UPDATED Aug 17: Though Robbins Library had to move the Aug. 10 concert indoors because of rain, the following and final concert, Thursday, Aug. 17, should be back outdoors pending proper weather conditions. Ben Rudnick is the scheduled performer.

Organizers say this series of show is a way for children and people of all ages to attend performances -- which up till now have been outside on the Robbins Library lawn -- as part of the Kids' Summer Concert Series.

The concert is to be held at 6 p.m. on the lawn between the library, 700 Mass. Ave., and the Whittemore-Robbins House. 670R Mass. Ave., but could be moved indoors if necessary.

  These events, scheduled for several consecutive Thursdays in July and August, are free to attend for all ages and appropriate for all ages.

The Friends of Robbins Library invite the public to “Between Us Sisters: A Dialogue with Louisa and May Alcott” on Wednesday, April 5, at 7 p.m. in the Robbins Library Community Room (lower level). Admission is free and open to all.

Perhaps some of the most famous sisters of all time are the Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth of Little Women fame, the classic coming-of-age story set in Civil War-era Concord, Mass.

Their real life inspirations were the Alcotts, Louisa, Anna, May, and Lizzie, all deep-spirited personalities who have enchanted readers across the world.

But the relationship between Louisa and May remained a largely unexplored mystery – until now.

Cantilena sponsored a free showing of the film "How Long Must We Wait?" on Saturday, April 29, at 2:30 p.m. in the Community Room on the lower level of Robbins Library, 700 Mass. Ave. "Voters and voters-to-be aged 12 and up are invited," a news release said.

"How Long Must We Wait," a film by Jaclyn O'Loughlin, is a historical documentary about the 72-year battle that women fought to achieve the right to vote in the United States.

The film focuses on the events in 1917 that led to the imprisonment and brutal treatment of suffragists in a prison in Lorton, Va. This was considered a turning point in the suffrage campaign, which helped turn the tide of public opinion and ultimately led to the passage of the 19th Amendment in 1920. While that was a huge victory, the film also focuses on the fact that there is still much work left to be done in the fight for women's equal rights, the release said.

Judy Heumann

UPDATED March 18: Judith “Judy” Heumann, renowned advocate for the rights of disabled people and author of the memoirBeing Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of Disability Rights, was to have been the featured speaker for the annual Arlington Reads Together (ART) program later this month. But she has died, NPR has reported.

She is being honored at Robbins Library this afternoon. See the program >>

In a statement issued Sunday, March 5, Anna Litten, libraries' director, wrote under the headline 'Arlington Mourns Death of Judy Heumann' that “Arlington joins those across the nation and world mourning the death of Judy Heumann, lifelong advocate for disability rights and author of the 2023 Arlington Reads Together title,Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist.”

Heumann died Saturday, March 4, at age 75. She had been hospitalized the previous weekend in Washington, D.C., with breathing problems, the National Public Radio account says. 

Charles Dickens in 1838. / Samuel Laurence drawing

"The Dickens You Say," a show about Charles Dickens and his characters, will be presented on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. in the Community Room (lower level) of Robbins Library.

The program, a creation of the Delvena Theatre Company, is sponsored by the Friends of the Robbins Library. It is free and open to all.

Charles Dickens wrote some of the most powerful, imaginative and adored novels of all time. Using lots of humor, the actors will take the audience on a journey into the life and loves of the great man. 

Through the use of monologues and scenes, the actors will embody the ridiculous, the romantic and the frightening characters that Dickens so richly created. They will also explore with the audience some of Dickens's romantic adventures, and how he loved with every “chink and crevice” of his being.

There’s a bit of scandal, and a whole lot of worship for the great man who loved Boston profoundly. The cast will open up after the show for a lively discussion regarding Dickens.

"The Dickens You Say" is supported in part by a grant from the Arlington Cultural Council, a local agency that is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency.

This news announcement was published Friday, Nov. 18, 2022, based on information from  Amy McElroy of the Friends of Robbins library. YourArlington volunteer Kim Haase prepared it for publication.