Blog: Library Events

Friends’ 19th Annual Wine Tasting Gala 5.15.26

Posted on by Cait Quinn
We are excited to announce the Friends of the Malden Public Library’s 2026 Wine Tasting Gala will be held on Friday, May 15 at 7:00pm! During this annual fundraising event, supporters of the Malden Public Library will arrive in our historical Converse Memorial Building and Art Galleries to enjoy wines from around the world, sample menus from local restaurants, and bid in our Silent Auction. This is the Friends’ most memorable social event of the season, attracting hundreds of people and selling out year after year. All proceeds from the gala will go towards Library resources including book readings and discussions, concerts and art exhibits, museum passes, supplies for children’s programs, books and graphic novels for young adults, videos, CDs, DVDs, large-print books, and more.
All wine and mocktail samples will be available for purchase from Kappy’s Fine Wines & Spirits. You will receive 10% off your order when you buy 6 or more bottles. 10% of all sales will be donated to the Malden Public Library.
Stay tuned to hear about our Silent Auction items.
$50 tickets will include the wine tasting from 7:00-9:00PM, food, music, silent auction, and of course wine.
$75 VIP tickets will include a tour of the Art Galleries from 6:30-7:00PM.
Get your tickets via the link here: https://bit.ly/19th-Wine-Tasting-FMPL
Tickets can also be purchased at the Library with cash or check.

3rd Annual Haitian Culture Night: Wed., May 20th: 6:00-8:00pm

Posted on by Stacy Holder
Save The Date! Please join us on Wednesday, May 20, 2026: 6:00-8:00pm at the Malden Public LIbrary for our 3rd Annual Haitian Culture Night filled with Haitian art, poetry, music, books, language, and food.
We will have some samples of popular Haitian foods from Grêp Kafé. Start learning Haitian Creole with one of our language apps, check out some books in Haitian Creole for kids and adults, and learn a little bit about Haiti and the country’s interesting historical connection to Malden, Massachusetts. More details will be added soon.
Everyone is welcome to join us at this all-ages event. We look forward to seeing you there!

Earth Day Awareness Film: Tuesday, April 28, 2026: 6:00-7:30pm

Posted on by Stacy Holder

Earth Day Awareness Film: “We’re All Plastic People Now”

Please join us for a special showing of the documentary, “We’re All Plastic People Now” on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 from 6:00-7:30pm at the Malden Public Library. A short discussion and Q&A with Eileen Ryan, from Beyond Plastics Greater Boston will follow the film.

“In an era of throw-away ease, convenience has cost us our well-being. Plastics have been found inside our bodies- in our colons, our brains, and even in mothers’ developing wombs. Scientists around the country are sounding the alarm, but without public buy-in, there is little that can be done. How much evidence do we need before we decide to take action?”

Not Rated. (56 min.) (2024)

Movie times are approximate.

Movie Night: Wed., April 15th: 6:00-8:00pm

Posted on by Stacy Holder

Please join us for Movie Night on Wednesday, April 15, 2026: 6:00-8:00pm at the Malden Public Library. We will be showing a film starring Brendan Fraser about a “Rental Family.”

“An American actor in Tokyo struggling to find purpose lands an unusual gig: working for a Japanese “rental family” agency, playing stand-in roles for strangers. He rediscovers purpose, belonging, and the beauty of human connection.”

Rated PG-13 (115 min.) (2025)

Free snacks will be provided. Movie times are approximate.

Malden Reads Book Discussion with Mayor Christenson 3.11.26

Posted on by Cait Quinn

The Malden Public Library and Malden Reads invite you to join Mayor Gary Christenson to discuss this year’s book selection Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. The discussion will take place on Wednesday, March 11, from 6:30–7:30 pm in the beautiful art galleries at the Malden Public Library. Light refreshments will be served.

Set in a near-future America marked by fear, censorship, and division, Our Missing Hearts explores what happens when a society built on democratic ideals begins to fracture. The novel follows a young boy searching for his missing mother—a poet whose words have been deemed dangerous by the government—and examines how art, storytelling, and human connection can resist oppression and ignite hope.

