Best Books of 2013: A List of Lists

Some choices for the best of 2013, from the media, associations, and readers:

American Library Association (ALA)
Notable Books For Adults:
http://www.ala.org/rusa/awards/notablebooks/lists/2013
Notable Books For Children:
http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb

Bookpage Reader's Choice
http://bookpage.com/the-book-case/15816-readers-choice-top-15-books-2013#.Urw5VjaA200

Goodread's Choice Awards
http://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2013

Kirkus Reviews
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/issue/best-of-2013/section/fiction/?gclid=CMSgsKSMzrsCFclQOgodHX0AAg

Library Journal
http://reviews.libraryjournal.com/2013/11/best-of/best-books-2013-top-ten/

National Public Radio (NPR)
http://apps.npr.org/best-books-2013/

New York Times Notable Books
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/books/review/100-notable-books-of-2013.html?_r=0

New Yorker
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/08/books/review/100-notable-books-of-2013.html?_r=0

Publisher's Weekly
http://best-books.publishersweekly.com/pw/best-books/2013

Salon.com
http://www.salon.com/2013/12/26/salons_ultimate_book_guide_for_2013/

Time Magazine
Fiction:
http://entertainment.time.com/2013/12/04/arts-and-entertainment/slide/top-10-best-fiction-books/
Nonfiction:
http://entertainment.time.com/2013/12/04/arts-and-entertainment/slide/top-10-best-nonfiction-books/

Village Voice
http://www.villagevoice.com/slideshow/the-best-books-of-2013-40758036/

Washington Post
http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/top-10-books-of-the-year/2013/11/21/c4d92a7c-35b4-11e3-8a0e-4e2cf80831fc_story.html

Discount Passes to the Museum of Fine Art Available Now

Discount passes for the Museum of Fine Art in Boston have been made possible again this year by generous donations from the community to the Friends Annual Appeal for the Library. Passes may be picked up at the library and used any time through November 30th, 2014. Each pass will admit up to two visitors at a reduced admission of $10.00 per person, payable at the museum. Passes do not need to be returned to the library. The MFA is free to children ages 7-17 on weekdays after 3pm, weekends, and Boston public school holidays.

Friends of the Library Booksales Held Monthly at New Time!

The Friends of the Library hold "mini" book sales at the library on the third Saturday of each month. Beginning with the sale on January 18th 2014, they will be at a new time, from 2pm to 4pm. Books are priced at $1 for paperbacks and $2 for hardcovers, or $12 to fill a bag.

Proceeds from these sales benefit library programs for children, and other library services supported by the Friends. Sales are also planned for Saturday, February 15th, and Saturday, March15th, from 2pm-4pm.

Sunday with Friends Lecture on Beatrix Potter: A Women Ahead of Her Time

Beatrix Potter and her dog Kep, 1913

On Sunday, January 12th at 2pm, The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library welcome Betsy Bray to the Library as the next speaker in their “Sunday with Friends” program series. Betsy will present an illustrated talk about the life of Beatrix Potter (1866 – 1943). The talk is free and refreshments will be served.

Beatrix Potter is well-known as the author and illustrator of The Tale of Peter Rabbit and other classic children’s books, but she was also a diarist, sheep farmer, land conservationist and community activist. Her gifts to the National Trust made possible the preservation of large areas of the Lake District in North West England. Beatrix Potter overcame a strict Victorian childhood to become what Betsy considers “a woman ahead of her time.”

Betsy Bray has been a member of the Beatrix Potter Society since 1984. She is a Trustee of The Society, and has spoken at a number of the Society’s International Study Conferences and given illustrated talks to various groups in the US, UK, Africa and Australia. She gave a series of lectures on transatlantic voyage on the Queen Mary 2. Betsy is a former public library director, with a BA from Curry College, Massachusetts and a Masters of Library Science from Saint John’s University in New York.

This Friends of the Library are volunteers that encourage public understanding of the Library's vital role in the community, support activities for both adults and children, and provide various other volunteer services. For more information about the activities of the Friends, please stop by library, or visit the library website at www.vhlibrary.org.

Holiday Schedule Changes at Vineyard Haven Library

The Vineyard Haven Library will close early at 1pm on Christmas Eve, Tuesday, December 24th, and remain closed on December 25th. There will be no Story Time programs the morning of December 24th.

The library will also close early at 1pm on New Years Eve, Tuesday, December 31st , and remain closed on January 1st.

The library is now open on Sundays from Noon until 4pm, however we will be closed both Sunday January 19th and Monday January 20th for the Martin Luther King, Jr's Day holiday.

Important Information for Virtual Catalog Users

The Virtual Catalog is currently unavailable for direct requests of books from outside the CLAMS Network. In the coming months, both the CLAMS system and the statewide Virtual Catalog system will undergo software upgrades that require the temporary suspension of direct Virtual Catalog requests. During this time, if you need materials that are not available within the CLAMS library network, please speak to a staff member or fill out this online form to request Interlibrary Loan materials:

http://library.clamsnet.org/screens/virtual_catalog.html

ConsumerReports.org Now Available at Library and from Home

 

Read product reviews and ratings before you make your next big purchase! The Vineyard Haven Public Library now offers free access to ConsumerReports.org through our Web site at www.vhlibrary.org.

ConsumerReports.org features ratings and recommendations on thousands of products and services, including appliances, cars, and electronics.Through our subscription, you have access to all subscriber-level content, including product overviews, ratings, videos, and more. Additionally, you can browse electronic editions of recent issues of the print Consumer Reports magazine.

To access ConsumerReports.org, click on the logo found under "Featured Resources" on the library homepage, www.vhlibrary.org. You will need to enter your Vineyard Haven CLAMS card number for access from computers outside the library.

Art in the Stacks: Deirdre DeCarion's Life Drawings

The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library are pleased to present an exhibit of drawings by Deirdre DeCarion, that will be on display during regular library hours through the month of December. "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.

Artist's Statement: 

The past twenty years my experience with art has been in the woods and with wood. I have been handcrafting one-of-a-kind walking staffs and other wood products. I also have an interest in sailing and attended WoodenBoat School in Maine where I have made half-hull models of various sailboats.

The past few years I have been attending life drawing at Featherstone Center for the Arts and have developed a new passion. The contours, the planes, the textures and the uniqueness of the human body challenge my creativity in terms of its representation. Some inspire the power of color while others inspire the gentleness of a simple line. There are no boundaries. Enjoy!

--Deirdre DeCarion