Check out the latest Boston Public Library Special Collections Lobby display, “Out of the Box: Unpacking the World of Archives.”

Join the Associates of the Boston Public Library for our seventh annual Pierce Performance Series: A Revelation of Character, in collaboration with @playsinplace.bsky.social 🎭 Written by @patrickgabridge.bsky.social

Hear from our Writers-in-Residence TOMORROW, Tuesday, October 7, at 6 pm in the Central Library at our Reading and Celebration! Zarlasht and Yssis, pictured here, and our Illustrated Children’s Book Fellow will all read from their respective manuscripts.

In this photo from last year's Reading, 2023-24 Writer-in-Residence, Danielle Emerson, is handing her completed manuscript to Boston Public Library President, David Leonard, for inclusion in the Special Collections.

RSVP for the Associates' Reading and Celebration on October 7 at 6 pm at the Boston Public Library. Join us for a night of literary celebration. Reserve free tickets 🎟️ wir25.eventbrite.com?aff=bsky

Meet our 2025-26 Illustrated Children’s Book Fellow, Jessica Ruan ✍️ Thanks to an anonymous investor’s dedication to emerging writers, this fellowship’s stipend of $25,000 and funds for coaching or editing will give Jessica the support needed to complete her proposed book.

The Associates of the Boston Public Library is proud to underwrite the salary of one of the @BPLboston’s Digital Imaging Production Assistants, a role filled in July by Jade Alderman.

A huge congratulations to our Writer-in-Residence alum, @anniehartnett.bsky.social, for winning the New England Book Award for fiction for her latest book, A Road to Tender Hearts!

The Associates of the Boston Public Library is thrilled to invite you to A Revelation of Character, in collaboration with @playsinplace.bsky.social ! 🎭

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month! This watercolor of a Spanish fort by Edmund Blampied is from the Boston Public Library’s Edmund Blampied Prints and Drawings Collection.

Are books from a century ago still relevant today? That’s the question we ask every year at the Hundred-Year Book Debate, where three distinguished panelists champion a 1926 classic- and the audience votes for the winner.

Happy Labor Day! This tradition was born from the late 19th-century labor movement's efforts to establish fair and safe working conditions amidst the Industrial Revolution 💪

Thank you to @bostonglobe.com Globe for announcing our 2025-26 Writer-in-Residence, Zarlasht Niaz! Read this fabulous article to learn more about Zarlasht, her proposed novel, and the Associates! www.bostonglobe.com/2025/08/20/a...

Meet our 2025-26 Writer-in-Residence, Zarlasht Niaz ✍️

105 years ago today, the 19th Amendment was ratified, securing women the constitutional right to vote. We honored the generations of suffragists who fought tirelessly for equality in our 2021 Pierce Performance by commissioning and producing a play ‘ONWARD - Votes for Women’ by Lisa Rafferty.

Congratulations to our 2023-24 Writer-in-Residence, Danielle Emerson, for this latest honor!

There’s ONE WEEK LEFT to apply for our Illustrated Children’s Book Fellowship! Apply by August 15 at 11:59 PM - no extensions! For more details and the application link, visit www.associatesbpl.org/illustrated

There are just 3 weeks left to apply for the @associatesBPL Illustrated Children’s Book Fellowship! Apply by August 15 at 11:59 PM - no extensions! For more details and the application link, visit www.associatesbpl.org/illustrated which is linked in our bio. Good luck!

On this day in 1861: the First Battle of Bull Run, the first major land battle of the Civil War, took place.

The Associates of the Boston Public Library are proud to launch the Illustrated Children’s Book Fellowship, for emerging New England writers developing original illustrated books for children ages 0–10.

On July 3, the Boston Public Library celebrated Independence Day with a Special Collections Open House. Patrons were able to view multiple original printings of the Declaration of Independence that are held in the Rare Books and Manuscripts Department. Enjoy these photos from the event!

Bunker Hill Day marks the anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, a pivotal event in the American Revolutionary War fought on June 17, 1775. This early 1800s wood engraving of the Bunker Hill Monument is part of the BPL's Boston Pictorial Archive.

Need a few more days to perfect your Writer-in-Residence submission? You’re in luck! We are extending the deadline until Monday, June 9, at 11:59 PM. For more details & to apply visit www.Writer-in-Residence.org

Reminder that the Associates of the Boston Public Library’s Writer-in-Residence application is due on June 6 at 11:59 PM! Hear from our program alumni about the impact this fellowship made in their lives. Apply today! youtu.be/7xwt756kppA?...

Celebrating Pride Month by looking back at the 1977 Pride Parade in Boston, beautifully captured by Spencer Grant. This iconic image is a part of the Boston Public Library's Special Collections 🏳️‍🌈 The Associates is proud to fund the preservation of cultural gems like these.

In 1970, twelve women from the Boston Women's Health Book Collective created a groundbreaking book that empowered women to take control of their health by offering honest, accessible information about their bodies and sexuality. In 1971, the book was updated and reissued as Our Bodies, Our Selves.

