Phil Weinstein: Soul-Error Reading & Book Signing

 

[In-person] 4 pm Sunday August 7th
Phil Weinstein: Soul-Error
Join us for a reading, discussion, and book signing event with Phil Weinstein, the Alexander Griswold Cummins Professor of English Emeritus at Swarthmore College. Soul-Error explores the ways in which, stubbornly yet creatively, we go through life misreading ourselves and our world. Event will be held in-person on the main floor of the library, or in the courtyard, weather permitting. Books will be available for purchase from the author. Event Sponsored by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library. The library main floor will open for this event at 3:45pm. Building closed for other uses on Sunday.

First Friday Art & Live Music in Vineyard Haven

 

[In-person, outdoors] First Friday is a free community event in Vineyard Haven on the first Friday of every month from June through October. Join the community for an evening of art, music, shopping, food, and inspiration as Vineyard Haven opens its doors to celebrate. Fun for all ages, First Friday starts at 4 pm in Owen Park and will feature live music performances, local artists and artisans, and food vendors. Starting at 9 pm, a silent disco will also feature DJ DC Rose and DJ Memphis. Visit www.firstfridayvh.com for all the details!

If you're attending First Friday, visit the grounds of the Vineyard Haven Library at 5 pm to search for miniature Pokemon Figures hidden in Poke Balls!

Lew French Book Talk: Sticks and Stones

 [In-person, at Oak Bluffs Library]  6 pm Tuesday August 2nd

Lew French Book Talk – Sticks and Stones

Lew French is a master stonemason who finds and gathers hundreds of individual stones to create a single fireplace or an outdoor stone wall that looks like it had been there for hundreds of years. Rather than use a chisel, his stones have to fit together naturally; he remembers and fits them together in his mind’s eye. From a huge outdoor water feature at an office building near Boston, to a residential landscape on Chappaquiddick, to his own retreat home in the mountains of Brazil, each creation is breathtaking.

New to this second book on Lew French’s designs are gallery-quality, framed art pieces, puzzled together from rock and driftwood, resulting in one-of-a-kind wall sculptures. Fans of natural building and all kinds of masonry will be more than impressed.

Lew French is the designer, architect, and builder of his work. He has spent over 30 years working on Martha’s Vineyard, Boston, in the Adirondacks, and other Northeastern locations. He has built his own home in Brazil. He was inducted into the New England Design Hall of Fame in 2015.

Alison Shaw is a fine art and editorial photographer who works and teaches on Martha’s Vineyard. Over 8,000 of her original fine art prints are in public and private collections. There are 19 books of her work so far, including a book she wrote about photographing Martha’s Vineyard.

BONUS: here’s the trailer for ‘The Power of Stone’, a documentary from Salt and Sugar Productions: https://vimeo.com/308211486

This program is a collaboration between the Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven Libraries.

Legal Document Templates Now Available Through Gale LegalForms

 

The library now offers patrons access to Gale LegalForms, a database of templates of legal documents for the state of Massachusetts, including wills, residential and commercial leases, durable power of attorney and health care proxies and other life planning documents. Patrons can either search the library of forms and download and print them, or access a list of forms that can be completed online. Please note that some forms require witnesses before a notary public and are only valid if completed properly; the library cannot give legal advice. You can access Gale LegalForms by clicking here. A direct link to forms that can be completed online can be accessed by clicking here.

For more digital library resources, visit http://www.vhlibrary.org/econtent.shtml

POSTPONED Author Talk: The Southernization of America

THIS EVENT HAS BEEN POSTPONED, NEW DATE THURSDAY SEPT 8th @6PM

[In-person] 4pm Saturday July 30th
Talk by Frye Gaillard, co-author (with Cynthia Tucker) of 'The Southernization of America: A Story of Democracy in the Balance'

In 1974 John Egerton published his seminal work, The Americanization of Dixie. Pulitzer Prize-winner Cynthia Tucker and award-winning author Frye Gaillard carry Egerton’s thesis forward in The Southernization of America, a compelling series of linked essays considering the role of the South in shaping America’s current political and cultural landscape.

They dive deeper, examining the morphing of the Southern strategy of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan into the Republican Party of today, the racial backlash against President Obama, family separation on our southern border, the rise of the Christian right, the white supremacist riots in Charlottesville, the death of George Floyd, and the attack on our nation’s capitol.

