Thanksgiving Pop-Up Book Sales to Benefit the Library

The Friends of Vineyard Haven Library will hold a Book Sale the Friday and Saturday after Thanksgiving, November 29th and 30th, at 15 Church Street in Vineyard Haven. Sale hours are 10am to 2pm both Friday and Saturday. This is a great opportunity to stock up with great deals on books for your holiday gifts and seasonal reading -- and all sales will benefit the Library's Capital Campaign. 

Sales will be held at the Friends' pop-up shop in the Landmarks Building at 15 Church Street in Vineyard Haven. Please use street parking and do not park in the 15 Church Street parking lot. Sales are cash or check only.

Trans(formation): A Collaborative Portrait Series Exploring Gender Identity on Cape Cod

The Vineyard Haven Library is pleased to announce its latest Art in the Stacks exhibit: a collection of photographs by Cape-based photographer Julia Cumes, entitled “Trans(formation): A Collaborative Portrait Series Exploring Gender Identity on Cape Cod.” The exhibit will be on display in the lower level of the library during regular library hours from November 15 to December 15, 2024.

This evocative set of photographs explores the unique journeys of its subjects, inviting viewers to confront the expressive power and diversity of gender identity. The powerful project has been organized in collaboration with QueerHubMV. Additional photographs in the exhibit will be displayed at both Island Counseling and the MV Family Resource Center at MV Community Services, along with other venues. Julia will also give a talk and slideshow presentation at the MV Museum at 5:00 pm on Friday, November 15th.

Julia Cumes, the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod’s 2024 Artist of the Year, brings a unique and powerful perspective to her work, shaped in part by her experience growing up in apartheid-era South Africa. Through her lens, she uses photography as a means “to tell stories, to amplify the voices of marginalized communities, to reveal truth, and to inspire others to create meaningful change in our lives, our communities, and our world.” Julia’s work not only captures moments but also reflects her commitment to social impact and the power of storytelling.

Julia’s work has been published in The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, Associated Press, and USA Today, among others. She was a 2017 Arts Foundation of Cape Cod fellow, an Art Within Reach grant recipient, and an Alexia Foundation student grant recipient. She holds a B.A. from Brandeis University, an M.F.A. in writing from Cornell University, and a Masters in Photojournalism from Syracuse University’s Newhouse School. 

Art in the Stacks is an initiative of the Friends of the Library to provide artists an opportunity to show their work, and for library patrons to enjoy art throughout the year. Artists interested in showing their work through “Art in the Stacks” may contact the Vineyard Haven Public Library at 508-696-4211 or send an email to vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org.

Pharmacy Night at the VH Library

At 6:00 PM on Thursday, December 12th, the Vineyard Haven Library is pleased to host “Pharmacy Night,” a presentation and Q&A with pharmacists David Caron, Vice President of Diagnostic and Therapeutics for Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, and Valci Carvalho, Director of Pharmacy at Martha's Vineyard Hospital. 

The presentation will provide an overview of common concerns about medication, including drug disposal, vaccine confidence, and ambulatory pharmacy. More specifically, the talk will include a discussion of safe disposal practices for unused and expired medications, including how and where to dispose of medications on Martha’s Vineyard. The MVH Pharmacy team will also address general concerns about vaccines and share information on benefits and risks, including considerations for patients diagnosed with alpha-gal syndrome. In addition, the team will share details of a new program being developed by the MVH Pharmacy, in partnership with MVH Internal Medicine providers, focusing on medication therapy management.

David T. Caron Jr., R.Ph., PharmD, is Vice President of Diagnostic and Therapeutics for Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. He received his pharmacy degree from Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and completed his doctoral degree at the University of Kentucky in 1992. He has held national leadership positions within the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and regional roles within Cardinal Health. Caron began his tenure at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital in November of 1998, and previously served as both Chief Pharmacy Officer and Chief Compliance Officer.

Valci Carvalho is the Director of Pharmacy at Martha's Vineyard Hospital. A passionate healthcare leader dedicated to serving his community, he leverages his expertise to support the delivery of exceptional patient care. He holds a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from the Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences. He has served at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital for 11 years. 

For more information, interested patrons can contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.

Remembering James H.K. "Jim" Norton

The Vineyard Haven Library joins the community in mourning the loss of James H.K. "Jim" Norton, who passed away on October 31st at age 93. In addition to presenting many public programs at the library, Jim served on our Board of Trustees from 2000 to 2022, and on the Library Building Design and Construction Committee from 2017 to 2024. We are grateful to have had the opportunity to celebrate his literary accomplishments at an event held in his honor in July 2019, and share a poem that Jim read at that event.

