If you want a snapshot of what Everett’s public libraries are actually doing day to day, it’s this: games, story hours, crafts, a book group, and a World Cup watch party. Not glamorous. Useful.
The Parlin and Shute libraries have a full slate of programs next week, mostly aimed at kids and families, with a few options for teens and adults who still like leaving the house.
At Parlin, one of the more interesting items is a World Cup watch party in the YA Room. The library says it will host “select World Cup games,” and next week’s listed match is Thursday, June 11 at 3 p.m., with Mexico v. South Africa. That is a better use of a public room than a lot of meetings in this city.
There’s also Yarn Club in the Parlin Fireplace Room on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. The library describes it plainly: “Come chit chat and stitch!” Bring knitting, crocheting, or another yarn craft. Recommended ages are “14-109,” which is about as sensible a way as any to say everybody’s welcome.
For readers who prefer books to yarn, the Connolly Center Book Group meets Thursday, June 11 at noon in the Connolly Center Meeting Room to discuss Alyson Richman’s The Missing Page. Copies are available through Kathleen’s visits or by calling Parlin at 617-394-2300 or Shute at 617-394-2308.
The children’s schedule is packed.
Parlin’s Lego Club runs Monday, June 8 from 3 to 5 p.m. in the Children’s Room. Storytime and Singalong with Karen is Wednesday, June 10 at 11 a.m. for ages 0-6. Creative Drama Class is also on Wednesdays at 3 p.m. for kids ages 6-14. Fridays at 11 a.m., Mrs. McAuliffe hosts Story Time Adventures in the Craft Room.
There’s also a nature program worth noting. On Friday, June 12 at 3 p.m. in the Parlin Meeting Room, kids can learn about “the fabulous pollinators of New England,” including “butterflies, bees and hummingbirds.” It’s for ages 4 and up, and the library says families can also check out the butterfly display in the children’s room.
Then on Saturday, June 13 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Parlin hosts its Summer Reading Kick-off Party. The library says this year’s reading challenge will include patriotic themes tied to the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution, with “special guests, Captain American and Betsy Ross.” We assume they mean Captain America. Either way, the kids probably won’t file a complaint.
At Shute, the teen program Ready Player One Games runs Wednesdays at 2:30 p.m. in the Meeting Room, featuring Nintendo Switch and PlayStation games for ages 11 and up.
For younger kids, Miss Val’s Storytime Pals meets Mondays at 10 a.m. and Tuesdays at noon in the Shute Children’s Room. Master Builders: Lego Free-play runs Thursdays from 3 to 5 p.m.
None of this is controversial. That’s part of the point. The libraries are doing the basic public work: giving kids something to do, giving families somewhere to go, and giving people a place that doesn’t require buying a coffee first. In 2026, that still counts for something.