NEW! Book Bites Cookbook Group (In-Person)

Book Bites is a monthly discussion & potluck of a featured cookbook and meets every first Thursday of the month at 1PM*. Instead of plotlines and characters, we discuss food and recipes!

Pick the recipe you’d like to make and include it when you register HERE. Bring in your dish to share with the group. We’ll try each dish and talk about what went well, the challenges, what we would do different, and what we loved or disliked!

The cookbook for December is “The Cookie Bible” by Rose Levy Beranbaum. Some copies available at the 2nd floor reference desk.

The following recipes have been claimed:

– Florentines (page 87)

– Date-Night Cookies (page 127)

– Turkish Ginger Lime Cookies (page 217)

– Bourbon Balls (page 260)

cookie bible

What do I need to bring on the day of the meeting? Your prepared recipe in a serving bowl or tray. We will supply paper plates, etc., but if you would like to be eco-friendly, feel free to bring your own reusable plates/utensils. You may also bring a non-alcoholic beverage if you would like, and water will be provided. If you would like to swap leftovers with others, feel free to bring a food storage container from home.  

My recipe is supposed to be served warm or hot. Can I heat it up at the Library? We are unable to reheat or refrigerate dishes, so please bring your dish ready to serve. 

Can I substitute ingredients or alter the recipe? Yes! Just be sure to list any substitutions you have made when you sign up so we can avoid any allergy or dietary mishaps. 

Click HERE for a full Q&A. Email info@newburyportpl.org or call 978-465-4428 x2 with any questions.

*See calendar HERE for exact dates and times.

NEW! Classics Book Group (In-Person)

Join NPL’s newly formed Classics Book Group! This group meets in-person 3-4 PM the third Thursday of every month in the Director’s Room. Please call 978-465-4428 x2 if you have any questions or would like to have a librarian put the book on hold for you. Registration is highly requests as space is limited. Click HERE to register.

For the month of November, we will be discussing Natsume Soseki’s “Kokoro.”

“Soseki is the representative modern Japanese novelist, a figure of truly national stature.”—Haruki Murakami

“The father of modern Japanese literature’s best-loved novel…Soseki’s “Kokoro”—meaning “heart” [or “The Heart of Things”]—is the story of a subtle and poignant friendship between two unnamed characters, a young man and an enigmatic elder whom he calls “Sensei.” Haunted by tragic secrets that have cast a long shadow over his life, Sensei slowly opens up to his young disciple, confessing indiscretions from his own student days that have left him reeling with guilt, and revealing, in the seemingly unbridgeable chasm between his moral anguish and his student’s struggle to understand it, the profound cultural shift from one generation to the next that characterized Japan in the early twentieth century.”

— Penguin Random House 

Thank you!

And that’s a wrap for our Fall Great Old Book Sale!

The biggest THANK YOU goes to our wonderful community of book lovers, book sellers and everyone else in between. October’s Sale brought in $10,014!

All proceeds from the Book Sale goes right back to the library for books, media, our ever popular museum passes, archival materials, library furniture and programming for all ages.

We are grateful to the Friends of the Newburyport Public Library for all of the hard work and dedication that goes into planning and running our biannual book sales.

Mark your calendars for our Spring Book Sale returning March 25-28, 2026!

See you in the Spring!

Shelf Help- Book Subscription Service

Shelf Help is a book recommendation service that provides you with three to five book suggestions based on your reading preferences! To register for a book bag, fill out the online form below with your information and reading tastes. The more you tell us, the better our recommendations will be!

By filling out the form you are signing up for the November bag only. You will need to register again for any future bags.

Every bag will include:

  • Three to five book recommendations based on your reading preferences.
  • A custom bookmark.
  • An optional rating form to let us know how we did!

Please allow up to two weeks to process your recommendations.

You will be contacted via email when your recommendations are available to be picked up at the circulation desk. 

If you are new to Shelf Help, please fill out this online form to let us know your reading preferences.

If you are a returning Shelf Help subscriber, please fill out this online form to confirm your preferences.

Terms and Conditions

By signing up for the Shelf Help Subscription Bag, you give the Newburyport Public Library permission to access your library account in order to check out materials. We will not access your account for any other purpose. The Shelf Help Subscription Bag will also keep track of books recommended to you in an effort to avoid duplication. 

Registration for the November bag begins November 1st and ends November 12th or until we reach capacity.  

All about eCards

MVLC is proud to announce that the new MVLC eCard now available to patrons. This card allows the card holder access to online resources provided by MVLC, the state of Massachusetts, and their home library.

Who is eligible?

