One Bad Crab: Screening, Discussion & Green Crab Tasting!

The invasive green crab: nasty, but tasty!

The Vineyard Haven Public Library is pleased to welcome environmental filmmaker Sandy Cannon-Brown, along with members of the MV Shellfish community, for a screening and discussion of the film, One Bad Crab, followed by a green crab appetizer prepared by Chef Galen of the Lambert's Cove Inn. Speakers to include: MV Shellfish Group Executive Director Emma Green-Beach, MV Shellfish Group Founder Rick Karney, GreenCrab.org Executive Director Mary Parks, and Tisbury Shellfish Constable Danielle Ewart. This event will be held at 4:00 pm on Friday, August 28th, at the Vineyard Haven Public Library, located at 200 Main Street in Vineyard Haven. Free and open to the public, no registration required.

One Bad Crab is a 38-minute documentary film by environmental filmmaker Sandy Cannon-Brown, narrated by Nelson Sigelman. The Latin name for the European green crab, Carcinus maenas, translates as “raving mad crab", which gives some insight into the personality of this invasive crustacean with a voracious appetite that undermines valuable shellfish resources here on the Island. It's impossible to eliminate this fecund critter, but we can take advantage of its presence as a savory menu item. Chef Galen of the Lambert's Cove Inn will treat attendees to a green crab appetizer following the screening. 

Sandy Cannon-Brown, founder (1985) and president (1985-present) of VideoTakes, Inc., is an award-winning environmental filmmaker. Before moving to Martha's Vineyard in 2020, she lived in DC and St. Michaels, MD and made nine documentaries about subjects important to the Chesapeake Bay with writer Tom Horton and photographer Dave Harp. In 2025 the team was honored by the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum with the prestigious Bay Heritage Award. Sandy was also an associate director for the Center for Environmental Filmmaking at American University, honored as CEF’s first senior scholar in 2013, and named AU’s adjunct professor of the year in 2011. Among her many other honors, Women in Film Video DC honored Sandy as a Woman of Vision in 1998. She served as WIFV’s president 2011-2012.

Emma Green-Beach is Executive Director of the MV Shellfish Group. Emma grew up in Oak Bluffs and fondly remembers gathering shellfish from Sengekontacket, Edgartown Great Pond and Wasque. She started with the MV Shellfish Group as seasonal staff in 2006 after receiving her B.S. in Biology at U Mass Dartmouth. She went on to earn a M.S. in Ecology and Evolution from Rutgers University in 2011. She joined MV Shellfish Group full-time in 2014 and became the Executive Director in 2017.

Rick Karney is Founder and Director Emeritus of the MV Shellfish Group. Rick came to the Island in the 1970s to create a shellfish management program that focuses on aquaculture to enhance public shellfish stock propagation. He also helped start the MV Shellfish Group, which celebrates its 50th year in 2026. His work with MVSG earned him the Gulf of Maine Visionary Award in 2001 for demonstrating "that shellfish aquaculture can be an environmentally and economically sustainable activity for coastal communities." Rick graduated from Rutgers University in 1972 with a B.S. in Biological Sciences.

Mary Parks is Executive Director of GreenCrab.org. Mary grew up in Penobscot Bay and first learned about the green crab's invasive impact from the surrounding lobstering and clamming community. After working in traceability for a commercial fish wholesaler in Boston, and learning more about bait markets for green crabs, she started asking what needed to be done to build a culinary market. In 2020, she went on to found GreenCrab.org: a nonprofit dedicated to building culinary markets for European green crab and spreading awareness of its invasive impact.

Danielle Ewart is the Tisbury Shellfish Constable. During the summer of 2004, between her freshman and sophomore years of college, Danielle worked as a summer deputy for the Town of Oak Bluffs and part-time at Martha's Vineyard Shellfish Group. After graduating, she rose in the ranks to full-time deputy for the Town of Oak Bluffs. She became the Shellfish Constable for the neighboring Town of Tisbury in 2010.

For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.

