Storytimes near ROGERS FREE LIBRARY

Main Floor

Get your blood pressure checked, for free!

Quiet Study South

Do you love word games? Join our weekly Scrabble Club for friendly competition, conversation, and fellowship! Players of all skill levels are welcome, from beginners to seasoned wordsmiths. Bring a friend or meet new ones as you build your vocabulary while having FUN! Scrabble Club is led by Kathryn Swanson. No registration is required. This club is generously funded by the Friends of Rogers Free Library.

Children's Room

Come see which hats Mrs. Katz will wear during this fun storytime! Mrs. Katz’s collection of hats has grown to over 200 hats! Once a month, Mrs. Katz has a special giveaway sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Best for ages 2-8 and their parents or caregivers.

Teen Space

Get volunteer hours by helping out your library and your commnity! TAB members help plan and run programs, suggest books and media, share feedback, and bring new ideas to the table. The library is a community space, and we need you to help create services and events that reflect what you and your peers actually want and need. Joining TAB is a great way to: earn volunteer hours build leadership experience make a difference in your community make new friends Your voice matters - so speak up! TAB is also your gateway to volunteering at the library! Attending TAB meetings and programs planned there counts for volunteer hours. Additional volunteer hours will be available through programs and projects planned at TAB. Snacks will be provided! Suggested Topics to Discuss: Book Boxes Update Teen Space Decor Summer/Fall Event Planning: Arts and Crafts Club, Journal Club, Banned Books Week Fall Event Planning: Trash Pickup, Film Nights, Reading in the Park Best for 6th-12th graders, ages 11-18. Registration is preferred.

Main Floor Reading Room

The library (and you!) will be reading and discussing one of the most respected and interesting novelists of the Victorian era, George Eliot. Her novel, Middlemarch, describes a town in a time of social change, and addresses how the choices we make affect not only ourselves but others around us. She also investigates the limits of the individual in altering the world for the better. The story is a study in character development at its finest as only George Eliot can do. Come join us for the fun of exploring her ideas, starting July 9. Please read the Prelude and the first two chapters for the debut session discussion.

Tuesdays and Fridays by appointment only. Click here to make an appointment. Our staff and volunteers will help you with basic questions you might have regarding how to use computers, mobile devices, or e-readers. We also answer questions about software, and social media. There are no stupid questions! We cannot offer Tech Help appointments to the same patron more than once in a week. This is a free service intended to help users learn to navigate basic tasks using common applications and programs. If your question turns out to be beyond our capabilities, we will let you know, and may be able to help you find a local IT professional to assist you further. If you’re not sure whether we can help with your specific case, please reach out to tech questions@rogersfreelibrary.org before you book your appointment. We cannot perform hardware repairs, recommend specific brands to purchase, or offer case-specific guidance about online forms or paperwork, or participate in credit card transactions. The Library is not liable for any data loss, damage, malfuncion, or any other changes made to your device. Here are some examples of topics we’ve dealt with in the past: How can I get free eBooks from the library? I forgot my password, how do I get back into my account? My device says that I have been hacked / that I have a virus, what should I do? How can I attach a photo or document to an email? How can I make my phone more usable when I have trouble seeing, hearing, and/or using touch controls? How can I create / edit a fillable PDF document? How do I connect my Bluetooth headphones to my iPad? How do I install a webcam on my computer? How do I organize the files / photos on my computer? What is an app and how can I put one on my smartphone? What is the Cloud and how does it work? Can you help me create an Instagram account? How can I back up my smartphone? How can I stop friends from tagging me on Facebook? What is Zoom and how do I use it?

Courtyard Garden

"Plant a Seed, Read!" Come enjoy Del's lemonade, lawn games, and a Summer Reading Mini Parade featuring shoebox floats! No registration is required. This event takes place in the Courtyard Garden. In the case of inclement weather, this event will take place in the Herreshoff Community Room.

Courtyard Garden

Enter a float in the first annual Miniature Parade! This year's theme is Plant a Seed, Read. Register here to enter a shoebox float in the parade. If you just want to watch the parade you don't need to register. One registration per float The float will need to be about the size of a shoebox It will need to be able to roll in the parade and each float will need a puller/pusher to move it in the parade. The puller/pusher is welcome to wear a coordinating costume Bring your float to the library courtyard by 12:30 to be in the parade There will be prizes!