Any Massachusetts resident who does not already have a library card from an MVLC library is eligible for an MVLC eCard.

How to apply.

Fill out this form.

The system will provide you either a full or provisional library card until it can verify your address. Regardless of the status, you will have access to the online resources.

After a successful submission of the form, patrons will receive an email at the address they provided, giving them their new barcode and PIN and more information about what privileges the card offers them.

Any exclusions?

If you already have a physical library card, you will not be able to get an eCard. You can continue to use your physical library card to access these online resources.

NEW! Reader’s Roundtable

Join our newly created group for a casual and fun conversation to find your next great read! The library will offer book suggestions and teach you how to use some of our favorite recommendation tools. We would love to hear about your favorite books too! No need to prepare a review in advance of this informal discussion.

We hope to see you there!

No registration required. This is an adult in-person program that will meet Tuesday, February 18 at 5:30 PM.

NEW! Case Closed Book Group

Do you enjoy mystery, thriller and true crime novels? Come join the Case Closed Book Group! 

The first meeting is on Tuesday, February 4th at 6:00 pm via Zoom. 

We read a variety of mystery, thriller and true crime books; fiction and non-fiction! New readers are always welcome. We also do not discourage those who were unable to finish the current title from attending – we welcome you to join the discussion anyways!”

This month’s title is “First Lie Wins” by Ashley Elston

organization

“Evie Porter has everything a nice, Southern girl could want: a perfect, doting boyfriend, a house with a white picket fence and a garden, a fancy group of friends. The only catch: Evie Porter doesn’t exist.

The identity comes first: Evie Porter. Once she’s given a name and location by her mysterious boss Mr. Smith, she learns everything there is to know about the town and the people in it. Then the mark: Ryan Sumner. The last piece of the puzzle is the job. Evie isn’t privy to Mr. Smith’s real identity, but she knows this job will be different. Ryan has gotten under her skin, and she’s starting to envision a different sort of life for herself. But Evie can’t make any mistakes—especially after what happened last time.

Because the one thing she’s worked her entire life to keep clean, the one identity she could always go back to—her real identity—just walked right into this town. Evie Porter must stay one step ahead of her past while making sure there’s still a future in front of her. The stakes couldn’t be higher—but then, Evie has always liked a challenge…”

Registration required. Register HERE

Or copy this link: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZ0sd-mpqT4uG9Mf1rstPsTVbf9pJEM-_D_o.

NEW! Art Hive

Join the Newburyport Public Library Art Hive! The NPL Art Hive is held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month in the Program Room.

What is an Art Hive? Art Hives are community art spaces where participants bring in their own arts and crafts projects to meet, exchange ideas, and socialize with fellow artists in an inclusive and respectful environment. They are often held at an art studio, a local venue, or a public library.

All skill levels are welcome. Please bring in your own supplies and projects to work on. The Library will also provide coloring pages, color pencils, and origami. Suggested art hive projects include knitting and crocheting, collaging, small-scale watercolors and/or drawings.

Adults only. See our calendar for dates. Please call 978-465-4428 x2 with any questions. 

The Great Old Book Sale is almost here!

Book Sale Donations

Saturday, October 19: 9:30 am-4:30 pm

Monday, October 21: 9:30 am-7:30 pm

Tuesday, October 22: 9:30 am-2:30 pm

All donations must be brought in through the front door.

Hardcover, paperback and audio books only; no other media, textbooks or magazines will be accepted. Please, 8 box limit.

Friends of the Library Members’ Sale

Wednesday, October 23: 2 pm-8 pm
FOL Members Only. Membership can be purchased at the library.
Entry numbers are available in the lobby starting at 12:00 pm Wednesday.

General Sale

Thursday, October 24: 9:30 am-7:30 pm

Friday, October 25: 9:30 am-4:30 pm

Saturday, October 26: 9:30 am-2:30 pm

Volunteers are always welcome. A volunteer sign-up book can be found in the library lobby next to the Book Sale poster or you can sign up online using Signup Genius HERE.

This event is sponsored by the Friends of the Newburyport Public Library. Proceeds will benefit the Newburyport Public Library collections and programs.

Council on Aging Outreach Services Drop-In Hours

Starting on Thursday, September 12 (12:30-1:30 PM), Outreach Specialist from the Council on Aging, Ann Freeman, will be available at the Newburyport Public Library twice a month to Newburyport residents.

Stop by to get connected to services and information, including information on housing, home care, food, transportation, finance, health, and family issues. Residents will be helped on a first-come first-served basis. See Reference staff for directions. Consultations and referrals are confidential and free to all. 

Please see the Events calendar for exact dates or call us at 978-465-4428.