They find hope in the South too, a legacy rooted in the civil rights years that might ultimately lead the nation on the path to redemption. Tucker and Gaillard bring a multiracial perspective and years of political reporting to bear on a critical moment in American history, a time of racial reckoning and democracy under siege.

This book talk will be held in-person on the main floor of the Vineyard Haven Library, and will be streamed online. Masks required for attendees. 

Tackle Technology in August!

 

[In-person, at Oak Bluffs Library] 
Tackle Technology
Saturdays in August, 10 am -11 am

Tackle Technology on three Saturdays in August, with Paul Gentile of Senior2Senior, devoted to teaching technology to seniors. Classes are instructional, no devices necessary.

Pre-register for one or all three of these Saturday morning classes at the Oak Bluffs Library. This is a collaborative program between the Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven Public Libraries to help people feel more comfortable with technology.

• Saturday August 6th, 10 am : How to purchase a Computer : Chromebook, laptop, tablet, or smartphone — what do you need?
• Saturday August 13th, 10 am : Preserving Your Digital Assets : organize your family’s most important information – from finances to traditions – so you are prepared no matter what happens. 
• Saturday August 20th, 10 am : Organize and protect your photos – learn how to share and store them with software recommendations. 

Class size is limited, please contact Anne McDonough to register amcdonough@clamsnet.org or call 508-696-4211 extension 116.

Cartooning Workshops for Teens & Tweens!

 

Fridays from 11 am to 12:30 pm
July 22nd, July 29th, and August 5th

Tweens & Teens can join our special guest Ryan Barr for one or more sessions of this three week cartooning workshop.

The classes will be indoors while the library is closed*. The classes are free and all materials will be provided.

For more information, contact Young Adult Librarian Jennifer at 508-696-4211 x118 or email jrapuano@clamsnet.org

* The library building will be closed for other uses on Friday morning, opening for regular hours at 1 pm.

MV BOARDS OF HEALTH CURRENT COVID-19 INFORMATION

 

Omicron subvariant BA.5 is the dominant variant currently spreading in the US and seems to be the most contagious version to date. BA.5 is causing more reinfection in people who already had COVID-19, including infections caused by some earlier versions of Omicron. It’s also evading immunity from the vaccines, although vaccines are still effective at preventing severe disease and death.

Island towns still have a mask advisory in place. Considering the infectious nature of BA.5 and our CDC classification as a high-risk community the Boards of Health strongly advise individuals to wear a mask when indoors, in enclosed spaces serving the public or when unable to maintain social distance, regardless of vaccination status. Individual businesses also have the right to require mask wearing by their staff and customers. High quality N-95 masks are available at all Island Board of Health offices.

The best way to protect yourself from severe illness is to get vaccinated and get a booster shot if you’re eligible. The vaccination bus will be returning to the Island on Sunday, July 31st from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm at MV Regional High School. Appointments are required and can be made online at https://home.color.com/vaccine/register/purpleshield?calendar=823a85ee-a42e4094-9662-07bf95d18d6e. Vaccines are also available through Martha’s Vineyard Hospital or Health Imperatives (Family Planning).

For many people who contract COVID-19 symptoms resemble those of a cold. If you begin to experience a fever, cough, sore throat, headache, runny nose or congestion, it’s important to get tested right away. An at-home OTC test is a good first option in this situation and test kits are available at all Board of Health offices. If the result is positive, it likely means you have Covid-19. When you have symptoms and an OTC test is positive, there isn’t a need to confirm the result with a lab-based test. Please take the time to report your positive result at https://rapidtestmv.org/.

If an at-home test is negative, it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re in the clear. If your symptoms persist or get worse, it’s a good idea to take another at-home test after a day or two. If the repeat at-home test is also negative, you should strongly consider getting a lab-based PCR test.

Testing a few days after you have been exposed or potentially exposed to an individual with COVID-19 is also recommended. Again, if you have reason to believe you may be infected but tested negative with an OTC test you should follow up with a lab-based PCR test.