Stories of Healthcare and Healing with Donna Bulseco and Ryn Gluckman

The Vineyard Haven Public Library is pleased to welcome Donna Bulseco, editor of “Where It Hurts: Dispatches from the Emotional Frontlines of Medicine,” and Ryn Gluckman, ER nursing director at the Martha's Vineyard Hospital, for a conversation about this newly released collection of essays, short stories, and poems. This event will be held at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, August 25th, at the Vineyard Haven Library, located at 200 Main Street in Vineyard Haven. Free and open to the public, no registration required.

Health care workers see us all at our highest highs and our lowest lows. They’re heroes, healers, and confidants—but they’re also real people who struggle with burnout, doubt, frustration, fear, loneliness, shame, and anger. "Where It Hurts" (The Experiment; March 24, 2026; $18.95; Paperback; 979-8-89303-104-1) shares the stories of over sixty medical professionals, offering a window into the daily highlights and difficulties of the health-care industry. This collection of beautifully written poems and highly relatable essays and short stories paints health-care workers as real people, working every day in the spaces between health and illness, life and death. From funny stories (for instance, the story of a doctor who helps his patient find a cure, which, strangely enough, involves fajitas) to heart-rending and heart-mending tales of connection between doctors and patients, "Where It Hurts" shows us what it means to truly be human. 

From Grey’s Anatomy to The Pitt, our society has long been fascinated with stories of what it’s like to work in the high stress, high-stakes world of health care. According to the CDC, the health-care industry employs over twenty-two million workers, and "Where It Hurts" makes a great gift for anyone working in medicine—med school students, doctors, nurses, or EMTs. Literary and deeply moving, "Where It Hurts" reveals the challenges and triumphs of working in health care and invites us to live fully and empathize deeply with those around us.

DONNA BULSECO is a journalist and editor who holds graduate degrees in English from Brown University and in narrative medicine from Columbia University. Through the years, she has published work in The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, InStyle, Self, and The Purist. As editor-in-chief of Intima: A Journal of Narrative Medicine, a literary journal recognized as a leader in the medical humanities world, she works with an editorial board of clinicians, educators, and writers, who review and select from over one thousand submissions a year to produce the journal. She edited "Where It Hurts": Dispatches from the Emotional Frontlines of Medicine, a new anthology of work culled from the Intima Archives and published by NYC publisher, The Experiment, this year. 

RYN GLUCKMAN, BSN, RN has been an emergency nurse for over 18 years and is currently the Nurse Director of the Emergency Department (ED) at Martha's Vineyard Hospital. She received a nursing degree at the University of Massachusetts in 2008 and earned a BA in pre-law and sociology from Hampshire College in 2001. In addition to working as a frontline and nursing leader, Ryn has also served has an educator at the University of Vermont and faculty member in the Allied Health Program for the Community College of Vermont. Throughout her career Ryn has been committed to amplifying nursing voices and ethics, elevating nursing practice as a powerful tool for social change and centralizing the principles of justice, inclusion, and equity in nursing culture. She is currently a candidate for a master's degree in the Disaster Resilience Leadership Program at Tulane University, with a focus on alternative models of health care delivery. 

For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.

Library Renovation Project Updates

 

Update July 22nd, 2026

The library building at 200 Main Street has reopened! Please note that some services and collections will be unavailable due to ongoing site work and unpacking:

• We will continue to be closed on Mondays while minor building work continues.
• The courtyard and courtyard entrance to the library are not yet accessible.
• The study room is not yet available for reservations.
• Microfilm of the Vineyard Gazette is not currently available. In August we will have a new microfilm reader capable of digitizing pages.
• Public printing and computer use are limited but WiFi is available.
• Books shelved in the adult stacks on the lower level are not fully arranged in order so some items may be difficult to locate, but there are lots of books to browse!

Update July 16th, 2026

Our satellite library at 15 Church Street is closing today, Friday July 16th! If you have an item on hold you will be able to pick up today between 10am and 6pm. No other services are available today. If you are unable to pick up today, your items on hold will be available at 200 Main Street when we reopen. We tentatively plan to open the renovated building at 200 Main Street on Tuesday July 21st in the afternoon. Please check our website for confirmation of opening date and time. Please continue to return items using the book drop at Church Street, or just hold on to your items until we reopen the renovated building. 

