otherwise be missed.
This workshop is open to adults and teens. Space is limited and registration is required. Register at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4EAAA72EA3FEC61-64197901-nature

Pelham Players Intro. Session for "Into the Woods Jr."
2026-06-13 10:00 - 13:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
This year’s show will be “Into the Woods JR.” under the direction of Cindy Naughton. It’s open to all kids and teens ages 7 & up. Our initial meeting will introduce the show and begin to cast parts (everyone gets a part!) The performances will be on July 25 & 26. There is no cost to participate. We hope you’ll join us! If you cannot make this session please email us for more info. and a registration sheet.

This event is made possible through a grant from the Pelham Cultural Council.

Make a Summer Bouquet
2026-06-13 11:30 - 13:30 | MA
Join Avery of Wee Vice Farm for a summer flower extravaganza! Roll up your sleeves and make your own bouquet using gorgeous, local, and organic flowers grown in Shutesbury. This event is all about embracing the beauty of nature and getting creative while connecting with fellow flower enthusiasts and learning a bit about the importance of supporting local farms. Come make something beautiful!

CLOSED: Juneteenth
2026-06-19 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States

Learn to Play Mahjong
2026-06-24 17:00 - 19:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Do you love Mahjong? Or maybe you always wanted to learn, but never had the opportunity? Either way, join us on Wednesdays this summer, 6/24, 7/8, 7/22, 7/29 & 8/5 in the Ramsdell Room. Bring a set if you have one, or use one of ours. This event is open to adults and older teens.

CLOSED July 4
2026-07-04 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States

BOOK GROUP: Tree of Smoke
2026-07-08 19:00 - 21:00 | Don’s house
This month’s title is “Tree of Smoke” by Denis Johnson. This month, the group will meet at the leader’s house. email dtv53@yahoo.com for directions. All are welcome and copies are available at the desk.

CLOSED: CHRISTMAS EVE
2026-12-24, 2027-12-24, 2028-12-24 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
To allow our staff to spend time with their families we will be closed this evening.

CLOSED: New Year's Day
2027-01-01, 2028-01-01 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
The Library will be CLOSED today. Happy New Year!
