Library Holding National Poetry Month Contest

April is National Poetry Month, and the Vineyard Haven library is issuing a call to all Island poets who would like their work shown in the library’s main display case.

Poets may submit a maximum of three poems. They should leave their names off the poems, but include another sheet of paper with their names, phone numbers, and the titles of the poems.

Poems can be left in a box on the Friends’ table just inside the main entrance of the library.

Poems to be displayed will be chosen by the library staff, and will be rotated frequently throughout the month so that as many poets can be shown as is possible.

Submission deadline is Tuesday, March 31.

New Books by Local Authors

If you missed one of these authors' recent events at the library, you can still check out their books from CLAMS:

Walking the precipice : witness to the rise of the Taliban in Afghanistan, by Barbara Bick
Check the library catalog

War lessons : how I fought to be a hero and learned that war is terror, by John Merson
Check the library catalog

The mud of the place : a novel, by Susanna J. Sturgis
Check the library catalog

For information on upcoming programs, visit the Library Event Calendar.

Vineyard Haven Library gains national recognition

We're happy to share that the Vineyard Haven Public Library has been named one of 256 "star" libraries (out of 7,115 rated) in Library Journal's new national rating of public libraries. The rating is based on four public service indicators from 2006 data collected by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. There are 11 "star" libraries in Massachusetts, also including West Tisbury Library on Martha's Vineyard. More information is available in the February 15th issue of Library Journal, on the Web at http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6629180.html

Sunday Hours Extended!

The Library will continue to be open on Sundays through April 5th. We'll be open from noon to 4pm, serving free coffee provided by Mocha Motts.

Sunday programs are also ongoing. On Sunday March 22nd at 2pm we'll be screening the documentary feature "Rescuing Emmanuel. The filmmakers will be present to discuss their work and answer questions.

Also on Sunday, April 5th, the Friends of the Library will put on a "mini" book sale.

Island Libraries Give Away MP3 Players!

The Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven Public Libraries are promoting a new audio book and music download service by giving away MP3 Players. Patrons of the 27 participating CLAMS libraries that use the digital download service during the month of March are automatically entered to win one of two Creative MuVo V100 MP3 players courtesy of OverDrive, our service provider.

The more titles you download and the more often you use the service, the greater your chance of winning. All you need is a valid CLAMS library card from a participating library, computer access and a broadband Internet connection.

Visit the CLAMS OverDrive website or speak to a library staff member for more information.

Museum Passes For Spring!

The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library still have discount museum admission passes available for a limited time. Passes for reduced admission are available through April 30th for the Museum of Fine Art and the Children’s Museum, and through June 30th for the New England Aquarium. Passes can be picked up from the Library circulation desk. Call us for more information!