Register For 2016 Great Decisions Discussion Group

Register online

The Vineyard Haven Public Library Great Decisions Discussion Group will meet for 8 sessions on Thursday evenings at 7pm, beginning April 7th.

A Great Decisions Discussion Group is composed of interested individuals who want an opportunity to learn and participate in the foreign policy decision-making process. The Foreign Policy Association (FPA) has published the Great Decisions briefing book, a well researched annual publication covering eight timely global topics to be read by group participants in order to prepare for each discussion. At each meeting we will show a 30 minute documentary film on that week's topic, to be followed by a moderated discussion.

Please register online or at the library. The briefing book may be purchased for $25 from the FPA website at www.fpa.org, or by calling (800) 477-5836. (A limited number of books will be for sale at the library.)

Topics and meeting dates:

Thursday, April 7th
Shifting Alliances in the Middle East
From a proxy war in Yemen to an ongoing civil war in Syria, a number of conflicts have shaken the traditional alignments in the Middle East to their core. As alliances between state and non-state actors in the region are constantly shifting, the U.S. has found itself between a rock and a hard place. In a series of disputes that are far from being black-and-white, what can the U.S. do to secure its interests in the region without causing further damage and disruption?

Thursday, April 14th
The Rise of ISIS
Born out of an umbrella organization of al-Qaeda in Iraq, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) burst onto the international stage after it conquered Fallujah in December 2013. Since then, the group has seized control of a number of critical strongholds in both countries and declared itself a caliphate. Still, the question remains: what is ISIS, and what danger does it pose to U.S. interests?

Thursday, April 21st
The Future of Kurdistan
Kurdistan, a mountainous region made up of parts of Turkey, Iraq, Iran and Syria, is home to one of the largest ethnic groups in West Asia: the Kurds. Now, most in the West know them for the small, oil-rich autonomous region in northern Iraq called Iraqi Kurdistan—one of the U.S.’ closest allies in the Middle East, and a bulwark against the expansion of the so-called Islamic State. What does the success of Iraqi Kurdistan mean for Kurds in the surrounding region?

Thursday, April 28th
International Migration
As a record number of migrants cross the Mediterranean Sea, seeking refuge in Europe, the continent is struggling to come up with an adequate response. Although Europe’s refugees are largely fleeing conflicts in Syria, Iraq and parts of Africa, their struggle is hardly unique. Today, with the number of displaced people at an all-time high, a number of world powers find themselves facing a difficult question: how can they balance border security with humanitarian concerns? More importantly, what can they do to resolve these crises so as to limit the number of displaced persons?

Thursday, May 5th
Korean Choices
At the end of World War II, Korea was divided. The northern half of the Korean peninsula was occupied by the Soviet Union, the southern by the United States. Today, North and South Korea couldn’t be further apart. The North is underdeveloped, impoverished and ruled by a corrupt, authoritarian regime, while the South advanced rapidly to become one of the most developed countries in the world. With such a wide gap, some are asking if unification is possible, even desirable, anymore?

Thursday, May 12th
The United Nations Post-2015
On the eve of the international organization’s 70th birthday, the United Nations stands at a crossroads. This year marks a halfway point in the organization’s global effort to eradicate poverty, hunger and discrimination, as well as ensure justice and dignity for all peoples. But as the UN’s 193 member states look back at the success of the millennium development goals, they also must assess their needs for its sustainable development goals—a new series of benchmarks, which are set to expire in 2030. With the appointment of the ninth Secretary-General in the near future as well, the next U.S. President is bound to have quite a lot on his or her plate going into office.

Thursday, May 19th
Climate Geopolitics
In the past few years, the American public has become more aware of the damage wrought by climate change. From droughts in the west to extreme weather in the east, a rapidly changing climate has already made its footprint in the United States. Now, it is expected that the presidential election in 2016 will be one of the first to place an emphasis on these environmental changes. What can the next President do to stymie this environmental crisis? And is it too late for these efforts to be effective?

Thursday, May 26th
Cuba and the U.S.
The U.S. announced in December 17, 2014, that, after decades of isolation, it would being taking major steps to normalize relations with Cuba, its neighbor to the south. The announcement marked a dramatic shift away from a policy that has its roots in one of the darkest moments of the Cold War—the Cuban missile crisis. Although the U.S. trade embargo is unlikely to end any time soon, American and Cuban leaders today are trying to bring a relationship once defined by antithetical ideologies into the 21st century.

Register online

RESTORED Public Internet and Wifi Outage February 13th

We regret that public internet and wifi are not working this morning due to a Comcast outage. Library eBook Training cancelled today.