Quiet Study South

Come and play chess! Saturdays are geared towards intermediate and advanced players, but we welcome everybody and play at all levels. We take it seriously, but we have fun! If you love the game, this is the place to be.

Herreshoff Community Room

The Write to Grow Workshop Program encourages participants to use the written word as a tool for building a well-rounded, balanced life. Each workshop is: Comprised of a mix of reading, reflective & creative writing, and group discussion Designed for writers of all levels. No previous writing experience required! Session topics to be announced. More about Hannah Little: Hannah Little is a Vermont-raised writer, speaker, editor, and workshop facilitator based in Rhode Island. She is an alumna of several writers' programs, including the New England Young Writers' Conference at Bread Loaf and the New York State Summer Writers' Institute at Skidmore College. She studied creative writing, editing, and arts management at Roger Williams University. You must register for each session separately. All ages and abilities welcome, but this program is recommended for those aged 13 .

Tuesdays and Fridays by appointment only. Click here to make an appointment. Our staff and volunteers will help you with basic questions you might have regarding how to use computers, mobile devices, or e-readers. We also answer questions about software, and social media. There are no stupid questions! We cannot offer Tech Help appointments to the same patron more than once in a week. This is a free service intended to help users learn to navigate basic tasks using common applications and programs. If your question turns out to be beyond our capabilities, we will let you know, and may be able to help you find a local IT professional to assist you further. If you’re not sure whether we can help with your specific case, please reach out to tech questions@rogersfreelibrary.org before you book your appointment. We cannot perform hardware repairs, recommend specific brands to purchase, or offer case-specific guidance about online forms or paperwork, or participate in credit card transactions. The Library is not liable for any data loss, damage, malfuncion, or any other changes made to your device. Here are some examples of topics we’ve dealt with in the past: How can I get free eBooks from the library? I forgot my password, how do I get back into my account? My device says that I have been hacked / that I have a virus, what should I do? How can I attach a photo or document to an email? How can I make my phone more usable when I have trouble seeing, hearing, and/or using touch controls? How can I create / edit a fillable PDF document? How do I connect my Bluetooth headphones to my iPad? How do I install a webcam on my computer? How do I organize the files / photos on my computer? What is an app and how can I put one on my smartphone? What is the Cloud and how does it work? Can you help me create an Instagram account? How can I back up my smartphone? How can I stop friends from tagging me on Facebook? What is Zoom and how do I use it?

Teen Space

Join us for a one-shot set in the dark sci-fi/fantasy universe of Wrath and Glory, uncovering rumors and fighting dangerous factions! About Wrath and Glory: A new era has dawned, and the galaxy is more dangerous than ever — the perfect time to dive into epic and terrible tales. The vastness of space is rife with opportunities for exploration; can your Rogue Trader find profit from an Aeldari alliance? What strange xenos will you find (and purge) with your Inquisitorial retinue? Where will you get enough red paint to make this Kill Kroozer go faster? About Rain of Mercy: In a galaxy ravaged by war, rumors abound in the shrine world of an Imperial Saint emerging majestically from the wretched conditions of Holy Enoch’s appalling refugee camps. Can you navigate a treacherous town run by water-selling gangs? Is the Saint a pious vessel for the Emperor’s will, or a perfidious Psyker manipulating the populace? Employed as judge, jury, and executioner by the Imperium’s representatives on a troubled world fraught with danger and wracked by the Great Rift’s malignant forces — what choices will you and your party make in these perilous conditions? Best for ages 11-18. Registration is required and spots are limited. Note: This game is set in the same universe as Warhammer 40,000, but it is a tabletop RPG rather than a war game, and no figurines are required. DM: Luther B., high school volunteer.

Due to a delay in robotics component delivery, this instance of this event has been postponed. We will reach out as soon as we have further information. Work with the Roger Williams University Robotics Team on programming, robotics designs, and working with robotic arms! From NASA space systems to automated warehouses and surgical robotics, robotic arms power many of today’s most important technologies. More information coming soon. Best for current and rising high school students (grades 9-12). Previous robotics/coding experience is helpful, but not necessary; beginners are welcome!

