Library Hours

Monday through Friday, 9:30-5:30 with extended hours on Tuesday until 7:00pm

Saturdays 9:30-1:30

Curbside pickup is available during all open hours

Check our website for the most up-to-date information and to register for programs:  https://baconfreelibrary.org

Children’s Programs

All Together Preschool Storytime -- Mondays and Tuesdays @ 10am -- Join us for stories and songs! We’ll be outdoors, weather permitting. Bring along a blanket to get comfy.

Note: if the weather is wet or below 55 degrees, we’ll move this storytime indoors. The historic nature of our building limits accessibility. This program is also offered in an accessible location at the Morse Institute Library (check their website for dates, times, and more information). 

Baby Time -- Wednesdays @ 10am --  Stories, bounces, and songs for babies 0-24 months and their grownups!  This program is held indoors. The historic nature of our building limits accessibility. This program is also offered in an accessible location at the Morse Institute Library (check their website for dates, times, and more information).

Jammin with You -- Fridays, June 6th & 20th @ 10:30am-- Be prepared to laugh, dance, sing, and jam your way through 30 minutes of non-stop family fun! We›ll be outdoors, weather permitting. Bring along a blanket to get comfy. Note: if the weather is wet, this program will be rescheduled.   

Read to a Dog -- Saturday, June 7th @ 10am -- Children ages 5 and up can sign up for a 15-minute reading session with Sophie, a gentle golden retriever who loves belly rubs, stories, and cuddles.  Registration is required; register on our website.

Circus Tots Class -- Monday, June 9th @11am -- Take your first steps into the magical world of circus with this class from our neighbors at Eastern Acrobatics! Kids ages 3-6 will learn some simple and fun circus skills outdoors on the BFL lawn. Registration is required for each child attending.

Juggling Class for Kids -- Tuesday, June 10th @4:30pm -- Learn some basic juggling skills in this fun outdoor class from our neighbors at Eastern Acrobatics! Geared toward kids ages 7 and up. Registration is required for each child attending.

Read-a-Story, Dance-a-Story -- Friday, June 13th @10:30am -- Join us on the lawn for an outdoor dance class inspired by the enchanting tale, The Firebird. We’ll glide through spellbound forests, flap like mystical birds, and break a powerful curse with our dance. Perfect for young movers and curious minds, this class blends storytelling, dance, and music for a joyful and expressive experience. Recommended for ages 3-8. No dance experience needed – just bring your imagination! This class will be taught by Ms. Ashlie from the Community Dance Academy at Walnut Hill School for the Arts. Registration is required for each child attending.

Big Bubbles with Mr. Vinny the Bubble Guy -- Tuesday, June 24th @4pm -- Kick off Summer Reading with some running, jumping, and bubble-popping fun! With his giant, homemade bubble wands, Mr. Vinny gets kids and adults involved in bubble chasing games. Silly, interactive entertainment for all ages!

This program will be held outdoors on the BFL lawn.  If it rains, the fun will move to the Morse Institute Library and Mr. Vinny will share his shadow puppet show instead.

Professor Bugman’s Insect Safari -- Friday, June 27th @ 3pm -- Come explore the arthropod biodiversity outside in your own community with a real entomologist! Professor Bugman will bring the equipment and expertise; you bring the curiosity.  If it rains, this program will be held indoors at the Morse Institute Library. Geared toward ages 4-12. Registration is required for each child attending.

Adult Programs

Author Randi Minetor discusses Death in the National Parks  --- Virtual program, Monday, June 2nd @ 7pm on Zoom --  Why do some people lose their lives in America’s national parks? Randi Minetor, author of seven books in the nonfiction Death in the National Parks series, will explore the fatal mistakes people make when they venture into unfamiliar wilderness.  She will also provide tips on how to avoid your own disaster in a national park. Be ready for your summer vacation plans with this pertinent and, probably, humorous presentation!   Register for the Zoom link.

Juggling Class for Adults -- Tuesday, June 10th @ 5:30pm --  Learn some basic juggling skills in this fun outdoor class from our neighbors at Eastern Acrobatics! This session is for adults. Registration is required.   

Vanish: Disappearing Icons of a Rural America -- streaming documentary film -- June 13th - June 27th -- Vanish chronicles the “visual preservation” adventures of fine art photographer, Jim Westphalen, as he travels across the country seeking out and creating stunning imagery of America’s disappearing rural structures. Equal parts art, history, and storm chasing, this film takes you on a road-trip with Westphalen as he races against time and the unrelenting elements to capture the extraordinary beauty of aging barns, one-room schoolhouses, grain elevators, prairie churches, and other classic structures that our country’s rural heritage was built upon. Vanish also features deep-dive interviews with preservation experts as well as the passionate people who strive and struggle to save these fading treasures, sharing their intimate stories of dreams, loss, and triumphs.

Please register on our website to view the film. You will receive the link to screen the film on June 13th. The link will be good through June 27th

Summer Romance Beach Read Recommendations with Lorelei of Lorelei’s Lit Lair -- Virtual program, Monday, June 16th @ 7pm on Zoom -- If you know romance, you probably know Lorelei!  Affectionately referred to as a passionate romance ambassador, Lorelei has been offering book recommendations through social media since 2010.  In this program, Lorelei will chat about the books she’s looking forward to reading this summer — the best of romance beach reads!  If your TBR pile isn’t already groaning, it will be!  Grab a cool drink and join us. Register for the Zoom link.

True-crime Author E.C.Hanson discusses Dead End Road -- Virtual program, Monday, June 23rd @ 7pm on Zoom -- In June 1977, Renee Freer, nicknamed Giggles, went out to play with her friends. A few hours later, she was found bludgeoned to death with a rock. In a true crime book unlike most others, E.C. Hanson digs into this unsolved murder case. Dead End Road honors Renee Freer’s memory and asks “how will you help?”

Join us for this conversation with E.C. as he discusses this book, his research, and his goal in pursuing this cold case. Register for the Zoom link.

Drop-In Plein Air Art Studio -- Monday, June 30th @1:30pm -- Join Natick landscape artist Barbara Levine for drop-in plein air painting on the grounds of the Bacon Free Library. (Other locations may be considered as well.) All levels of painters, and all mediums are welcome. Supplies will not be provided, so please bring your own equipment including: easels, paints, brushes, any solvents or mediums used, painting surfaces, paper towels, drinking water, hats, garbage bags, sunscreen, and good humor. Barbara will be on hand to offer suggestions during this weekly 2-hour program. Come to as many sessions as you like and please arrive by 1:30pm in order to have time to set up. Please register for the sessions you will be attending, so that we have an idea of how many artists to expect each week and so we may contact you if the program is canceled due to inclement weather. This program is for adults only. Register on our website.

Adult Book & Film Clubs - registration required for all clubs; please visit our website for details

https://baconfreelibrary.org/clubs-programs/

Mystery Book Club -- Thursday, June 5th  @ 1pm on Zoom

History Book Club -- Thursday, June 12th @ 11am on Zoom

Environmental Book Club -- Saturday, June 21st @ 12pmat the library

Tuesday Book Club -- Tuesday, June 24th @ 6:30pm at the library

Nonfiction Book Club -- Saturday, June 28th @10am on Zoom

Cinephile Mondays -- last Monday of the month @ 4pm on Zoom; watch and discuss films. Check the BFL website for the film of the month and to register. 

Museum Passes

The Bacon Free Library and Morse Institute Library offer passes for free or reduced-admission to 30 local museums.  Check one out and plan your next day trip!