The Book Drop: January 2026 Edition

Welcome to The Book Drop - Your January Update from the Marlborough Public Library!

Join Matt from the Marlborough Public Library as he walks you through library hours, donation days, programs, book clubs for all ages, staff picks from 2025, and the launch of our winter reading challenge. From chess philosophy to waffle irons, book swaps, and speed reads, January is packed with something for everyone.

Library Hours & Closings:

Open at 35 West Main Street:

- Monday - Thursday: 9 AM - 8 PM

- Friday & Saturday: 9 AM - 5 PM

- Sunday: 1 PM - 5 PM

Closed:

- January 1st & 2nd - New Year’s

- January 19th - Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Donation Days:

Donations are accepted on the first Wednesday and third Saturday of the month.

Friends of the Library will be set up:

- January 7th

- January 17th

Near the welcome desk on the second floor.

Accepted items: books, CDs, DVDs, vinyl records, puzzles, and board games.

January Programs & Events:

- Chess Club: Every Wednesday @ 5 PM

All skill levels welcome. No registration required. Come play, learn, and ponder the mysteries of the game.

- Will It Waffle?: Thursday, January 8th @ 4 PM

Teen program experimenting with breakfast foods in a waffle iron.

- Winter Farmers Market: Saturday, January 10th @ 10 AM - 2 PM

Shop great local vendors without braving the cold.

- Art Supply Swap: Saturday, January 24th @ 10 AM - 12 PM

Bring up to one box of gently used supplies and trade with others.

- Board Game Swap: Saturday, January 24th @ 1:30 PM

Swap games and play games - no art supplies required!

- Crossword Club: Every Tuesday @ 5 PM

Solve crosswords together, drink tea, and enjoy good company.

Food Donation Drive:

Come in, bring canned goods (dry, non-perishable, closed and new), cooking oils, crackers, condiments, and other things that don't have to start with a C! Donate 5 items for 1 raffle ticket you can redeem for a prize. Proceeds go to the Marlborough Community Cupboard. Runs until January 16th, 2026.

Adult Book Clubs:

- The Meet Cute: Monday, January 5th @ 6 PM

"Happy Place" by Emily Henry

- Undiscovered Realms: Wednesday, January 8th @ 6:30 PM

"Babel" by R.F. Kuang

- Great Reads Book Club (formerly Adult Book Club):

Tuesday, January 13th @ 6 PM

Thursday, January 15th @ 11 AM

"There There" by Tommy Orange

- Pride Book Club: Monday, January 12th @ 6 PM

"The Big Reveal" by Sasha Velour

- High Strangeness: Wednesday, January 28th @ 6:30 PM

"Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World" by Haruki Murakami

Children’s Book Clubs:

- Once Upon a Book Club: Friday, January 16th

"Demigods and Magicians" by Rick Riordan

- Book Bunch:

Wednesday, January 21st @ 4 PM

Saturday, January 24th @ 3 PM

"Urgency! Emergency! Itsy-Bitsy Spider" by Josh Archer

- Dewey Decimators: Thursday, January 26th @ 6 PM

"The Time-Travel Twins" by James Patterson

Teen Book Clubs:

- Manga Mania: Tuesday, January 6th @ 4 PM

"Delicious in Dungeon" by Ryoko Kui

- Tween Tales: Wednesday, January 14th @ 5 PM

"Westfall" by Ann & Ben Braden

- Read, Connect, Create: Thursday, January 15th @ 4 PM

"Bianca Torre Is Afraid of Everything" (Part Two)

Discussion + themed craft activity.

Winter Reading Challenge: "I-Did-a-Read":

Inspired by the Iditarod, read 975 minutes this winter to complete the challenge! Track your progress on trail maps in the library and earn a prize.

Staff Picks of 2025:

Librarians share their favorite reads from the year, including: "One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This", "Katabasis", "Our Infinite Faiths", "Always Coming Home", "One Hundred Years of Solitude", "Braiding Sweetgrass", "Gwen & Art Are Not in Love", "Terrace Story", "Great Big Beautiful Life", "Given", "Last Night at the Telegraph Club", and more.

Advice Corner:

Q: Why can’t you place a hold on speed reads?

A: Matt explains how speed reads work, why they’re first-come-first-served, and how stopping by the shelf might just pay off.

From everyone at the Marlborough Public Library, we look forward to what's ahead in this new year. Thank you for watching - and we hope to see YOU at the library!

Watch the newest episode here!