Update July 10th, 2026

The Church Street Satellite Library is Closing! Saturday July 11th is  the last day the little library will be open for browsing and computer use. 

Starting Tuesday July 14th,  if you have an item waiting on hold, you can pick it up at the circulation desk at 15 Church Street, using the parking lot entrance, the front entrance and the rest of the building will be closed while we pack up. 

Please continue to return items using the book drop at Church Street, or just hold on to your items until we reopen the renovated building. We plan to open 200 Main Street on July 21st, with a grand opening celebration on Saturday July 25th!

Update July 4th, 2026

We are working hard to complete the renovated library as soon as possible for you to enjoy this summer! Our plan is to have the 200 Main Street building open by July 21st, though some services and collections may not be immediately available upon opening. The Church Street Library will remain open regular hours this week, but our schedule and services may be reduced as our move progresses. 

Update June 22nd, 2026

You will see moving trucks at the library building at 200 Main Street this week as we begin to move shelving fixtures back into the building. The project is nearing completion, but renovation work is ongoing. The Satellite Library at 15 Church Street will remain open in June, and a July reopening date will be announced soon!

Small Pieces from the Big Composers with Silas Berlin

The Vineyard Haven Public Library is pleased to welcome pianist Silas Berlin for an evening of classical piano music. This event will be held at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, August 18th, at the Vineyard Haven Public Library, located at 200 Main Street in Vineyard Haven. Free and open to the public, no registration required.

Silas will perform a wide array of eras and styles in short form composition, including preludes, etudes, and salon music by Chopin, Gershwin, Rachmaninoff and others. 

Raised on Martha's Vineyard, Silas currently lives in Seattle, where he teaches private piano lessons and performs when the occasion arises. Silas deeply values the opportunity to share music with the island community that itself places a deep value on music.

For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.

Cleo King's Open Mic

The Vineyard Haven Public Library is pleased to announce an evening of music, dance, drama, and the spoken word, emceed by acclaimed actress, Cleo King. This event will be held at 6:00 pm on Thursday, August 13th, at the Vineyard Haven Public Library, located at 200 Main Street in Vineyard Haven. Free and open to the public, no registration required.

Participants are invited to perform in a genre of their choice: music, dance, drama, the spoken word, etc. A sign-up sheet will be available at the event. Each performer will be given 5 minutes to display their talent. Come to perform or sit back and enjoy the show. All are welcome. 

Cleo King is an accomplished actor, singer & dancer. She can be seen on such shows as Nemesis, Mike & Molly, Grey's Anatomy, CSI, NCIS, Lemony Snickets, Shameless, Mom, Young Sheldon, Monk, and Deadwood, among others.  On the big screen, she has acted in The Hangover, Pineapple Express, The Life of David Gale, National Security, Dreamgirls, and Magnolia. Her latest film is The Dink, where she plays a pickleball obsessed attorney. Cleo’s Broadway & touring credits include Chicken & Biscuits, Jelly's Last Jam, Ain't Misbehavin, Best Little Whorehouse in Texas, and Big River, to name a few! Cleo hails from St Louis, Missouri, by way of New York, and has lived in Los Angeles since 1995.

For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.

Library "Soft" Opening July 21st: Concert with The Tristan Israel Band at 6pm

Tonight, Tuesday July 21st at 6pm, come to 200 Main Street for a sneak peek of our new community room!

Join The Tristan Israel Band for an evening of true “Americana” music, with roots in folk, rock, blues, and even some jazz. An island classic, The Tristan Israel Band plays mainly original tunes written by Tristan Israel, along with a few covers. The band is composed of Tristan Israel, Paul Thurlow and Nancy Jephcote. Tristan sings vocals and plays acoustic guitar and harmonica, while Paul plays bass, piano, keys, electric guitar, percussion and backing vocals, and Nancy Jephcote plays the fiddle. Free and open to the public. No registration required.

Doors will open for this event at 5:30 pm, and the library will not be open for other services.