A Ballad of Martha Gosnold
 
By James H. K. “Jim” Norton, 1931-2024
 
Bartholomew in 1602 did sail across the sea                              
To find a land, the goodliest land he ever did hope to see           
To name it for his tender child, and claim it for his queen,
And to fill the bowls of England with the sweetest nectar seen
 
The Concord was the sturdy ship that brought him safe and sound
The crew with him the more rejoiced on sight of what they’d found,
A beauteous island they did see, a joy to all who roam
A place of rest and plenty to be his daughter’s home.
 
    Though not yet eight, she could not wait
    To see her Vineyard land;     
    ’Twas only the wave that was her grave
    Did wash upon its sand.
 
To found an English settlement, the first one in this land,
He went across to Cuttyhunk to shield his tiny band.
A tiny plot in midst of lake, a natural fortress found,          
He built a fort to keep his stores, and gazed across the Sound.       
 
Sad story there is now to tell, how stores by fraud did go
And he a daughter slipped away, and why they did not know
His hopes he saw dissolve, his dream in Fate’s cruel hand did flee;
His grave unmarked in Jamestown’s marsh, his daughter lost at sea.
 
    Though not yet eight, she could not wait
    To see her Vineyard land;
    ‘Twas only the wave that was her grave
    Did wash upon its sand.        
 
But, ah, the land is here to tell what beauties they did see,
Of lakes that were both clear and fresh and meadows wide and free,
Of hedges made of stately groves; these delicacies still stand: *
Memorial of a daughter loved, a dream of her Vineyard land.
 
    Though not yet eight, she could not wait
    To see her Vineyard land;
    ‘Twas only the wave that was her grave
    Did wash upon its sand.

*  words of John Brereton, Gosnold’s scribe, to describe the Island in 1602

Book Sales to Benefit Library Capital Campaign, Weekly through December!

 

Weekly Book Sales to Benefit Library Capital Campaign!

The Friends of Vineyard Haven Library will hold pop-up book sales on Saturdays from 10am to 2pm at the Landmarks Building, 15 Church Street in Vineyard Haven, to benefit the Library Capital Campaign! Weekly through November/December 2024! Popular fiction, biographies, cookbooks, children’s books, MV books, Large Print, and more. Sales are cash or check only. Please use street parking and do not park in the 15 Church Street parking lot. Book donations will not be accepted at the sales. If you have books in like new condition to donate please contact the library to schedule dropoff.

SOLD OUT Tickets Now Available for Interactive Polar Express!

 

Free Tickets Now Available for Special Holiday Event! 11 am Sunday December 8th Martha's Vineyard Film Center at Tisbury Market Place, 79 Beach Rd In Collaboration with the MV Film Center, Vineyard Haven Library presents a fun, free, interactive holiday event great for all ages! All interactive supplies provided, with funding from the Friends of the Library.   This event is FREE, but please reserve your free tickets now to ensure you have admission! Doors Open for 30 min. prior to screening. Sponsored by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library & MV Film Center.

Trends in Menopause--Then and Now

At 6:00 PM on Tuesday, November 19th, the Vineyard Haven Library welcomes Dr. Daniel E. Pesch and Nurse Practitioner Marcy E. Holmes of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital for a presentation and discussion entitled, “Trends in Menopause–Then and Now.” This program will be held on the main floor of the library. 

This joint presentation by Daniel E. Pesch, MD, and Marcy E. Holmes, NP, will look at how the understanding and treatment of menopause has changed over the years, and what the latest recommendations are for this stage of life. 

Daniel E. Pesch, MD, is Associate Chief Medical Officer and VP, Medical Affairs at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. He is an obstetrician gynecologist with more than 33 years of experience in the medical field. Dr. Pesch has been at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital since 2010. Before that he was Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Advocate Lutheran General Hospital. Dr. Pesch is a graduate of Rosalind Franklin University Chicago Medical School.

Marcy E. Holmes, NP, is an Adult Primary Care Nurse Practitioner (AGPC-BC) at Martha’s Vineyard Hospital since 2017. She previously served as Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner (WHNP-BC), Menopause Clinician (MC-C), and website contributor for the Women to Women Healthcare Center in Yarmouth, Maine, and clinician at local Health Imperatives Family Planning, providing reproductive health and gender affirming hormone therapy. Marcy was recently nominated for the prestigious Norman Knight Nurse Practitioner of the Year Award at MGB. She attended the University at Buffalo (NY) School of Nursing (BS), University of Rochester (NY) Graduate School of Nursing (MS), and UMass Worcester Medical School, Graduate School of Nursing (post-masters).

For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.