Pelham Library

CLOSED: VETERANS DAY
2025-11-11 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States

Antique Bottles
2025-11-18 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Until the late 19th century, glass bottles were hand-blown, so each one was unique. Amherst resident Jim Thomas, a past president of the Berkshire Antique Bottle Association, will explain how the bottle’s shape, color. and presence of embossing are all clues to its age and provenance. He will share stories and samples from his extensive collection. Bring in an antique bottle or two of your own for Mr. Thomas to evaluate! This event is co-sponsored with the Pelham Historical Society.

CLOSED: THANKSGIVING
2025-11-27 - 2025-11-28 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States

Fire Safety Workshop
2025-12-05 10:00 - 11:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Learn how to be aware of fire safety as the cold weather approaches. Bring your questions about space heaters, CFL lightbulb use and disposal, chimney cleaning, reducing the risk of brush fires around your home and more.
This program, co-sponsored by the Pelham Council on Aging,is presented by Captain Jeffrey Haughey of the Belchertown Fire Department.

BOOK GROUP: "Harry's Trees"
2025-12-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
This month’s title is “Harry’s Trees” by Jon Cohen. All are welcome and copies are available at the desk.

CLOSED: CHRISTMAS EVE
2025-12-24 | 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: Christmas
2025-12-25 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States

CLOSED: New Year's Eve
2025-12-31 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States

CLOSED: New Year's Day
2026-01-01 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
The Library will be CLOSED today. Happy New Year!

Substitute Yoga Teacher this Week
2026-01-15 17:30 - 18:30 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Sara is out this week, so class member Kris Clausen, a certified yoga teacher since 2012, will be filling in on Thursday. Come join us! Sara will return next week.

SNOW DAY WE ARE CLOSED TODAY
2026-01-17 10:00 - 14:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
It is beautiful outside….but we are not plowed and sanded yet so we will take a snow day today.

CLOSED: MLK Jr. Day
2026-01-19 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States

CLOSED DUE TO SNOW
2026-01-26, 2026-02-07 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States

BOOK GROUP: The Hungry Tide
2026-01-28 19:00 - 21:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
This month’s title is “The Hungry Tide” by Amitav Ghosh. All are welcome and copies are available at the desk.

POSTPONED--PLEASE JOIN US ON 2/28: The Amazing Story of Armored Mud Balls with Professor Richard Little
2026-02-07 12:30 - 14:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Franklin County is home to Jurassic Armored Mud Balls, one of the rarest sedimentary rock structures on the planet. In fact, it’s the only place in the world where you can easily see, touch and study these geological oddities. Prof. Little, the discoverer of these intriguing features, will explain how he found them, how they form and why they are so rare.
The Armored Mud Ball saga is a story of plate tectonics, floods, climate change and other geological events. It’s also a human story of the birth of a suspension bridge, the death of a bowling alley and a fortuitous field trip picnic! After the program, see if you agree with Prof. Little that Jurassic Mud Balls are important enough to become an official Massachusetts State “Sedimentary Structure!”

CLOSED: Presidents' Day
2026-02-16 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States

Chocolate Tasting: From Bean to Bar to Palate
2026-02-17 17:30 - 19:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Come learn about chocolate from bean to bar to palate in a Chocolate Tasting Workshop with chef, author and culinary expert Dede Wilson. Come for a virtual tour of cacao production, from choosing and harvesting beans, to drying and fermentation techniques, to creating the “recipe” that leads to the chocolate bars that we eat. Then, learn how to truly appreciate and assess chocolate, with all of your senses, through a tasting of different varieties and sources from around the globe. Learn why two 70% chocolates taste different from one another, how to read a label to determine chocolate quality, why one chocolate that is good for eating might not be for baking and what makes a chocolate “best” in its class.
Ages 14 & up, please. Space is limited. Sign up at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4EAAA72EA3FEC61-61991845-chocolate#/

iNaturalist 2026 New England and New York Plants ID-a-thon
2026-02-21 12:30 - 14:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Bring your laptop and your plant knowledge, join the fun, and make a contribution to science! This event us part of the fifth annual ID-a-thon for New England and New York plants, a 48-hour period in which we try to add identifications to as many iNaturalist Needs ID plant observations in New England and New York as we possibly can. You don’t have to be an expert botanist to participate just someone who knows a little about New England or New York plants and wants to help other naturalists. New to iNaturalist? We’ll have people on hand to help you get started!
For more information visit https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/2026-new-england-and-new-york-plants-id-a-thon-feb-20-22

Eyes on Freedom: Evolving Gifts of Simple Nonviolent Living
2026-02-24 17:30 - 19:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
Folklorists Michael and Carrie Kline present a community listening session of Eyes on Freedom: Evolving Gifts of Simple Nonviolent Living, an episode from their audio podcast, Talking Across Lines. Eyes on Freedom tells the story of Wally and Juanita Nelson, civil rights activists, peace activists, war tax refusers, subsistence farmers, and advocates for simple living.
The Klines have created an hour-long oral tapestry that weaves oral testimonies and interviews from those who knew the Nelsons and who were deeply impacted by them. They have created a conversation on the themes of the Nelsons’ lives: nonviolence, war tax refusal, joy, dance, land trusts, the action around the Kehler-Corner home seizure in Colrain by the IRS, the local food movement, questioning the idea of race, and simple living. Listen to the podcast with us and then join us for a discussion on the Nelsons’ legacy.

The Amazing Story of Armored Mud Balls with Professor Richard Little
2026-02-28 12:30 - 14:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States

CLOSED: SNOW
2026-03-03 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States

BOOK GROUP: "David Copperfield"
2026-03-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Pelham Library, 2 South Valley Road , Pelham, MA, 01002, United States
This month’s title is “David Copperfield” by Charles Dickins. All are welcome and copies are available at the desk.

Pelham Revolutionary War Soldiers History Research Workshop
2026-03-19 15:00 - 16:30 | 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/44kXbr
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 Photography Workshop with Ed Comeau
2026-03-21 12:30 - 13:30 | 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.

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

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