LIBRARY HOURS THIS WEEK:

The renovated 200 Main Street Library will open regular hours starting at 10am tomorrow, Wednesday July 22nd!

GRAND OPENING CELEBRATION SATURDAY JULY 25TH:

Ribbon Cutting at 10 am
Join us for the official re-opening of the newly renovated library.

"Plant a Musical Seed" Family Performance at 11 am
Enjoy an upbeat, family-friendly concert with Musician Tom Sieling.

Cake and Refreshments starting at 12 noon
Celebrate the opening of the newly renovated library with cake and refreshments.

Exploring the Deep: Technology, Discovery, and the Future of Our Oceans

The Vineyard Haven Public Library is pleased to welcome Dr. Anna Michel, a Senior Scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Chief Scientist of the National Deep Submergence Facility, for a presentation on Technology, Discovery, and the Future of Our Oceans. This event will be held at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, August 4th, at the Vineyard Haven Library, located at 200 Main Street in Vineyard Haven. Free and open to the public. No registration required.

Earth is an ocean planet—more than 70% of our home is covered by water an average of 12,000 feet deep, most of it unseen and unexplored. Dr. Anna Michel’s journey into this unknown began in high school, when she joined the Jason Project and traveled to the Galápagos Islands. There, she piloted her first underwater robot, sparking a lifelong passion for ocean exploration.

Today, Dr. Michel is a Senior Scientist at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Chief Scientist of the National Deep Submergence Facility. She develops new tools to monitor and understand the changing ocean. Her work takes her from the icy Canadian Arctic to track greenhouse gas emissions, to deep-sea volcanoes teeming with life, to coastal waters affected by microplastics. Whether three miles below the surface in the submersible Alvin or working with engineers in her lab, Dr. Michel is helping unlock the ocean’s secrets to better protect our blue planet.

For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.

 

War for the Dawnland: Reimagining King Philip's War

Philip, King of Mount Hope,
line engraving by Paul Revere
(Source: Wikimedia Commons)

The Vineyard Haven Public Library is pleased to welcome Wôpanâak citizen and lifelong educator Brad Lopes for a Wôpanâak retelling of the events surrounding the historical conflict often referred to as King Philip’s War (1675 - 1678). This event will be held at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, August 11th, at the Vineyard Haven Library, located at 200 Main Street in Vineyard Haven. Free and open to the public. No registration required.

The events commonly known by scholars and settlers as King Philip’s War (1675 - 1678) have been largely told through settler-colonial perspectives. Viewing events “from the land” instead of “from the boat,” participants will hear a retelling of the events leading up to, during, and after this historical conflict from a Wôpanâak perspective that takes into account written historical sources, oral history, and continued cultural epistemologies. The presentation will explore Metacom's (Philip’s) life, Indigenous resistance against English encroachment, violent and nefarious treatment by English settlers and courts, and the northern theater. Participants will come away with a greater understanding of the local and international context behind this war, often considered the bloodiest conflict in “American” history and a global moment of reverberation.

Brad Lopes is an Aquinnah Wampanoag citizen and life-long educator currently working within the traditional homelands of his people, the Wampanoag Nation. He currently serves as the Education Director for the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribal Education Department (TED) and as the Education and Public Programs Manager for the Aquinnah Cultural Center, an Aquinnah Wampanoag museum located on Nôepe (Martha's Vineyard). Brad has a degree in Secondary Education from the University of Maine Farmington, located in Wabanaki Homelands. After graduation, he went on to teach Social Studies for five years to students in grades 7 - 12. In his time in education, Brad has sought to decolonize the pedagogies, content, and ways of understanding education, including the ways in which public education can reinforce stereotypes and harmful understandings of Indigenous people.

For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.

Special Library Hours and Limited Services for July 14th-20th

 Library Hours for July 14th-20th

15 Church St Open for Holds Pickup and Book Returns Only

Tuesday July 14th: 10 am - 6 pm 
Wednesday July 15th: 10 am - 6 pm
Thursday July 16th: 10 am - 6 pm
BOTH LOCATIONS CLOSED Friday July 17th - Monday July 20th

Building Renovation Project Update

The Church Street Satellite Library is Closing! Today, Saturday July 11th, is the last day the little library will be open for browsing and computer use. Holds pickup will continue the following week, though hours are subject to change. 

