Greg Mortenson on PBS

On Friday, January 15th, Bill Moyers' Journal featured an interview with Greg Mortenson. If you missed the television broadcast, you can watch the video or read the transcript on the PBS website.

Greg Mortenson is the subject of the adult lecture series with Jim Norton at the library this month. His books, "Three Cups of Tea" and "Stones Into Schools" are available at the library. For details on the library programs, view our event calendar.

"The Procrastinator’s Guide to Getting Things Done"

Hey it’s finally here! Only backordered twice. Now is your chance to do things differently. Put a hold on it right away, and then come pick it up before a weeks time.
--C. Greenaway, Reference

Winter Holiday Hours at the Library

The Library will be closed on Sunday, January 17th and Monday, January 18th, for the Martin Luther King Day holiday, and on Sunday, February 14th and Monday, February 15th for the Presidents Day holiday. The library will be open regular hours on Saturday during both holiday weekends.

Community Development Block Grant Information Session

On Wednesday, January 13th, at 6pm, the library will be hosting an information session on the Community Development Block Grant programs. Tisbury and other towns on Martha's Vineyard are applying for Community Development Block Grant funds to provide assistance to income qualified homeowners in need of home repairs. Some funding may also be allocated for childcare subsidies to qualified low- and moderate-income families. To learn more about these programs, please attend this informational session presented by The Resource, Inc. (TRI).

An article about the program appears this week in the Martha's Vineyard Times.

For more information, contact: Melissa Vincent (TRI), (508) 696-3285

Save with Museum Passes!

Thanks to the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library, we offer a variety of museum passes, available from the library circulation desk! This year, library passes have been made possible by generous donations from the community to the Friends Annual Appeal for the Library.

Passes to the Museum Of Fine Arts, Boston, are available through November 2010. Each pass admits 2 visitors at a reduced admission of $5.00 per person, payable at the museum. (Special exhibitions are $8.00 additional, no reservations). The MFA is always free for children under 7, and free to children ages 7-17 on weekdays after 3pm, weekends, and public school holidays.

Passes to the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston are available through September 2010. Each pass admits 2 visitors at a reduced admission of $5.00 per person, payable at the Museum.
Passes must be used during month specified. The ICA is always free to children 17 and under.

What Lessons Can We Learn From Greg Mortenson?

In January and February the Vineyard Haven Public Library is hosting a series on the work of Greg Mortenson (Three Cups of Tea, Stones into Schools), with events for all ages.

On Tuesdays at 7pm, through Feb. 9th, Professor Jim Norton will lead a discussion of some of the lessons that can be learned from Greg Mortenson's work. Each class will stand alone, so you can join the class for one session or come to all six.

On Thursday, January 21st at 1:30 pm, the Vineyard Haven Library Book Group will be discussing Three Cups of Tea, with refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library. The Young Adult Book Club will be discussing Three Cups of Tea: Young Readers Edition, on Thursday, February 4th at 6 pm.

On Thursday, February 11th at 3:30 pm, Robin Tuck will present a folk tale from Afghanistan as a puppet show for ages 5 and up, with a special craft following the show. This age group will be reading Listen to the Wind, a picture book for young children written by Greg Mortenson.

Throughout the month of January the Library Friends’ Display Case will feature items of clothing, jewelry, rugs and other artifacts from Afghanistan and Central Asia.

Download Books and Music at the Library

The sleek black computer on the lower level of the library is a brand new service the library is offering -- the Overdrive Audio Download Station. The Friends of the Library were able to purchase the download station terminal and software using funds from their Annual Appeal, thanks to the generosity of donors in the community.

The library has been offering downloadable audiobooks for checkout since 2008, however previously patrons could only download audio files on their home computers. Using the new download station, patrons can checkout audiobooks and transfer them to a portable audio device at the library. Patrons who wish to try the new service and don't yet have their own player can also borrow an MP3 player from the library.

To learn more about the service, visit the CLAMS Overdrive website, or visit the library for a one-on-one lesson.