Antiviral medications and monoclonal antibody therapies are available for infected individuals at higher risk of severe disease. If you test positive for COVID-19 and are at higher risk of severe disease because you’re an older adult or you have a health condition, reach out to your healthcare provider to see if treatment is advised. The state also provides free telehealth for COVID-19 treatment with Paxlovid for eligible individuals, see https://www.mass.gov/info-details/free-telehealth-for-covid-19-treatment-with-paxlovid.

Get Discounts at Museums and Trustees Properties with our Library Pass Program

 

Get Discounts at Museums and Trustees Properties with our Library Pass Program

You can explore and learn more about the Island while enjoying membership benefits and discounts with our library pass program. Patrons with a CLAMS library card can borrow a membership card for free entry to the Martha’s Vineyard Museum for 3 days by coming to the Library’s circulation desk. 

You may also get reduced rates for entry at properties that are part of the Trustees of the Reservation by getting a “Go Pass” ticket, also from our circulation desk. You can then book a reservation for Long Point online (time slots are released every Wednesday for the week beginning Friday) using the promotion code on your ticket for a discount. Mytoi, Wasque and Cape Pogue do not require advance reservation and entry to one allows entry to all. Please show your Go Pass ticket at the entrance for free admission.

The Library is also pleased to be able to offer museum passes to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts, both in Boston. For the MFA, please contact our circulation desk to get a promo code for discounted admission at $10 per person for two adults. 

To get discounted admission to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, visit the Library to pick up a coupon that admits up to 4 adults for $5 each (normally $20). While the pass can be used any time, online advance reservations are recommended.

This program is generously funded by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library. To learn more about the Friends, please click here.

Summer Stargazing with Mark Alan Lovewell

The Summer Night Sky: Travel Among the Cosmos with Mark Alan Lovewell

Wednesday July 20th, 8:30 pm- 10:00 pm
Meet outside the Chilmark Library, 522 South Road, Chilmark MA

Wednesday August 3rd, 8:30 pm- 10:00 pm
Meet at the Riverhead Field Disc Golf on Barnes Road

Join veteran stargazer Mark Alan Lovewell in two sessions and discover the wonders of the cosmos in our summer night sky. Writer, photographer, and folk singer Mark Alan Lovewell, a Renaissance man of many talents, enjoys sharing his passions for folk singing, journalism, photography, sailing, and stargazing with those interested in a unique, local perspective of all the island has to offer. He has been writing Vineyard Skies, a weekly astronomy column for the Vineyard Gazette for almost 42 years.

This free program is sponsored by the Libraries of Martha’s Vineyard. Email tthorpe@clamsnet.org or call 508-645-3360 for more information.

Friends of the Library Totes & Mugs!

Literary Themed Items Support Friends Programs

For a limited time, canvas tote bags and coffee mugs featuring classic book cover art and other literary themes are available for purchase at the library. There are many designs to choose from, including new styles just added! Mugs are $16 and canvas totes are $22, and all proceeds benefit services and programs supported by the Friends.  

• The Alchemist
• Clifford the Big Red Dog
• Edward Gorey
• Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine
• Goodnight Moon
• The Handmaid's Tale 
• The Hunger Games
• Jaws
• The Little Prince
• Make Way for Ducklings
• Murder on the Orient Express
• Pride and Prejudice
• Richard Scarry
• Sesame Street
• The Underground Railroad
• The Very Hungry Caterpillar
• To the Lighthouse
• Elephant and Piggie
• and more!

About the Friends

Free History Class from the Martha's Vineyard Museum!

 Introduction to Martha’s Vineyard History

Tuesdays from 3 PM - 4:30 PM July 19th - Aug 23rd
In-person at the Museum

A fast-paced overview that covers 400 years of Island history, this course takes participants from Bartholomew Gosnold to the present in just six weeks. It explores seldom-told Island stories — why is there a ship buried under Five Corners? why is the deadliest hurricane in Vineyard history nearly forgotten? and what, exactly, happened to Captain Orrock’s clothes? — and examines familiar ones like Grey’s Raid, the whaling era, and Nancy Luce from new angles. MVM research librarian Bow Van Riper uses his storytelling skills and thirty-five years’ experience as a historian, as well as seldom-seen documents and objects from the Museum’s collections, to bring Vineyard history to life.

Thanks to a generous donor, this class is offered free of charge. Space for the class is limited. To register, click here.