Starting Tuesday July 14th,  if you have an item waiting on hold, you can pick it up at the circulation desk at 15 Church Street, using the parking lot entrance. The front entrance and the rest of the building will be closed while we pack up. Both library buildings will be closed from Friday July 17th through Monday July 20th.

Please continue to return items using the book drop in the Church Street parking lot, or just hold on to your items until we reopen the renovated building. We plan to re-open 200 Main Street in the afternoon on July 21st, with a concert in the new community room featuring the Tristan Israel Band at 6pm. A grand opening celebration will be held on Saturday July 25th! Continue to check our blog or follow us on Facebook for the latest information.

Download our Program Brochure or visit our event calendar

Author talk – Triage: A Novel by Elisa Speranza

The Vineyard Haven Public Library is pleased to welcome local author Elisa Speranza for a conversation about her latest historical novel, “Triage.” This event will be held at 6:00 pm on Thursday, August 6th, at the Vineyard Haven Library, located at 200 Main Street in Vineyard Haven, with books available for sale by Edgartown Books. Free and open to the public, no registration required.

When the ghosts of war won’t stay buried, a former Army nurse must find a way to heal—or risk losing everything. In 1951 New Orleans, Laura Marino works as a nurse at Charity Hospital. She’s been home from World War II for six years, but peacetime has brought its own challenges. She’s frustrated at work, and her childless marriage to Nicholas, a surgeon she met in the Army, is strained. Laura is devastated when news arrives that Frances, her best friend from the front, has taken her own life. Turning to the wartime journal she has kept hidden away, Laura is plunged back into memories of the bonds forged amid chaos on the front lines of North Africa, during the siege of Anzio, and at a refugee camp in Italy. While her husband takes on an overseas assignment, Laura wrestles with her grief and guilt over Frances’ death. Then she meets Boyer, a wounded veteran who shares her pain. Their connection is intense— and dangerous, threatening to upend her life entirely. Triage is an intimate portrait of a woman’s hard-won journey through love, loss, and a quest for redemption. 

Elisa M. Speranza is the author of two historical novels, “Triage” (May 2026) and “The Italian Prisoner” (2022), a finalist in the Faulkner-Wisdom Creative Writing Competition. She is board chair and an instructor for the nonprofit New Orleans Writers Workshop and has been a featured author at the Tennessee Williams & New Orleans Literary Festival, the Louisiana Book Festival, Islanders Write, and the Salem LitFest. She is co-founder of the Washashores Writers Collective on Martha’s Vineyard and was a co-editor for and contributor to the 2025 anthology Washashores Review, Volume 1. She writes “The Bricklayer’s Daughter” newsletter on Substack. Originally from Boston, Elisa lives in New Orleans and Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts. 

Elisa will be in conversation with Robin Stratton Rivera. Robin is a former Emmy-winning producer and programming executive for ABC Sports, who continues to work on independent writing and video projects at her home in Chilmark.

For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.

Re-Engraving Paul Revere: "The Boston Massacre" with Andy Volpe

In celebration of America’s 250th anniversary, the Vineyard Haven Public Library is pleased to welcome living history presenter Andy Volpe for a presentation on Paul Revere’s "Boston Massacre” print. This program will be held at 6:00 pm on Tuesday, July 28th at the Vineyard Haven Library, located at 200 Main Street in Vineyard Haven. Free and open to the public, no registration required. 

Revere's "Bloody Massacre" print is arguably one of the most infamous propaganda prints in American history. Better known today as the "Boston Massacre," its image has found its way into hundreds of publications, history books, and video. While the event itself is heavily analyzed and debated, the plate and print have an interesting backstory that is not often talked about. Andy will also touch on his own work replicating Revere's prints, including how he went about producing a hand-engraved, full-size replica of the Massacre—one of only two such replicas created in the 21st century—which he created for the event's 250th anniversary.

