Fox Walking Club

Mondays, Oct. 3, 17, 24, 31

10:00 - 11:00 a.m.

Fox Library 

We will meet at the library and walk between 1.5-3 miles mostly along the Arlington Cultural District and Minuteman Bikeway. This is a great way to stay active and make some new friends in your community. Getting regular physical activity is one of the best things you can do for your health. All ages welcome! Weather permitting.

Robbins Library Book Discussion Group

Monday, Oct. 3, 7 p.m.

Robbins Library Conference Room, with remote attendance option. 

EmailThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for meeting link.

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht is available for pickup at the Robbins Library.  Follow the group on Facebook.

Fox Crafting Meet-Up

Tuesdays, Oct. 4, 11, 18, 25

3:00-4:00 p.m. 

Fox Branch Library 

Love to craft? Knit? Crochet? Join us! Bring whatever project you are working on and meet other makers.

*NEW* English NOW! Conversation Group

Wednesdays, Oct. 5, 12, 19, 26

11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Robbins Library Community Room  

English NOW!, an Arlington-based group, offers English-language learners opportunities to practice their conversation skills, advance their knowledge of vocabulary and grammar, and make connections in the community. Participants in these free conversation groups discuss varied subjects under the supervision of native speakers. 

Zoom conversation groups are also available. Email englishnowArlington@gmail.com for the Zoom links for the online groups or use Meeting IDs below:

Wednesdays from 6:00-7:30 p.m.: Meeting ID: 694 300 663, Passcode: 528316

Fridays from 11:00 a.m.-12:30 p.m.: Meeting ID: 812 2549 9096, Passcode: 659333

Drop-in Tech Help

Wednesday, Oct. 5

Tuesday, Oct. 18

2:00-3:00 p.m.

Robbins Library Conference Room  

Stop by and ask a librarian your technology-related questions. If we can't help with a specific issue you are having, we will do our best to point you to resources that can!

Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with any questions. 

Arlington Author Salon: Thrills and Mysteries (in person)

Thursday, Oct. 6

7:30 p.m.

Back in person at Kickstand Cafe! 

The fall theme is: “Thrills and Mysteries” with Stephanie Gayle, Lynne Reeves Griffin, and Edwin Hill. The Arlington Author Salon is a free reading series with a twist: each author’s presentation includes something special to tickle the senses. Music, paintings, photographs, and more. Let yourself be transported with an immersive, literary experience. Mask required. This event will be recorded and posted online for viewing. 

Science Book Group: The Soul of an Octopus

7 to 8 p.m. on Zoom.

Find Happiness through Mindfulness, Yoga, & Meditation

Thursdays, Oct. 6 and 20, 7:15-8:00 p.m.

Zoom Program 

Experience ancient practices of breathing and meditation in an informal virtual setting. Discover secrets to increasing happiness in everyday life and learn ways to make it grow each day. No previous experience required. Sessions are led by mindfulness, yoga and meditation teacher Janhavi Wadwhani. The sessions will continue on the first and third Thursdays of the month from September-June. Participants are welcome to access the Zoom meeting with the following information:

Zoom ID: 2916902039

Password: SKY

Delvena Theatre: A Cup of Tea, A Crumpet and a Gas Mask

Wednesday, Oct. 12, 7:00 p.m.

Robbins Library Community Room 

Join the Delvena Theatre for a heartwarming comedy set during the WWII London Blitz. Meet Mrs. Henderson – an upper-class British woman - who bravely, hilariously, keeps one little theater alive in a very unique way. Her new friend Margaret Rutherford comes to visit, and together they discuss matters of the heart and how to make dreams come true. Though confronting difficult times, the women prove that all you really need in life is a lot of laughter and a good friend! The show will feature Lynne Moulton and Fran Baron as Margaret Rutherford and Mrs. Henderson. Supported in part by a grant from the Arlington Cultural Council and the Friends of Robbins Library. 

Guys Book Group

Thursday, Oct. 13

7:30 - 8:30 p.m. 

Fox Library Community Room, with remote attendance option

This month we’re reading Paul Revere’s Ride, a history by David Hackett Fischer. Copies can be picked up at Robbins or Fox libraries, just ask for the Guys’ Book Group book.  Library visitors can join us in-person in the Fox Library Community Room or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for the link to attend from home via Zoom. Newcomers welcome! Unless otherwise indicated, we always meet on the second Thursday of the month at the same time and place using the same Zoom link.

Reel Queer

Thursday, Oct. 13

6:30-8:00 p.m.

Robbins Library Community Room 

Join us for a screening of Bite Marks (2011). Truck-driver Brewster takes over his missing brother's delivery of a load of coffins to a funeral home. When his GPS leads them him to a deserted junkyard his truck breaks down.  Reel Queer is an intergenerational LGBTQIA+ film series cosponsored by the Arlington Council on Aging and the Arlington Rainbow Commission.

