Library Events

The Board of Trustees meets at 6pm on the third Wednesday of each month and welcomes your input. 
Meeting will include a Joint Meeting with the Library Building Design and Construction Committee.
Meeting will be held virtually on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/94580360907
To join by telephone: dial 646 558 8656 and enter Meeting ID: 945 8036 0907 when prompted.

The library will be closed for the holiday today.

All are welcome at the Memorial Day Picnic at the Tashmoo Spring Building. Bring your own picnic. Some refreshments, as well as grills, are provided. Also enjoy rowboating, children’s games, music by the Flying Elbows and others, chalk art, tours of the historic building, and more

A look at the history of Vineyard Haven—from back-of-beyond outpost to gateway to the Island, from schooner port to summer-resort community and center for the arts—through the lens of the many uses to which the 1845 building that the Katharine Cornell Theater now occupies has been put.

A historian for 40 years (so far), A. Bowdoin "Bow" Van Riper received his BA from Brown University and his MA and PhD from the University of Wisconsin—Madison. He taught at the college level for more than 20 years and is the author, editor, or co-editor of 22 books and over 100 articles. He has been Research Librarian at the Martha's Vineyard Museum since 2014.

A third-generation washashore, Bow first came to the Island in 1963, at the age of 3 months, and moved here permanently in December 2011. He lives on the shores of Vineyard Haven Harbor in a 19th century house where, as far as he can tell, nothing of historical significance ever happened.
 

Join Weezie for traditional storytime on Mondays at 10am. Best for ages 3-5, but all ages are welcome! Due to the library renovation project, storytime will be held at Grace Church on the corner of Woodlawn Ave and William Street. May be held outdoors in the amphitheater in nice weather.

Note earlier start time at 10am!

Penikese Island, a 75-acre wildlife sanctuary at the southwest end of the Elizabeth Island chain, has played many roles throughout its rich history. Once home to a natural history summer school and later a leper colony, it now serves as a vital refuge for endangered seabirds. For 150 years, botanical surveys have been conducted on the island, documenting the island’s ecological changes. Today, the Penikese Island School uses this living classroom to inspire environmental literacy and stewardship. In this presentation, we invite you to explore the island’s remarkable legacy and its ongoing contributions to conservation and science education. Free and open to the public. No registration required.

Kimberly Ulmer is the Executive Director of the Penikese Island School. Kimberly is a scientist, educator, and all around hydrophile with a passion for science education and outreach. Her scientific research background spans genetics, neuroscience, and marine biology, with fieldwork conducted aboard sailing vessels investigating microbial genomes and ocean plastics. With experience in both formal and informal education, Kimberly taught biology, aquaculture, and environmental science at Tabor Academy and has also led programs for the Woods Hole Children's School of Science, Falmouth Academy's summer program, Sail MV, and Habitat Kids.

If you like reading, thinking, and sharing ideas about science and nature, you'll love the Vineyard Haven Library's Science & Nature book group. This month we are reading The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth by Zoë Schlanger. The Science & Nature Book Club meets at 3:00 PM on the first Wednesday of each month to discuss nonfiction books about science and nature. For more information and to be added to the email list, please contact Liz at lshick@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211. Everyone is welcome!

Join Weezie for traditional storytime on Mondays at 10am. Best for ages 3-5, but all ages are welcome! Due to the library renovation project, storytime will be held at Grace Church on the corner of Woodlawn Ave and William Street. May be held outdoors in the amphitheater in nice weather.

Note earlier start time at 10am!

Join Professor Elena Conis, author of Vaccine Nation: America's Changing Relationship with Immunization and Acting Dean of UC Berkeley’s School of Journalism, for a discussion about the history of measles and the development of its vaccine. She’ll be joined by Hillary Johnson, MHS, Senior Epidemiology Advisor to Local Health for the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, who’ll discuss what measles is and public health preparedness around it. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. Louis Fazen, III, MPH, pediatrician and founder of the Global Health Committee at the Massachusetts Medical Society, former faculty member at UMass Chan Medical School, and Sturbridge Board of Health member. Click here to register.
  Sponsored by the Public Health Museum, with support from the Tewksbury Public Library and the Vineyard Haven Public Library.

Katie Castagno’s “Our Queer Elders” uses storytelling and original song to celebrate and elevate the lives of people who have queered social and gender norms throughout history. At a time when queer history and voices are increasingly erased, “Our Queer Elders” is both informative and cheeky, whether it’s an account of Rachel Carson’s whirlwind romance with Dorothy Freeman, a sweet love song about Mary Oliver, or an imagining of the night Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt took a joyride after dinner in 1933.

Katie Castagno is a geologist by day and a singer-songwriter by night. Drawing on roots in rural New England and collegiate a cappella, Katie writes about people, places, and geological phenomena. When not making music, Katie is the director of the Land-Sea Interaction Program at the Center for Coastal Studies in Provincetown, MA, and spends most of the time in the salt marsh.

Join us for the final workshop in our virtual writing series with Caroline Joy Adams. For those who love to travel, this fun, inspiring workshop offers a chance to contemplate, discuss, write about, and share some of our most memorable travel experiences and adventures—either those from recent times or from the long-ago past. Please send an email to vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org to register. 