Andy Volpe is an artist, printer and living history presenter in Worcester MA. Since 2010, he has collaborated with Gary Gregory of the Printing Office of Edes & Gill, which replicates important American Revolutionary documents and images, notably the Declaration of Independence, using the same techniques and replica presses. Andy’s work focuses on replicating prints by Paul Revere as well as other notable 18th century prints. He is also involved with the Museum of Printing in Haverhill MA, where he gives tours, presentations and printing demos, and focuses on intaglio, graphics and illustration printing, spanning the years 1450-1800.  He holds a degree in Fine Arts from Westfield State University, where he fell in love with the printers in the Renaissance and Early Modern periods. He also regularly presents at the Higgins Armory Collection at Worcester Art Museum on various Arms & Armor periods with a few living history groups.

For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.

Book talk: “The Best Women's Travel Writing: True Stories from Around the World,” with Lavinia Spalding and Natalie Baszile

The Vineyard Haven Public Library is pleased to welcome editor Lavinia Spalding and author Natalie Baszile for a conversation about the latest edition of “The Best Women's Travel Writing: True Stories from Around the World.” This event will be held at 4:00 pm on Friday, July 24th, at the Vineyard Haven Library, located at 200 Main Street in Vineyard Haven. Free and open to the public, no registration required.

Volume 13 of this award-winning series features twenty-seven inspiring and thoughtful writers as they traverse the planet, crisscrossing all seven continents and exploring the ways travel can illuminate, heal, inform, and transform a life. The essays probe themes as diverse as the locations, immersing us in experiences of kindness, adventure, nature, friendship, strength, marriage, motherhood, spirituality, the environment, belonging, healing, history, identity, romance, and resilience. This beautiful and far-ranging collection helps us celebrate an appreciation for other cultures while proving that travel can be a profound gateway to connection, self-awareness, and an expanded worldview. 

Lavinia Spalding is the seven-time series editor of "The Best Women’s Travel Writing," author of “Writing Away: A Creative Guide to Awakening the Journal-Keeping Traveler” (named one the best travel books of 2009 by the L.A. Times), and co-author of four other books, including “This Immeasurable Place,” one of NPR’s best books of 2017. She has published two Modern Love essays in the New York Times, and her writing also appears in The Walrus, Longreads, Tin House, AFAR, River Teeth, Post Road, Off Assignment, The Guardian, and many other national and international publications. Her work has been widely anthologized, has won gold SATW Lowell Thomas and SOLAS travel writing awards, and has been noted in “The Best American Travel Writing.” She lives with her family in New Orleans. Spalding will be in conversation with Natalie Baszile.

Natalie Baszile is a writer and filmmaker. Her new novel, "Friends and Family," will be published in October 2026. Natalie’s previous novel, "Queen Sugar," was adapted for seven television seasons by writer/director Ava DuVernay and co-produced by Oprah Winfrey. Her non-fiction work includes the book "We Are Each Other’s Harvest: Celebrating African American Farmers, Land & Legacy" and has appeared in National Geographic, The Bitter Southerner, O, The Oprah Magazine, and numerous anthologies. Natalie’s documentary film, HARVEST, premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival. A native Californian, her southern roots stem from Louisiana, South Carolina, and Alabama. She lives in the Bay Area. 

For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.

The Tristan Israel Band in Concert!

The Vineyard Haven Public Library is pleased to welcome The Tristan Israel Band for an evening of true “Americana” music, with roots in folk, rock, blues, and even some jazz. This program will be held at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, July 21st at the Vineyard Haven Public Library, located at 200 Main Street in Vineyard Haven. Free and open to the public. No registration required.

An island classic, The Tristan Israel Band plays mainly original tunes written by Tristan Israel, along with a few covers. The band is composed of Tristan Israel, Paul Thurlow and Nancy Jephcote. Tristan sings vocals and plays acoustic guitar and harmonica, while Paul plays bass, piano, keys, electric guitar, percussion and backing vocals, and Nancy Jephcote plays the fiddle. 

For more information, please contact the library at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211.