Main Floor Reading Room

Join a growing community of writers for critique and co-writing! Bring a piece or excerpt of 500 words or less for the group to critique, or just bring a pen and paper! Each session, there is time for both critique and writing. All genres and skill levels are welcome. This is a drop-in program, no commitment is necessary. Since our establishment in July 2023, we've had members who were published writers and members who were completely new to creative writing, working on almost every genre you can think of--fiction, poetry, satire, children's books, songwriting, memoir, and more. No matter who you are or what you are working on, we'd love to read your words!

Herreshoff Community Room

Featuring Jay and Leslie a comedy duo in the vaudeville tradition. This is a show for the whole family and includes juggling, mime, magic, puppetry and audience participation!

A Live and Virtual Author Talk Authors Unplugged: Karin Slaughter - Small Towns and Big Secrets International and New York Times Bestselling Author of Pretty Girls, the Will Trent series, and The Good Daughter This talk will NOT be hosted on-site at the library. It is online only. Recommended for ages 16 . Registration is required for virtual attendance. Click HERE to register. Join us for a thrilling evening with acclaimed author Karin Slaughter as we chat about her North Falls series, consisting of We Are All Guilty Here, in which two teenage girls vanish in rural Georgia, and her upcoming sequel, The Secrets We Hide. In The Secrets We Hide, Slaughter welcomes readers back to North Falls. A small town with big secrets… 1601 Iris Drive looks like any other house on the quiet, residential street. But rumors are rampant about the Vickery family, and what goes on behind closed doors. When gunshots ring out, Sheriff Emmy Clifton and her sister, ex-federal agent Jude Archer, discover a devastating crime scene. Allison Vickery has been murdered in her own kitchen, and her teenage daughter is bleeding upstairs, left for dead. Everyone thinks they know what happened. But secrets are buried everywhere in this small town. And it’s up to Emmy Clifton to uncover the truth… Register now to take part in the discussion, and for an exclusive sneak peek of The Secrets We Hide, coming out August 11, 2026!

Children's Room

This weekly summer storytime will include stories, interactive songs and rhymes and a Grab & Go Craft Kit (while supplies last). Best for ages 0-5 and their parents/caregivers.

Quiet Study South

Do you love to knit? Do you want to learn more about it? Join our local group of knitters on the 3rd floor every Wednesday and knit as a group. Minimum age of participation is 10, with parental supervision. No registration required. Must bring your own materials.

Quiet Study South

This club is for anybody who loves a good game of chess. We are a fun group of players. We like a competitive match, but we are not too serious! People of all levels are welcome.

A Live and Virtual Author Talk Authors Unplugged: Reyna Grande - Migrant Heart: The Hidden Cost of the American Dream and Healing Through Storytelling Award-Winning and Bestselling Author of The Distance Between Us and A Dream Called Home This talk will NOT be hosted on-site at the library. It is online only. Registration is required for virtual attendance. Click HERE to register. In her ambitious new memoir, Migrant Heart: Essays About Things I Can’t Forget, beloved bestselling author Reyna Grande illuminates the hidden cost of the American Dream and the complex journey of healing that follows survival. What is the true power of stories? Can they heal the jagged edges of a traumatic childhood? Is the cost of telling the story worth the price of the cure? With her signature blend of sophistication and raw honesty, Grande interrogates how living between two nations, two languages, and two identities has shaped the woman, mother, and writer she has become. Moving from the legacy of violence in her hometown of Iguala, Mexico, to a bittersweet family vacation in Europe spent reconciling her own impoverished past with her children’s world of abundance, she uncovers startling truths about the nature of survival. Whether being racially profiled in the Arizona borderlands or finding unexpected wisdom from the slugs in her garden, Grande unflinchingly asks: How do we bridge the gap between who we were and who we have become? How do we turn pain into power? When memory threatens to define us, how can we use story to heal while still honoring our boundaries? Register today for this virtual talk if you identify as a seeker, a dreamer, or “anyone who believes in the enduring, transformative power of finding one’s voice.”

Quiet Study South

Do you love word games? Join our weekly Scrabble Club for friendly competition, conversation, and fellowship! Players of all skill levels are welcome, from beginners to seasoned wordsmiths. Bring a friend or meet new ones as you build your vocabulary while having FUN! Scrabble Club is led by Kathryn Swanson. No registration is required. This club is generously funded by the Friends of Rogers Free Library.