The author of seven books, Caroline Joy Adams, M.Ed. is an artist, writer, educator and photographer, who has taught college-level writing and led hundreds of art and writing workshops in diverse locations across the country. Her newest book is Great Travel Questions for Fun Conversations.

Explore the history of stained glass, and learn the stories told through some of the best known windows in the world, including the Charlemagne Window (Chartres), Bishop Suger offering the church to Saint Louis (San Denis), and the Louis Comfort Tiffany Windows (Arlington Street Church in Boston). Led by artist Meg Black, former Chair of the Art Department at Salem State University. Click here to register. 
  Sponsored by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven and Tewksbury Public Libraries.

Join Weezie for traditional storytime on Mondays at 10am. Best for ages 3-5, but all ages are welcome! Due to the library renovation project, storytime will be held at Grace Church on the corner of Woodlawn Ave and William Street. May be held outdoors in the amphitheater in nice weather.

Note earlier start time at 10am!

Join T. Elizabeth Bell for the launch of her third Martha’s Vineyard novel, Sheepish. When tech-savvy Aly Bennett loses her job in San Francisco, she does what any self-respecting millennial in crisis would do and hops a plane to Martha’s Vineyard. As the Island works its magic, Aly crosses paths with Whit Dias, a local fisherman with a bruised and wary heart. Meet Aly, Whit, and an endearing cast of Vineyard characters in a charming, sea-swept tale of friendship, forgiveness, and the messy, beautiful work of finding yourself, and finding love.This event will be held at the Katharine Cornell Theatre with books available for sale by Edgartown Books. Free and open to the public. No registration required.

T. Elizabeth Bell swapped writing legal memos for crafting sea-breezy, toes-in-the-sand novels (Goats in the Time of Love and Counting Chickens) inspired by her love of Martha’s Vineyard. A beachcomber, dog-lover, wild blueberry-and-beach plum picker and jam-maker, she also dabbles in silversmithing, glittering Mardi Gras shoes, and capturing the island’s beauty through her photography (@tb.dc.mv on Instagram and @telizabethbell on Facebook).

The Board of Trustees meets at 6pm on the third Wednesday of each month and welcomes your input. 
Meeting will include a Joint Meeting with the Library Building Design and Construction Committee.
Meeting will be held virtually on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/94580360907
To join by telephone: dial 646 558 8656 and enter Meeting ID: 945 8036 0907 when prompted.

The library will be closed for the holiday today.

The MV Ballroom Dancers invite you to an afternoon of off-season music and dancing, with live music by the Flying Elbows! Organized and sponsored by the MV Ballroom Dancers, Cape Cod 5, and the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library, in collaboration with Pathways Arts and the Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha's Vineyard. This off-season ballroom dance event will be held at the Unitarian Universalist Society’s Stevens Chapel at 238 Main Street, one block from the main library. Come to dance, or just to listen. Everyone is welcome!

Join Weezie for traditional storytime on Mondays at 10am. Best for ages 3-5, but all ages are welcome! Due to the library renovation project, storytime will be held at Grace Church on the corner of Woodlawn Ave and William Street. May be held outdoors in the amphitheater in nice weather.

Note earlier start time at 10am!

Celebrate Amity week with a behind the scenes tour of award-winning graphic novelist Ira Marcks’ kid-friendly mystery, Shark Summer. Set on Martha’s Vineyard in the summer of 1974, aspiring documentarian Gayle Briar and her new friends set out to film a documentary about the island’s secret history as a Hollywood film crew arrive to make history of their own. Join Ira for an evening of inspiration and humor as he shares the trials and tribulations of mixing local legends, cinematic history and cartoon characters. An evening of storytelling for kids, adults, and, of course, JAWS fans. Free and open to the public. No registration required. Books will be available for sale on site by Edgartown Books.

Ira Marcks is the award-winning cartoonist behind the creepy kid mysteries Shark Summer, Spirit Week and the upcoming Snake School. His books have been recommended by The New York Times, appeared on ‘Best of the Year’ list for the American Library Association, received a Gold Selection from the Junior Library Guild, as well as Maryland’s student voted Black-Eyed Susan Award.

Ira’s creative interests in supernatural fiction and scientific research have led to an unlikely list of past collaborators including a White House Fellowship Scientist, the European Research Council, and the Hugo Award-winning magazine Weird Tales. When he isn’t making comics and visiting schools, Ira is teaching on the creative learning platform Skillshare where he has earned Top Teacher status by inspiring over 100,000 students.

Award-winning graphic novelist Ira Marcks leads a hands-on workshop in designing expressive cartoon characters. Through a fun and engaging workshop, participants will learn an easy to follow process for designing a cartoon face and how to adapt the features to create emotional expressions for storytelling. Best suited for tweens and teens.

Ira Marcks is the award-winning cartoonist behind the creepy kid mysteries Shark Summer, Spirit Week and the upcoming Snake School. His books have been recommended by The New York Times, appeared on ‘Best of the Year’ list for the American Library Association, received a Gold Selection from the Junior Library Guild, as well as Maryland’s student voted Black-Eyed Susan Award.

Ira’s creative interests in supernatural fiction and scientific research have led to an unlikely list of past collaborators including a White House Fellowship Scientist, the European Research Council, and the Hugo Award-winning magazine Weird Tales. When he isn’t making comics and visiting schools Ira is teaching on the creative learning platform Skillshare where he has earned Top Teacher status by inspiring over 100,000 students.