TEAS Test Prep for Certified Nursing Assistants

12 Week Course Begins Monday, Oct. 17

9:30-11:00 a.m.

Robbins Library Conference Room 

Are you a Certified Nursing Assistant (CNA) whose first language is not English? Is your goal to enroll in nursing school or another health-related program? This course offered by Lamplight Women’s Literacy Center will prepare CNAs for the Reading and English Language Usage portions of the TEAS (Test of Essential Academic Skills.) The TEAS is an admissions requirement for nursing programs that can be a barrier to nonnative English speaking applicants. Register at lamplightliteracy.org

Plug In to the ABCD’s of Medicare

Monday, Oct. 17, 7:00 p.m.

Robbins Library Community Room 

In the last year Medicare has undergone dramatic changes. With Open Enrollment beginning on Oct. 15, wouldn't it help to have someone who can explain those changes and answer your questions about eligibility and your options? Look no further than Ben Thornton, an independent broker for health and life insurance and a registered investment advisor. With his vast Medicare experience, Ben will bring us up to date and answer questions such as: What does each part of Medicare cover? When and how can you apply for Medicare and its associated plans? What options are there to augment standard Medicare? What penalties might you face for not signing up for Medicare? How can you obtain financial assistance for Medicare? Plug In, a Robbins Library series, is supported by the Barry Fund.  

Who Votes, Who Doesn’t, and Why it Matters

Tuesday, Oct. 18, 7 p.m.

Robbins Library Community Room 

One of the core principles of American democracy is the importance of voter participation to ensure government by and for the people. However, there are deeply entrenched inequities in the political and electoral system that make our government more accountable to some people than others. Kelly Siegel-Stechler, Ph.D. and Senior Researcher at CIRCLE, the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning & Engagement, at Tisch College of Civic Life, Tufts University will consider the major trends in voter participation and turnout across the US and locally in Massachusetts, some of the causes behind these trends, and their implications for democratic society. Finally, we will consider some potential solutions for policy and individuals to work toward ensuring a more just and inclusive democracy. Supported by a civic engagement series grant from the Arlington Libraries Foundation.

Fox Yarn Swap

Wednesday, Oct. 19, 6 to 7 p.m.

Fox Library 

Have some old yarn you don’t want anymore? Need some new yarn for a project you’re working on? Come to the Fox Yarn Swap and trade out your old yarn for some new yarn! 

Social Worker Drop-In Hours

Monday, Oct. 24

11:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. 

Robbins Library Conference Room

Struggling to meet basic needs such as housing, food, or employment? A social worker is available to answer questions about social services in and around Arlington. 

Cookbook Club

Monday, Oct. 24

6:30-8:00 p.m.

Robbins Library Community Room

Our cookbook will be My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz. Copies of the book are available at the circulation desk. Choose a recipe to make, and register by emailing your recipe choice to Linda Dyndiuk at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Oct. 19. Space is limited.

Speculative Fiction Book Group

Monday, Oct. 24

7:00-8:00 p.m.

Robbins Library Conference Room with remote attendance option

Robbins has a new book group for fans of science fiction, fantasy, and tales of alternate realities! Join us to discuss The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers. We meet every other month, so mark your calendars!

"There are so many amazing things about this book which I have tried to cover in my review, but to sum it up in one word I found this book to be: Perfect!” — Fantasy Book Review. 

Copies of the book are available for checkout at the circulation desk. Email Verónica at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for Zoom access or additional information.

What is a Gap Year? Is it for You?

Wednesday, Oct. 19

6:30-7:30 p.m.

Zoom Presentation

Jane and Jason Sarouhan of J2Guides, a professional gap year consulting service, will share their stories and expertise.  They’ll define and demystify the gap year, share effective gap year planning strategies, and answer your questions.  For teens and parents/guardians.   Email russellfundcoordinator@minlib.net for the Zoom link. 

Crafternoon for Kids of all Ages

Thursday, Oct. 20

3:00-4:00 p.m.

Robbins Library Children’s Room

Drop by the Children's Room to get crafty at our Fall Crafternoon! 

Family Game Night drop-in for Kids of all Ages

Thursday, Oct. 27

6:30-7:30 p.m.

Robbins Library Children’s Room 

Come play our board games or bring your own! 

Electrify Arlington is a community-wide campaign to eliminate Arlington’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions—the pollutants that cause climate change. The goal of the Electrify Arlington campaign is to power buildings and transportation in Arlington with clean electricity in order to achieve net zero GHG emissions by 2050. Arlington’s 2021 Net Zero Action Plan, endorsed by the Select Board, commits the Town to this goal, and Electrify Arlington is one of the Net Zero Action Plan’s high priority actions in pursuit of this goal. Electrify Arlington will connect residents and businesses with existing programs, rebates and incentives, and technical assistance to make it happen!