Come celebrate spring outside at the Holyoke Public Library. Holyoke resident and professional forester Tom Kass will lead a tour of the library’s grounds and introduce the many species of trees in Library Park. The flowering cherries will be in full display and are a must see. While other trees will be showing characteristics only observed this time of year, Tom will describe their features and what to watch for over the seasons. The walking tour around the library building will take approximately one hour. Free and open to the public. No pre-registration needed. Sponsored by the Holyoke History Room.

Join us as architectural historian Alain Munkittrick presents images and stories from his new book, Historic Houses of the Connecticut River Valley (Arcadia, 2023). Three years in the making, the book takes readers on a series of thematic historic tours along the river’s 410 miles, focusing on the homes of the businessmen, landowners, social reformers, and intellectuals who settled up and down the valley. Munkittrick’s process involved locating over 300 period images held by libraries and archives, some of which have never before been published online or in print.  His presentation will feature a few of the many stories he […]

EDWARD HITCHCOCK was one of 19th-century America's most eminent scientists. He was the first American scientist to publicly embrace the theory of continental glaciation, but he is better known for his landmark research on what he called the "fossil footmarks" of the Connecticut Valley. Although he was subject to criticism and ridicule at the time, Hitchcock became recognized as the first scientist to find evidence of dinosaurs in North America. No biography had been written of him until 2021, when All the Light here Comes from Above: The Life and Legacy of Edward Hitchcock was published by retired HCC biology professor […]

A special day at the historic Holyoke Public Library: 11:00-12:00: Dancers from Holyoke's own Massachusetts Academy of Ballet will be performing previews of The Nutcracker on the main floor on the Library—with mice and tin soldiers in attendance! The directors and dancers will be available to discuss what it takes to maintain the decades-long tradition of performing this popular ballet.  No reservations or tickets needed, just drop in! Also on Saturday: Before noon: Enter a drawing for 2 free tickets to the full performance of the Nutcracker, which takes place on December 17 at the Pope Francis Preparatory School, Springfield. […]

This lecture will explore the settlement of Puerto Ricans in public housing in New York City between 1945-1970.  Drawing on demographic data, city documents, and housing statistics from the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA), the lecture will highlight the history of Puerto Ricans in public housing in the mid-twentieth century in relation to Operation Bootstrap and colonialism on the island.  Drawing from Latina feminist methodologies, Rosa’s investigation challenges culture of poverty narratives and instead focusses on the gendered and racialized dynamics of public housing. Rosa's work gives broader context to Holyoke's local Puerto Rican diaspora. This is a hybrid […]

What are the ingredients of student success in Puerto Rican-majority school systems?  Dr. Lorna Rivera will present the findings of Gastón Institute research that explore the impact of engagement with the cultural wealth of Puerto Rican students by educators, community leaders, and families on educational outcomes.   Dr. Rivera is the Director of Mauricio Gastón Institute for Latino Community Development & Public Policy and Associate Professor of Women’s & Gender Studies & Latino Studies at University of Massachusetts-Boston. Her award-winning book, Laboring to Learn: Women’s Literacy & Poverty in the Post-welfare Era, was published in 2008. Since 2015, she has worked with […]