"Little Free Libraries" Come to Vineyard Haven!

A Little Free Library is a “take a book, return a book” free book exchange. They come in many shapes and sizes, but the most common version is a small wooden box of books. Anyone may take a book or bring a book to share.

Phil Fleischman of Vineyard Haven constructed a “Little Free Library,” now in Owen Park. The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library have volunteered to maintain it and see that it continues to be stocked with donated books.

There are currently more than 50,000 registered Little Free Library book exchanges in all 50 U.S. states and over 70 countries around the world. There has been a Little Free Library in Oak Bluffs Post Office Square since 2013, and several are located across Cape Cod.

Vineyard Haven resident Lynne Fraker has also built a Little Free Library, which will soon be placed at the recently refurbished Lake Street Landing.

Summer Reading for Kids, Teens, and Grownups!

Sign-up for Summer Reading at the Vineyard Haven Public Library began Saturday June 23rd. Children and caregivers can visit the Children's Room at the library to sign up, log reading time, and earn prizes, including a T-shirt!

Free programs for young children at Vineyard Haven Library will include a visit by storybook character Paddington, musical story times with Joyce Maxner, Jeremy & Rob, Ellen Allard, Hugh Hanley, and Songs of Peace, a performance by of Chinese folktales by Behind the Mask Studio, and visiting authors Consie Berghausen, Dr. Oneeka Williams, and Rosemary Wells.

Older kids can participate in weekly crafting, gaming, and maker programs, including a collage art workshop with Michael Albert, STEAM challenges, rocket building, lantern painting for Illumination Night, and Jedi Training Camp with Jedi Jim. For complete details, pick up a calendar at the library or visit our website, www.vhlibrary.org.

The Teen Summer Reading Challenge is open to students 6th-12th grade. Once a day participants can get a scratch-off ticket when they check out books. All tickets are instant winner for prizes like candy, iTunes gift cards, gift certificates from local businesses, a selection from the prize basket, and Grand Prizes. Teens can also visit the library to claim a $5 coupon that you may use to pay off fines on overdue items. The coupon may be redeemed at the Vineyard Haven Library at any time, but cannot be used to replace lost items.

Each summer, Vineyard Haven Library has a program for adults 18 and up that is fun and easy to participate in. This summer, participants will complete 10 challenges on a literary-related BINGO card, and bring the completed BINGO card to the library to receive a scratch-off ticket. All scratch-off tickets will win a prize, such as a re-useable library bag or a gift certificate. Leave the scratch-off ticket with your name and phone on the back to be including in a Grand Prize drawing in August.

The summer reading program is sponsored by the Friends of the Library, the Massachusetts Library System, the Boston Bruins, and the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners. Programs for children at Vineyard Haven Public Library are supported by the Friends of the Library and the Anderson Foundation and are free for participants. Reading incentives have been provided the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library, the MV Film Society (Capawock and Strand Theaters), Mocha Motts, Tisberry Frozen Yogurt,  Stop and Shop, Rocco's, Nat's Nook, The Green Room, Educomp, Bobby B’s, and Bernie’s Homemade Ice Cream.

The Commonwealth eBook Collection is Moving to Overdrive

On June 30, 2018, access to Axis 360, BiblioBoard and eBook Central through the Commonwealth eBook Collections will end. That means that any eBooks checked out from Axis 360, BiblioBoard, and eBook Central will no longer be available, and any holds on eBooks through those platforms will be cancelled. Library patrons will continue to have free access to eBooks through the CLAMS Overdrive collection.

COMING IN LATE SUMMER/EARLY FALL: CLAMS will soon participate in an exciting Massachusetts pilot program for eBooks and will allow you to borrow OverDrive material from several other Massachusetts library consortia using your CLAMS library card. This cooperative effort is funded by the Automated Resource Sharing Networks, the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners —made possible in part with Institute of Museum and Library Services funding—, the Massachusetts Library System, and local libraries.

If you havn't tried Overdrive eBooks, visit the "Getting started with OverDrive" page to download the app for Android, iOS, Kindle, Chromebooks, or Windows 10:
https://help.overdrive.com/customer/en/portal/articles/1481729-getting-started-with-overdrive

Late Opening June 27th, CLAMS Services Offline

Vineyard Haven Library will open late on Wednesday, June 27th. Library hours will be 1pm to 5:30pm that day. Due to scheduled system maintenance, CLAMS services, including online catalogs, OverDrive and Commonwealth eBook Collections, and the Commonwealth Catalog, will be unavailable to CLAMS library users. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Other Martha's Vineyard Libraries may be closed or have reduced hours that day, please check your library's website for details. Library patrons visiting any CLAMS library that day must have a library card with them in order to checkout materials.
 
In case the downtime causes a delay in check in of returned items, patrons will not accrue late fees June 27th through 29th.

Art in the Stacks: Susan Johnson

The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library are pleased to present "Color" and Color, an exhibit of paintings by Susan Johnson. The exhibit will be on display on the lower level of the library, during regular library hours throughout the month of June.

"Color" and Color is the first series for Shifting Boundaries: Bass Creek Painting Project, a new studio art project Susan is working on with the Vermont College of Fine Art. “Color” and Color combines the CYMK color palette of printing with en plein air style landscape painting. Susan Elizabeth Johnson is a graduate of Pratt Institute, Boston University, The Institute of Doctoral Studies of the Visual Arts, and is currently an MFA candidate in Visual Studies at the Vermont College of Fine Art.

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.