Storm Updates for Saturday January 29th

Get Ready for Saturday's Storm!

The major storm forecast for Saturday January 29th may disrupt regularly scheduled hours at the library this weekend.

Vineyard Haven Library will be closed due to weather on Saturday Jan 29th, and will reopen Sunday from 1pm to 5pm if conditions allow.

Visit us on Friday to stock up on books and movies to prepare for the weekend! The Library building will be open from 1 pm to 5 pm on Friday, and curbside service will be available from 10 am to 1 pm Friday (please call 508-696-4210 in advance to arrange curbside pickup). WiFi hotspots are available for checkout, so you can be prepared for possible internet outages.

We anticipate the Library will be open regular hours from 1 pm to 5 pm on Sunday, January 30th, but please check our website for updates, closures, and program cancellations.

Parking Ban: The Tisbury Police announced on Thursday that an emergency parking ban is planned to take affect on Friday January 28th beginning at 8 pm, until Sunday January 30th at 6 am. On the following roads, vehicles must be removed (vehicles that remain may be towed): Main Street out to West Chop, Franklin St., Edgartown Road, Skiff Ave, Center St., Spring St., and Williams St.

Possible Road Closures: Due to the expected tidal storm surge Beach Road and Lagoon Pond Road may be closed due to flooding, plan accordingly.

Emergency Contact Info: In the event that you cannot make contact with the Tisbury Police, Fire, EMS, or DPW, due to downed lines, please do the following: For Emergencies call 911; For Non-Emergencies call the MV Comm Center at (508) 693-1212; To report power outages contact Eversource at (800) 592-2000.

For updates on parking & road closures follow Tisbury Police on Facebook or visit the Town website at www.tisburyma.gov

Most Popular Books, DVDs and Children's Titles of 2021

Most Popular Books, DVDs and Children's Titles of 2021 at the Vineyard Haven Public Library

With the pandemic continuing to curtail our activities, last year was a big year for reading and watching movies. Here, the library has compiled a list of the books, DVDs and children's items in our collection that were checked out the most in 2021. Need a book recommendation? Check out our "Shelf Service" page or call the library at 508-696-4211. To receive weekly updates on all the new books available at the library, sign up for our email newsletter.

Adult Books

1. The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles

2. The Four Winds by Kristen Hannah

3. Hamnet: A Novel of the Plague by Maggie O'Farrell

4. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

5. The Searcher by Tana French

6. Win by Harlan Coben

7. Shuggie Bain by Stuart Douglas

8. Anxious People by Fredrick Backman

9. Transient Desires by Donna Leon

10. The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly

Adult DVDs

1. Wild Mountain Thyme 

2. Wonder Woman 1984

3. The Shoes of the Fisherman 

4. News of the World

5. The Silk Road

6. The Nest

7. Dreamland

8. The Irishman

9. Tesla

10. Promising Young Woman 

Young Adult Books

1. The Cousins by Karen McManus

2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

3. A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson

4. The Selection by Kiera Cass

5. Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

6. We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

7. Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley

8. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman

9. Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins

10. It's Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han

Children's Books

1. Seedfolks by Paul Fleishmann

2. Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems

3. Kitties on Dinosaurs by Michael Slack

4. What About Worms? by Mo Willems

5. Worm Loves Worm by J.J. Austrian

6. Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes by Eric Litman

7. I Really Like Slop! by Mo Willems

8. Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall

9. Elbow Grease v. Motozilla by John Cena

10. The Book of Brilliant Bugs by Jess French

New "Media Challenge" Gift for Capital Campaign!

 

Library Capital Campaign Announces 2022 Matching Gift!
New challenge will cover costs for state-of-the-art audiovisual systems

The Library Building Fund is pleased to announce a new fundraising challenge for 2022.  A local family of year-round Tisbury residents has offered to match one dollar for every two dollars raised up to $30,000, for a total of $90,000 to be raised through this challenge.

Funds raised through the "Media Challenge" will support expenses related to optimizing multimedia presentations in the new facility. Plans call for up-to-date technology, lighting and acoustics, including a state-of-the art sound system with assisted hearing loop, a large retractable projection screen with a high resolution projection system, and large windows opening the room to the garden but that can be easily darkened with drop-down shades when necessary.

The capital campaign has now passed the halfway point towards the $2 million fundraising goal. A challenge grant from the Sibbri Foundation in 2021 raised more than $100,000, bringing the total raised to more than $1 million as of January 1st!

Donations for the project can be made by check to VHPLBFI, PO Box 4961, Vineyard Haven MA 02568. Pledge forms and more detailed information about the capital campaign and building project are available at the library and online at www.vhlibrarybuildingfund.org.

