Last week, all of Marlborough Street was covered in fake spiderwebs, jack-o-lanterns, and various ghouls, monsters, and other disguises. While many countries have their version of this holiday, this kind of all-out, trick-or-treating celebration of Halloween is pretty uniquely American. Our rat de bibliothèque mascot wanted to join in on the spooky fun!


Library users were encouraged to take a printed rat and costume to color and keep… or to help us decorate our bookshelves! What started as a way to stimulate visual creativity quickly became so much more; with the help of some of our teachers and students, our rat went on many adventures. If you’d like to read these stories, come find them in the library, where they’ll be displayed for another week. Otherwise, click through below to enjoy the stories whenever you’d like.



Halloween may be over, but all are still welcome to join in the fun! Download our mascot and the disguises here and share with us on social media when you take part.

Ingrid Marquardt

Librarian

Ingrid began her passion for French through the immersion program in Milton, MA, and has followed it around France and the world. She took a break from this first love to pursue a B.A. in English with a minor in Irish Studies at Boston College and a Masters of Library and Information Sciences at Simmons College. She is thrilled to meld her excitement for libraries and French language and culture in her position at the Center!

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Upcoming Events

Thursday, November 5, 2026

Join us for our members-only Trivia Night! Test your knowledge of pop culture, science, and other categories during this fun, French-themed game night!

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Saturday, November 7, 2026

We invite parents and children to gather in the children's room of our library for a magical story time in French!

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Tuesday, November 10, 2026

Discover the poetry of Paul Verlaine through the music of Fauré, Debussy, Saint-Saëns, Britten, and more. French tenor Morgan Manifacier bring Verlaine’s words to life in this intimate recital.

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