Malden Reads is a community reading organization run by residents in collaboration with the Malden Public Library. Each season, we invite the city of Malden, Massachusetts to read a selected book and participate in a program of events, projects, and community initiatives centered around the themes of the book. We look forward to having you join Mayor Christenson and the Malden community to discuss this book.

Copies of both the physical book and downloadable versions are available at the Malden Public Library and copies may be purchased at The Gallery@57.

Can’t attend in person? Join via Zoom

Malden Reads Film Sceening & Discussion: Wed., Feb. 25th: 5:30-8:30pm

Posted on by Stacy Holder

Please join us for the Malden Reads Film Screening and discussion of the musical Broadway play based on the life of Alexander Hamilton. We will be showing the film of this Broadway play at the Malden Public Library on Wednesday, February 25, 2025: 5:30-8:30pm. This play won a Pulitzer Prize, a Grammy, and 11 Tony Awards. It stars Lin-Manuel Miranda, Daveed Diggs, Reneè Elise Goldsberry, Leslie Odom Jr., and Anthony Ramos. This musical was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Don’t miss this film that portrays “The real life of one of America’s foremost founding fathers and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Captured live on Broadway from the Richard Rodgers Theater with the original Broadway cast.” The film is Rated PG-13 (160 min.) (2020).

Please join us for many events during Season 16 of Malden Reads. This year’s book is Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng. This year’s Malden Reads program will use Our Missing Hearts as a lens to explore themes that resonate deeply with our current times:

  • Civic ideals and the foundations of democracy—and how they are tested when fear and control take hold.
  • Children’s experiences during times of social and political upheaval—their resilience, loss, and capacity for empathy.
  • Revolution, resistance, and courage—and the role of ordinary people in standing up to injustice.

Pick up a copy of the book, Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng, at the Malden Public Library or find the digital e-book or digital e-audiobook on the Libby app. We also have copies of this book in French, Portuguese, and Spanish, and in large print.

For more details about our Malden Reads Film Screening & Discussion, please contact the Malden Public Library at 781-324-0218. Movie times are approximate. Light refreshments will be served. This event is co-sponsored by Malden Reads and Malden Public Library.

Love Your Library Selfie Campaign

Posted on by Cait Quinn

February is love your library month! 2025 was not an easy time for American libraries and so we would like to encourage our community to show the love with a “Love your Library” campaign. We are asking members of the community to submit a selfie holding a book or their library card with one or two sentences on why they love their library. Pictures can be submitted online via FB or Instagram by tagging the library @maldenmalibrary. Your selfie can be uploaded to our Google Form: https://bit.ly/Love-MPL-Selfie Or can be emailed to cquinn@maldenpubliclibrary.org for inclusion in our wall of library love display and for promotion on social media. You can also stop by the Information Desk and ask about having your photo taken with our Instant Camera, ask for Cait, she would love to take your photo!

This campaign signals to people both in our community and in other places just how important libraries are to residents. It also demonstrates how vital public institutions are to thriving cultural life. Please consider supporting us and all libraries by snapping a photo and saying a few words. It would mean the world to us.

Thank you for your support!

Malden Reads Opening Celebration 2.9.26

Posted on by Cait Quinn

Free community celebration on Feb. 9 features protest music, art, and activities for all ages

MALDEN, MA — Malden Reads invites residents of all ages to kick off its 2026 communityreading program with a free celebration on Monday, February 9, 2026, from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at the Malden Public Library, 36 Salem Street.

This year’s book selection, Our Missing Hearts by bestselling author Celeste Ng, explores themes of love, resistance, and belonging. The kickoff event will bring together literature, history, art, and conversation through interactive activities and experiences for all ages. No need to read the book in advance – everyone is welcome.