Free COVID-19 Home Test Kits For Tisbury Residents

Free COVID-19 Home Test Kits will be available at Vineyard Haven Library on Monday, January 24th, during regular library hours, 10 am to 5pm. One test per family member will be distributed while supplies last. 

Symptomatic individuals should not enter the library. To arrange contactless pickup, when you have arrived at the library, call (508) 696-4211 from your car, and request delivery to your vehicle.

Tests will also be available on Monday at Tisbury Town Hall, the Town Hall Annex, and the Tisbury Fire Station.

Through a federal government program, households can request four free test kits to be mailed to them by signing up at www.covidtests.gov

To protect your family, friends & community, positive home test results may be reported at https://rapidtestmv.org/

Upon reviewing your information, Island health officials will contact you to learn more & offer guidance.

Free Series "Dining With Diabetes" Starts Monday January 24th on Zoom

 

Virtual : Dining With Diabetes
6:30 pm Mondays, January 24th through February 28th

Adults with type 2 diabetes (or those who are at risk of type 2 diabetes) and their family members, caregivers, and support persons are invited to participate in Dining with Diabetes. This free virtual program will help you learn the skills needed to promote good health while living with diabetes. Dining with Diabetes is an Extension program taught locally by Karen Roberts Mort, MS of Cornell Cooperative Extension Albany County. Karen is also a member of the Vineyard Haven Library's 'Spice Club'.

Participants will learn how to read the new food labels, count carbohydrates and plan meals using the Plate Method. There will also be time to discuss ways to stay motivated to eat healthy and stay active during the current health crisis. This class offers opportunities to connect with others who are dealing with diabetes. Healthy recipes, cooking techniques and even ideas for making healthier choices at restaurants and grocery stores will be shared with the group. A Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist has been invited to attend one of the sessions. 

Please register here:
https://cornell.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJErf-ygqD4jH9f5xxKk0V3Il8E0bFtmCbCc

For more information contact Karen Roberts Mort kem18@cornell.edu, or leave a message at 518-765-3552.

Tisbury Planning Board Seeks Applicants for Master Plan Steering Committee

The Tisbury Planning Board has launched their Master Plan process with immediate plans to select members to a Master Plan Steering Committee, expected to begin work in early 2022. Steering Committee members will work closely with the Town’s planning consultants and the Planning Board to guide the development of the Master Plan. The committee will assist the consultant team in the development and implementation of community outreach activities, attend public meetings, and serve as a liaison between the community and the planning consultants. They will review and provide input on interim documents and participate in the final review of the draft plan. 

The Planning Board seeks to convene a committee of volunteers with varying backgrounds and skill sets and members that reflect the different voices of Tisbury. They are looking for individuals who are enthusiastic about the development of the master plan, collaborative, thoughtful, and community-minded. Applications are available online at https://www.tisburyma.gov/planning-board/pages/master-plan-steering-committee.

Planning Boards are authorized to develop a Comprehensive Municipal Master Plan by Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 41, 81D which requires sections on Natural & Cultural Resources, Economic Development, Housing, Land Use, Open Space & Recreation, Facilities & Services, Circulation & Transportation, plus an implementation section, describing how – and when - goals are to be achieved. This Master Plan will also address climate change, governance structure, housing production, as well as, area plans for the B-I and B-II Business Districts, and the Waterfront Commercial District.

When completed, the Tisbury Master Plan will provide broad direction in support of the Town’s long-term goals. According to Dawn Bellante Holand, Planning Board Chairperson. “Tisbury has never had a Master Plan, so we are now involved in a historic planning process which will chart the course of our town and development for years to come. A Master Plan brings clarity – and direction-to the decision-making process.” Bellante-Holand noted that an important goal of the process is to generate broad consensus. “The Master Plan will become a roadmap for the Town, and will help to ensure that individual town projects and procedures align with the Town’s long-term goals.” 

While the Planning Board will hire a consultant to guide the two-year process, public input and feedback will be valued, and welcomed at every step of the way. “We want to hear from residents, businesses, boards, and committees, to find out what’s important to them,” said Cheryl Doble, Planning Board Member. “We want to consider and include these ideas and opinions, so we can build town-wide consensus, and support for the final plan.”

All Tisbury residents have an opportunity to participate in public forums throughout the process. Residents interested in serving on the steering committee should submit a completed application or letter of interest to: Master Plan Steering Committee, c/o Tisbury Planning Board, P.O. Box 602, Tisbury, MA 02568 and/or via email to pharris@tisburyma.gov with a subject line Steering Committee Application.