Children's Room

Come see which hats Mrs. Katz will wear during this fun storytime! Mrs. Katz’s collection of hats has grown to over 200 hats! Once a month, Mrs. Katz has a special giveaway sponsored by the Friends of the Library. Best for ages 2-8 and their parents or caregivers.

Herreshoff Community Room

Join us for another Film Night! Film Night is a student-run student film festival. It began in 2010 when 18-year-old film lover Alex Watrous wanted to show off his projects to his friends; the event grew from there, helping young and ambitious filmmakers gain exposure and feedback on their work. This Film Night will showcase student films from Bristol and all around the world. This Film Night's theme: Documentary/Mockumentary: these films tell true stories....and stories that look true enough. Are you a student (at any grade level, or in college)? Do you have a film to submit? Submit your film here on FilmFreeway for a chance to be screened at this Film Night!

Upstairs Conference Room

The Rogers Free Library Board of Trustees actively works towards creating library awareness, securing the financial support of the library, and encouraging the continued growth and development of the staff. Library patrons are always welcome to attend meetings. Meetings are held every 3rd Thursday. An agenda for each meeting can be found in the week prior to all meetings at rogersfreelibrary.org/board-of-trustees.

Tuesdays and Fridays by appointment only. Click here to make an appointment. Our staff and volunteers will help you with basic questions you might have regarding how to use computers, mobile devices, or e-readers. We also answer questions about software, and social media. There are no stupid questions! We cannot offer Tech Help appointments to the same patron more than once in a week. This is a free service intended to help users learn to navigate basic tasks using common applications and programs. If your question turns out to be beyond our capabilities, we will let you know, and may be able to help you find a local IT professional to assist you further. If you’re not sure whether we can help with your specific case, please reach out to tech questions@rogersfreelibrary.org before you book your appointment. We cannot perform hardware repairs, recommend specific brands to purchase, or offer case-specific guidance about online forms or paperwork, or participate in credit card transactions. The Library is not liable for any data loss, damage, malfuncion, or any other changes made to your device. Here are some examples of topics we’ve dealt with in the past: How can I get free eBooks from the library? I forgot my password, how do I get back into my account? My device says that I have been hacked / that I have a virus, what should I do? How can I attach a photo or document to an email? How can I make my phone more usable when I have trouble seeing, hearing, and/or using touch controls? How can I create / edit a fillable PDF document? How do I connect my Bluetooth headphones to my iPad? How do I install a webcam on my computer? How do I organize the files / photos on my computer? What is an app and how can I put one on my smartphone? What is the Cloud and how does it work? Can you help me create an Instagram account? How can I back up my smartphone? How can I stop friends from tagging me on Facebook? What is Zoom and how do I use it?

Teen Space

Celebrate the beginning of summer with Laser Tag After Hours! Teens are invited to play laser tag in the stacks. Laser Tag equipment will be provided. We'll meet in the Teen Space at 5:00 PM to go over rules, and the first round will start around 5:30 PM. The last round will end by 7:15 PM. You MUST sign up and fill out a permission slip to attend. The permission slip can be found at the bottom of this page. Please give your signed permission slips to Mr. Gus before the event or at the start of the event. Any teen who does not have a signed slip will not be allowed to enter the library after closing. Best for ages 13-18. Registration and a signed permission slip are required.

Herreshoff Community Room

This is a monthly get-together, a social gathering for anyone who is new to Bristol, has moved back to Bristol or just wants to make new friends. We look forward to meeting you. Please register on the library's website.

Herreshoff Community Room

Plant a seed in your knowledge and discover the important role bees play in helping gardens grow! Join local hobbyist beekeeper Susan Helly for an engaging look at bees, beekeeping, and life inside the hive. Enjoy stories, photos, and hands-on demonstrations of beekeeping equipment... plus, your little bumblebee will have a chance to try on a kid-sized beekeeping suit! Registration is not required for this program. All ages are welcome.

Quiet Study South

Come and play chess! Saturdays are geared towards intermediate and advanced players, but we welcome everybody and play at all levels. We take it seriously, but we have fun! If you love the game, this is the place to be.

Main Floor

For 50 years, Hope Health has provided hospice, palliative, dementia, and grief support services to the Rhode Island and Southeastern Massachusetts community. Meet with organization representatives and learn more about Hope Health while they table on the Main Circulation floor! To learn more about Hope Health: https://www.hopehealthco.org/