Join the @BPLboston Special Collections on Tuesday May 27, 2 pm - 4 pm, for a special open house on Revolutions in Photography! Check out iconic literary portraits by Yousuf Karsh, one of the most noted portrait photographers of the 20th century. youtu.be/YaeC_5_1654?...

Remember to apply for the Associates of the Boston Public Library's 2025-26 Writer-in-Residence fellowship ✍️ Applications are due by June 6, 2025, at 11:59 PM. Apply today! www.writer-in-residence.org

Join us for a charitable shopping event at Ralph Lauren (93-95 Newbury St) between May 16-18! Please mention the Associates of the Boston Public Library at the time of your purchase to ensure that 10% of the purchase price will be donated towards our mission 🛍️

Happy Vesak Day! Today marks Vesak, a sacred day for millions of Buddhists around the world commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha. 📸 Featured here is a mid-1850s photograph of a Buddha carving from the BPL’s James Fergusson Collection of Photographs of Indian Architecture.

Check out the one and only Gregory Maguire promoting @associatesbpl.bsky.social and @bpl.boston.gov Special Collections! (with a glimpse of yours truly admiring some very impressive conservation work recently conducted on a BPL manuscript, at 2:31) youtu.be/iqC2eSx0t7o?...

Please join us for a charitable shopping event at Ralph Lauren (93-95 Newbury St) between May 16-18! Please mention the Associates of the Boston Public Library at the time of your purchase to ensure that 10% of the purchase price will be donated towards our mission 🛍️

The Associates of the Boston Public Library is pleased to share that the application for our 2025-26 Writer-in-Residence are now open ✍️ Thanks to the generosity of our anonymous donor, this prestigious fellowship provides a $70,000 stipend, editorial support, and a private office in the BPL.

Thank you to everyone who attended and supported the 35th Annual Literary Lights! Thanks to your generosity, the Associates of the Boston Public Library raised over half a million dollars to preserve and protect the BPL's Special Collections.

We are excited to honor NYT bestselling author and champion of the libraries, Elin Hilderbrand, at our 2025 Literary Lights Dinner on April 27.

The Boston Public Library's Rare Books Department has acquired a collection of community cookbooks and is excited to show them off! Stop by the BPL’s special open house to take a look on Tuesday April 29 from 2 pm - 4 pm.

We are excited to honor NYT bestselling author and champion of the libraries, Curtis Sittenfeld, at our 2025 Literary Lights Dinner on April 27.

Meet our 2025 Literary Lights “Read” Carpet Host! This year, guests can find the “Read” Carpet in the general reception. Snap a picture in front of the step and repeat with your favorite books by the honorees and presenters, or get interviewed by James.

Something WICKED is brewing… 💚 🩷 The Associates of the Boston Public Library caught up with author and friend Gregory Maguire. Catch the video premiere on April 27 at Literary Lights or on our YouTube channel. Subscribe here: www.youtube.com/@associatesb...

Join the Boston Public Library on Saturday, April 19 and Tuesday, April 22 for a Special Collections Open House in honor of the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord!

The Boston Public Library's Special Collections’ copies of the Declaration of Independence were highlighted on WCVB’s Chronicle earlier this week. The Associates is proud to support the preservation of rare items like these. Check out the full segment here: www.wcvb.com/article/symb...

Check out yesterday’s episode of @thecultureshowgbh.bsky.social featuring our 2025 Literary Lights Keynote Speaker, Elizabeth Strout! Listen to the full interview here. www.wgbh.org/podcasts/the...

Tune in to @thecultureshowgbh.bsky.social today at 2 PM to hear Jared Bowen interview the Associates of the Boston Public Library's 2025 Literary Lights Keynote Speaker, Elizabeth Strout! @lizstrout.bsky.social

Meet Jared Bowen, the host of @thecultureshowgbh.bsky.social, and the emcee for our 2025 Literary Lights! www.instagram.com/p/DHovy3gukbQ/

Yesterday was the first day of spring! 💐 Enjoy this chromolithograph, “Spring Flowers” by Ludwig Knaus from the late 1800s. This gorgeous portrait print resides in the Boston Public Library's Louis Prang & Company Collection.

The Literary Lights Committee and our Literary Influencers visited the Boston Public Library's Special Collections last week and saw some incredible highlights including Shakespeare’s First Folio, the Massachusetts Bay Colony’s Great Courte Book, and letters written by John Hancock.

Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! Enjoy this 2003 photo from the parade in South Boston from the Boston Public Library's Lou Jones Collection ☘️

Check out yesterday's episode of @wgbh.org's The Culture Show, where Jared Bowen interviewed our Hundred-Year Committee Co-Chair, @lisafdavis.bsky.social, about last week’s Hundred-Year Book Debate of 1925! www.wgbh.org/podcasts/the...

"Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf, presented by Hank Phillippi Ryan, was the winner of the Hundred-Year Book Debate of 1925! Check out the full event recording on our YouTube! youtu.be/PIi1Xs0HgdA?...

www.nytimes.com/2025/03/08/s... Check out this great article on one of our 2025 Literary Lights Honorees, Curtis Sittenfeld!