Curbside Services Only Sat Jan 15th, Closed Mon Jan 17th

Due to staffing issues related to the pandemic, the library will provide curbside services only in the library entry vestibule during regular library hours on Saturday, January 15th from 1 pm to 5pm. Curbside services include holds pickup, and browsing the new book and express bestseller carts. The building will be closed to the public.

Wifi hotspots and Chromebook computers will be available for checkout. Need something printed? Email your document to vhpl_mail@clamsnet.org, and the library will notify you when it is ready to pickup.

Only one patron at a time should enter the library vestibule, please wait outside if the area is occupied, thank you!

The library will be closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 17th.

Virtual: Register for Great Decisions Discussion Group

 

Special addition to series! 6:30 pm Thursday March 31st
Online: "Little Russia" and the Russian Empire: History and the War in Ukraine
Vineyard Haven Library patrons are invited to attend this event hosted by the Duxbury Free Library with Dr. Cynthia Simmons, an emeritus professor at Boston College, where she taught history in the Department of Slavic and Eastern Languages and Literatures from 1994-2017. Dr. Simmons will be providing historical context for the current war in Ukraine, along with discussing language, religion, and other aspects of culture related to identity. This program will take place on Zoom. Register

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The Vineyard Haven Library will again be hosting a discussion group based on the Great Decisions program created by the Foreign Policy Association. The group meets once a week on Thursdays from 6 to 7 pm via Zoom for a total of nine weeks. Before the meeting, participants are encouraged to watch a short video lecture "master class" and read an article from a briefing book on specific challenges facing our global community. The group then meets on Zoom to discuss possible avenues for resolving those challenges. The dates and topics for meetings are listed below, with a more in-depth description at the end of this post:

Thursday, February 10, 6 to 7 pm: Changing Demographics
Thursday, February 17, 6 to 7 pm: Outer Space
Thursday, February 24, 6 to 7 pm: The Renewed Climate Change Agenda
Thursday, March 3, 6 to 7 pm: Putin's Russia
Thursday, March 10, 6 to 7 pm: Myanmar's Neverending Crisis
Thursday, March 17, 6 to 7 pm: Xi's China Takes on the Quad Alliance
Thursday, March 24, 6 to 7 pm: A Century of Drug Wars
Thursday, April 7, 6 to 7 pm: Industrial Policy
Thursday, April 14, 6 to 7 pm: Biden's Agenda

This year, a limited number of briefing books are available for purchase at the library for $25 (regular price $35), payable by cash or check to the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library. Copies of the briefing book are also available for in-library use. To register for Great Discussions, please click here. Instructions for how to access the video links will be emailed to participants who have registered. Registering for the first event on February 10th  registers you for the whole series. If you have any questions or problems, please email reference librarian Ruth Konigsberg at rkonigsberg@clamsnet.org or call at 508-696-4211 x 115.

Changing Demographics
The world experienced remarkable demographic changes in the 20th century that continue today and have resulted in far-reaching social, economic, political, and environmental consequences all over the globe. These consequences are creating mounting challenges to development efforts, security, climate, and the environment, as well as the sustainability of human populations.
 
Outer Space
The launch of Sputnik I in October 1957 marked the beginning of the space era and of the space race between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the 21st century, there are many more participants in space, including countries such as India and China, and commercial companies such as SpaceX. How will the United States fare in a crowded outer space?
 
Climate Change
The ideological divide in the United States on the subject of climate change has impeded progress in curbing greenhouse emissions. But extreme weather events at both ends of the thermometer have focused attention on the consequences of inaction. What role will the United States play in future negotiations on climate?
 
Russia
Russia and the United States have many areas of conflict and some possible areas of mutual interest. Arms control, Russian interference in U.S. elections and support of cyberattacks, the status of Ukraine, the fate of opposition politicians in Russia, all continue to be concerning. How will the new administration in Washington approach these issues?
 
Myanmar and ASEAN
The situation in Myanmar, including the coup by the military in February 2021 and the ongoing human rights crises, coupled with civil resistance by those opposed to the regime, has led to chaos in the Southeast Asian country. How are neighboring countries reacting, and what role will ASEAN play?
 
The Quad Alliance
As part of the U.S. pivot to Asia, the United States has been in dialogue with Japan, Australia, and India in an effort to contain China. Recently, the Quad countries held joint naval exercises in the South Pacific. How effective will the actions of this alliance be?
 
Industrial Policy
The current discussion of industrial policy in the United States is not simply about whether or not to support specific companies or industries, but about trust or mistrust of the government and its ability to manage the economy and deal with a rising China. The upheaval in supply chains during the pandemic exposed weaknesses in the international economy. What policies can the United States implement to deal with trade and the economy?
 