Internet and wifi have been restored

Islanders Read the Classics: Phil Weinstein Presents Toni Morrison's Beloved

Philip Weinstein, the Alexander Griswold Cummins Professor of English Emeritus at Swarthmore College, will launch a new program series, "Islanders Read the Classics", with a talk about Toni Morrison's Beloved. In selecting Beloved to launch this series, Mr. Weinstein says, “It is the novel that takes on most imaginatively and movingly — as probably only a black writer could — the curse of American slavery: its origins in the Middle Passage, its traumatic damage in the mid-19th century, its fallout later on.”

The "Islanders Read the Classics" series is presented by the Martha's Vineyard Library Association in partnership with the Martha's Vineyard Times. Once each month, an island library will host a free talk by an educator who has a passion for a specific book. Participants are encouraged to read the book in advance, however it is not required. Copies of the books may be requested through your local CLAMS library. For further details, contact the hosting library.

Currently scheduled events in the series:

7pm Thursday, March 3rd. Hosted by Vineyard Haven Library, at the Katharine Cornell Theater. Philip Weinstein discusses Toni Morrison’s Beloved.

6:30pm Tuesday, April 19th, Oak Bluffs Library.
John Crelan discusses Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court.

5:30pm Wednesday, May 19th, Chilmark Library.
Holly St. John Bergon discusses Sylvia Plath’s Ariel.

7pm Tuesday, June 28th, West Tisbury Library.
John Hough discusses Charles Dickens' Bleak House.

7pm Thursday, July 14th, Edgartown Library.
Dan Sharkovitz discusses William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. 

Tax Forms Now Available

Selected Federal and State tax forms are now available at the library. This year, the IRS has only provided the 1040, 1040EZ, and 1040A forms and instruction booklets.

If you need additional forms, you can request that they be mailed to you. Most forms are also available online.

To obtain tax forms not available at the library:

Order forms be delivered by mail:

• http://www.irs.gov/orderforms
• Call 1-800-829-3676

Download from the IRS website:

• http://www.irs.gov/forms

Closed for the Day Monday February 8th

Vineyard Haven Public Library will be closed on Monday February 8th due to storm conditions, anticipate reopening at 10am on Tuesday February 9th.

Art in the Stacks: Photography of Henry Stephenson

Photograph by Henry Stephenson

The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library are pleased to present an exhibit of photographs by Henry Stephenson. The exhibit will be on display on the lower level of the library, during regular library hours throughout the month of February.

The images featured are based on familiar sights found in and around Vineyard Haven -- the Black Dog Museum, the Gannon & Benjamin Marine Railway, and along Beach Road at the R.M. Packer Company property.
The images consist largely of multiple close-up photographs of ordinary objects -- boats under repair and the tools and materials found in the yards.

The photos are then assembled into multiple overlapping layers. The edges of the individual photos often remain visible in the final product creating asymmetrical compositions and images more akin to a painting than a photograph. The photographer's intention is that by lifting these objects out of their familiar context, the viewer will see them in a fresh way and gain an appreciation of the beauty, detail and complexity of the work involved.

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.

Schedule Change for Friday February 5th

The library will be open from 10am to 1pm today, instead of our regular hours. Afternoon programs are cancelled for the day.

Call to Makers: 1st Annual MV Mini Maker Faire

We are very pleased to announce that the First Annual MV Mini Maker Faire will take place on Saturday, May 7, 2016 from 10am to 4pm at the Ag Hall in West Tisbury. Come enjoy a great day of perfect Vineyard weather, arts and crafts, science and engineering, food and music, fire and water! The MV Mini Maker Faire is organized by librarians from the six Vineyard libraries under the umbrella of the Martha’s Vineyard Library Association with initial support from area businesses and community groups, including the Martha’s Vineyard Museum, Featherstone Center for the Arts and MV Community Services. Not sure what the Mini Maker Faire is all about? Visit our website and start getting excited!

Call to Makers

We're currently looking for Makers, Presenters & Performers! A Maker is a person or thing that makes or produces something. Makers include everyone from cheesemakers to Lego builders and tinkerers to computer coders. If you like to make stuff, grow stuff, compile stuff, or re-purpose stuff you're a Maker. You're a Maker even if what you make is music, performance, or an awesome idea.

Take part in the action by filling out our online Participation Form.

Here are just some of the topics that we’re looking for:

Student projects
Robotics
Homegrown Drones
Arduino projects
Raspberry Pi
Space projects
Food makers (not concessionaires, more info below)
Conductive materials projects
Kit makers
Interactive art projects
3D Printers and CNC Mills
Textile Arts and Crafts
E-Textiles
Home Energy Monitoring
Rockets and RC Toys
Sustainability & Green Tech
Radios, Vintage Computers and Game Systems
Electronics
Electric Vehicles
Science, Biology/Biotech, and Chemistry projects
Puppets, Kites, and Other Whimsical Creations
Bicycles
Large-scale Art
Shelter (Tents, Domes, etc.)
Music Performances and Participation
Unusual Tools or Machines
How to Fix Things or Take them Apart (Vacuums, Clocks, Washing Machines, etc.)