Thursday, April 14, 2016

Vineyard Haven Library Receives Rural Gateways Grant for STEM Programming in Community

Vineyard Haven Public Library is pleased to announce it has received a $3,500 National Science Foundation grant from the Califa Library Group to provide science-based programs for adults. STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) and STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, & Math) are popular topics for children's education, but rarely mentioned in relation to adults.

The programs funded by the grant are essentially “book club meets science cafĂ©.” Attendees read a pre-announced popular book selection, then to come to the library for an event in which they discuss the book, and then watch and discuss a short human interest video where scientific ideas touched on in the book intersect everyday life. Programs will be scheduled starting in 2017.

“The videos are engaging. There are no scientists in white coats. They're people you would want to sit down and talk to,” said previous grant recipient Dwight McInvaill, Director of the Georgetown County Library in Georgetown, SC.

Rural Gateways is funded through the National Science Foundation and was created through a collaboration of Dartmouth College, The Califa Library Group, the Association of Rural and Small Libraries, Dawson Media Group, and the Institute for Learning Innovation.

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Art in the Stacks: David Gray

The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library are pleased to present an exhibit of paintings by David Gray. The exhibit will be on display on the lower level of the library, during regular library hours throughout the month of April.

David Gray moved to Martha's Vineyard with his family when he was 11 years old, in 1962. Throughout his schooling he always took as many art classes as he could, and continues to study watercolor painting at Featherstone. Now in his fifties, David is fully entrenched in his work. He sketches and uses watercolors to portray marine scenes and other Vineyard landscapes.

The Vineyard Haven Public Library's "Art in the Stacks" space features rotating monthly exhibits and is managed by the Friends of the Library. The library also has a permanent collection of artworks that are displayed throughout the year, including 12 paintings by Vineyard artist Captain John Ivory. Artists interested in showing their work may contact the library at (508) 696-4210.