Drug Policy in Latin America
The issue of migration to the United States from Latin America has overshadowed the war on drugs, which has been underway for decades with little signs of progress. What are the roots and the bureaucratic logic behind today´s dominant drug policies in Latin America? Is it time to reconsider punitive drug control policies that disrupt supply chains and punish drug possession?
 
Biden’s Agenda
The new administration in Washington promised to reverse many of the policies of the past administration, especially in foreign policy. How will issues such as climate, the pandemic, and alliances be treated under the Biden administration?

Temporary Schedule Changes

Vineyard Haven Library is now open daily for 30-minute visits. Beginning January 15th, the library will be open half-days on Saturdays from 1 pm to 5 pm. This will help the library maintain consistent seven day service with current staffing limitations. We plan to resume full day Saturday services in the near future. Temporary library hours will be:

Monday from 10 am to 5 pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday from 10 am to 6 pm
Friday, Saturday, Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm

Curbside pickup will be available by appointment when the building is closed.

The library is open for 30-minute computer use, grab & go browsing, and holds pickup. Table seating is temporarily unavailable inside the building, and all patrons are asked to keep their library visits to 30 minutes or less, following the recommendations of the Tisbury Health Department.

Patrons needing extended internet access are invited to checkout a WiFi hotspot or Chromebook computer for home use. Home delivery and contactless pickup are available on request. Visit the "COVID-19 Services" page on our website for an up-to-date summary of currently available services.

Closed Due to Weather Friday Jan 7th

 Vineyard Haven Library will be closed for the day on Friday, January 7th

Virtual: Drawing with Elizabeth R. Whelan

 

Was one of your New Year's resolutions: Do More Drawing? 
Then have we got some opportunities for you!

Starting this Sunday, January 9th at 11am (and every Sunday through May 22) the Library will replay all twenty videos from last year's "Summer of Drawing" series with artist Elizabeth R. Whelan. Join your hosts Elizabeth Whelan and Anne McDonough on Zoom every Sunday as we revisit all that great classes from last year, one at a time, to get you back in the drawing groove! Whether you missed last year's classes, want a refresher, or just want to hang out, register here and join any time:
https://bit.ly/3r93VNN

And WHY do we want you to be all warmed up by May 22? Because on Wednesday May 25 at 11am, we start.... you guessed it.... ANOTHER Summer of Drawing! 

This will be an intermediate level and more in-depth look at technique, drawing themes and conceptual work, and a deep dive into various drawing subjects using any drawing media, meeting every Wednesday through October 5. Register for ANOTHER Summer of Drawing here:
https://bit.ly/32JaWg1

Anyone can join, from anywhere. The classes are free and aimed at adults who are brushing up on their drawing skills (or just starting out), however, all are welcome.
And you can watch this video message from Elizabeth to get more info. Can't wait!!
https://youtu.be/x1tMJLNpvcA

"Uncanny Voyages" with Phil Weinstein Begins January 26th

Philip Weinstein, the Alexander Griswold Cummins Professor of English Emeritus at Swarthmore College, will present  a seven-part seminar "Uncanny Voyages," that will center on writers who explore extreme situations. According to Professor Weinstein, "in these readings we enter spaces where common sense collapses. Kafka prized those books “that affect us like a disaster...like being banished into forests far from everyone... A book must be the axe for the frozen sea within.” To travel with such texts is to encounter the bracing shock of uncanny voyages."

Hosted on Zoom by Lifelong Learning Swarthmore and Vineyard Haven Public Library, the class will take place every two weeks on Wednesdays from 7:00-8:30 pm, January 26th - April 20th, 2022. Zoom login will be sent to registered library participants prior to the first session on January 26th. To register through the library, visit https://bit.ly/3mCbuds

Class dates and reading selections appear below. 

7pm Wednesday January 26, 2022
Søren Kierkegaard, Fear and Trembling

7pm Wednesday February 9, 2022
Fyodor Dostoevsky, Notes from Underground

7pm Wednesday February 23, 2022
Friedrich Nietzsche, On the Genealogy of Morals

7pm Wednesday March 9, 2022
Sigmund Freud, Civilization and Its Discontents & Essay, "The Uncanny"

7pm Wednesday March 23, 2022
Franz Kafka, Metamorphosis, & Stories (selections below)

• The Judgment
• In the Penal Colony
• A Report to an Academy
• A Country Doctor
• A Starvation Artist
• Jackals and Arabs

7pm Wednesday April 6, 2022

William Faulkner, As I Lay Dying

7pm Wednesday April 20, 2022
Flannery O'Connor, Stories (selections below)

• A Good Man is Hard to Find
• The Life You Save May Be Your Own
• The River
• The Displaced Person
• The Artificial Nigger
• Good Country People
• Greenleaf
• Everything that Rises Must Converge
• Revelation