Event Highlights

● Musical Performance: The band Tale Spin, fronted by chef and musician David Stein and his wife Sue, will perform acoustic protest music of the last century, including a community singalong. David and Sue have deep connections to Malden as former residents, and David is a former Malden Reads committee member who created memorable programs including a pop-up restaurant and music club event featuring his band Soulshine.

● Yarn as Protest Art: Exploration of how fiber arts can be used as tools for peaceful protest and self-expression

● Art Exhibition: View prints by Corita Kent (also known as Sister Mary Corita), the artist best known for her art on the Boston Gas tanks along Route 93 southbound in the 1970s as well as the Love stamp in the 1980s. Corita’s work and her messages of peace and social justice reflect her understanding of the power of language, just like in Our Missing Hearts, and continue to resonate today.

● Revolutionary Photo Stations: Step back in time with colonial costume photo opportunities and a model of a Boston Tea Party ship where participants can toss tea bales overboard, celebrating the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and Malden’s role as the first town to declare independence.

● Video Screenings: Short videos by Malden Revolution’s Mark Linehan showcasing Malden’s revolutionary history and drawing connections between past and present acts of civic engagement

● Arts & Crafts for All Ages: Led by Malden High’s Love 4 Kids club, offering creative projects that encourage connection and creativity

● Heart-Shaped Cookie Decorating: A fun and delicious hands-on activity for participants of all ages

● Refreshments: Food and drink will be available throughout the evening.

● Books Available: Attendees can borrow Our Missing Hearts from the library circulation desk with their Malden Public Library card. Volunteer support for the evening will be provided by the Malden High YMCA Leaders.

About the 2026 Malden Reads Program Now in its 16th year, Malden Reads will explore themes from Our Missing Hearts related to civic ideals, revolution (including one’s own personal revolution), resistance and courage. The program purposefully coincides with the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and will highlight Malden’s unique role as the first town to declare independence from Britain in 1775.

Age-appropriate companion books for younger readers and English learners will be announced soon and will be available to borrow from the Malden Public Library and donated to the Malden Public Schools and community organizations.

Our event season is planned to run into spring to provide opportunities for conversation and connection during the cold months and will include book discussions, film screenings, and other special programs. For more information on why we chose Our Missing Hearts visit maldenreads.org and follow along on social media. The event schedule will be added as details become available.

About Malden Reads “What if all of Malden reads the same book?” Malden Reads is a community reading program that seeks to answer that question. Organized by volunteers in collaboration with the Malden Public Library, the program invites the entire community to read the same book and participate in events related to its themes. The goals are to promote literacy, a love of reading, appreciation of city resources, and—most of all—to build community.

Volunteers are always welcome. For more information or to get involved, email maldenreads@gmail.com or visit maldenreads.org.

This program is funded in part by a grant from the Malden Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by Mass Cultural Council, a state agency

Tech on Your Terms: a panel discussion about making technology more intentional 1.7.26

Posted on by Cait Quinn

Want to use technology more intentionally? The Malden Public Library presents a free event featuring top experts on digital wellness and critical thinking. Learn practical tools to navigate tech on your own terms. Open to youth, parents, and all community members. Doors will be open at 615pm and the program will start at 630pm. We are joined by local resident and moderator: Shaleen Title, who will direct the panel and public Q&A session.

 

Our Panel:

 

 

* Dr. Susan Linn is a lecturer in psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and a ventriloquist who appeared on Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood. Among other books, she is the author of “Who’s Raising the Kids? Big Tech, Big Business, and the Lives of Children”.

 

* Dr. Joan Donovan is a Malden-based professor and researcher who explores media manipulation. She helps people to detect, document, and debunk media manipulation campaigns.

 

 

* Liza Hirsch is the Director of the Children’s Justice Unit at the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office where she works to advance justice and equity for Massachusetts children and youth through civil investigations, litigation, policy, and community engagement.

 

 

 

Please register to stay up to date on this event. Registration link

About the group:

Reconnect Malden is a community alliance dedicated to increasing our connection to each other and reducing our dependence on technology. We believe that technological devices can behelpful, but they should serve as a tool, not something that controls us.