Book Sale Benefit for Library, at 15 Church Street

The Friends of Vineyard Haven Public Library will hold a pop up book sale on Saturday October 12th at 15 Church Street in Vineyard Haven, to benefit the Library Capital Campaign!

Popular fiction, biographies, cookbooks, children’s books, and more. Sales are cash or check only. Please use street parking and do not park in the 15 Church Street parking lot.

Book donations will not be accepted during the sale, or at the library. If you have donations for future book sales contact the library to schedule dropoff.

October Library Events

Apologies for the technical difficulties with our event calendar this week. For information or to register for library events, follow links below or email vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org.

IN PERSON AT THE LIBRARY, NO REGISTRATION NEEDED

Science & Nature Book Club

3 pm Wednesday, October 2nd
The Science and Nature Book Club will meet on the first Wednesday of each month at 3:00 PM to discuss nonfiction books about science and nature. This month we are reading The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate--Discoveries From a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben. 

Book Talk: Dust is the Only Secret 

6 pm Tuesday, October 8th
Interplay of poetry & science, Fan Ogilvie, Ursula Goodenough, Janet Holladay.

Book Sale Benefit at 15 Church Street (Not at Library) 

10 am - 2 pm Saturday, October 12th

Friends of the Library Book Sale to benefit the capital campaign!

Movie Night: Thelma
6 pm Tuesday, October 15th
2024 comedy hit rated PG13. Popcorn and lemonade served. 1h 37m

Library Renovation Info Session
6 pm Wednesday, October 16th
Update on the renovation & addition project planned for 2025.

Vineyard Haven Public Library Book Group

2 pm Thursday, October 17th
Come enjoy a lively discussion in a casual "hybrid" format--both in person at the Library and via Zoom. This month we are reading and discussing North Woods by Daniel Mason.

Hiking New England 
6 pm Tuesday, October 22nd
Join Jeff Romano for a presentation on hiking opportunities across New England.

Hike the Camino de Santiago 
6 pm Tuesday, October 29th
Join Polly Simpkins for a presentation about this ancient pilgrimage.

Drop-In Mah Jong 

Weekly, 2 to 4 pm Saturdays
No instruction provided, so best for experienced players. Please bring your Mah Jong card. No registration required.

Chair Yoga with Kat 
Weekly, 11:15 am Mondays
Yoga With Kat's continuing weekly sessions of Chair Yoga, one of the most gentle forms of yoga. No  registration necessary. 

VIRTUAL EVENTS 

Register with links below or email vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org

Resume & Cover Letter Best Practices REGISTER
2:00 pm Monday October 7th

Elections Perspectives in a College Classroom with Prof Rachael V. Cobb REGISTER
2:00 pm Monday October 7th

MV Poetry Reading Group

To register, email vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org
10 am Monday, October 7th
The Martha's Vineyard Poetry Reading Group meets the first Monday of each month at 10 AM via Zoom. No qualifications, except a love of poetry. 

Ways to Have a Green Holiday Season with Sarah Robertson-Barnes REGISTER
7:00 pm Monday October 7th

Reading Toni Morrison with Professor Phil Weinstein  

To register, email vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org

Wednesdays at 7pm, Oct 9th, Oct 23rd, Nov 6th, Nov 20th, Dec 4th & Dec 18th.
6-part Zoom seminar in partnership with Swarthmore Lifelong Learning.

Tick Ecology & Tickborne Diseases, Part II 

To register, email vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org
3:30 pm Wednesday, October 9th 
With Biologist Patrick Roden-Reynolds and Epidemiologist Lea Hamner on Zoom

Art History Series: Faith Ringgold--Artist, Author, Educator, Organizer REGISTER

10:30 am Thursday October 10th

African Art Series (Virtual) Monthly, 2nd Sunday REGISTER
2:30 pm Sunday October 13th African Art in the medieval world

Art History Series: Women Impressionist Painters REGISTER

10:30 am Thursday October 17th

Environmental & Health Benefits of a Plant-Based Diet REGISTER
7:00 pm Monday October 21st

The Origins and Evolution of Project 2025 with Professor Brian Conley REGISTER
7:00 pm Wednesday October 23rd

Great Travels Writing Workshop with Caroline Joy Adams 

To register, email vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org

3:00pm October 25th on Zoom
Ignite your creative energies and get started writing

Haunted Lighthouses of New England with Author Jeremy D'Entremont REGISTER
7:00 pm Monday October 28th

CHILDREN AND TEENS, NO REGISTRATION NEEDED

 
Storytime with Weezie 10:30 am Mondays
Held outdoors in the library courtyard in nice weather, or in the program room in case of rain. Best for ages 3-5 but all are welcome!

Drop-in Lego Build Club, 3 to 5 pm Wednesdays
Make creations with Legos, Magnatiles, or Dinosaur bones.
No lego program October 9th

Crafts with Jennifer, 3:30 to 5 pm Thursdays
Thursday, October 3: Glitter Bug Taxidermy
Thursday, October 10: Haunted Ginger Bread Houses
Thursday, October 17: Glow Lanterns
Thursday, October 24: Decorate a Tote
Thursday, October 31: Spooky Movie and Craft

Drop-In Toddler Tumble Time, 10:30 am to noon Saturdays
Toddler playgroup using our big soft blocks and tunnels.

Magic Show & Lesson 
Saturday October 26th Time TBA
Daniel Milstein will perform a sleight of hand magic show and then teach kids 8+ some tricks! Daniel is a specialist in sleight of hand with experience teaching, practicing, and writing about magic. 

Halloween at the Library
5-8 pm Thursday, October 31st
The Library will be open special evening hours for Halloween! Take a break from trick-or-treating and enjoy cider and candy provided by the Friends of the Library. (Computers and other services may not be available after 5 pm.)

Reading Toni Morrison with Phil Weinstein on Zoom

 

Toni Morrison: a name to reckon with for the past half-century, a writer who held the spotlight ever since her debut novel, The Bluest Eye, appeared in 1970. Morrison went on to write ten more novels, arguably becoming — with the publication of Beloved (1987) and winning the Nobel Prize in 1992 — the most significant American novelist of her time. It feels appropriate, in 2024, to reassess her body of work and probe the components of its power.

Philip Weinstein, the Alexander Griswold Cummins Professor of English Emeritus at Swarthmore College, will present  a six-part seminar on Toni Morrison, reading The Bluest Eye, Sula, Song of Solomon, and Beloved. Classes will be twice monthly on Wednesday evenings at 7pm, October 9th through December 18th. This online workshop will be hosted on Zoom by Lifelong Learning Swarthmore. Professor Weinstein and Lifelong Learning Swarthmore have generously arranged for Martha's Vineyard Library patrons to participate at no charge.

To register for the series call the library or email vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org. Zoom login will be sent to registered library participants prior to the first session on October 9th. 

“Reading Toni Morrison” classes will be held at 7pm on the following Wednesdays: 

October 9th: The Bluest Eye

October 23rd: Sula

November 6th: Song of Solomon Part I

November 20th: Song of Solomon Part II

December 4th: Beloved Part I 

December 18th: Beloved Part II

Note: This course will cover the same material as the seminar hosted by the library in 2020. The library will be planning for a new seminar with Professor Weinstein later this winter on a topic to be announced.

View Recording of Part I of our Tick Series, and Register for Part II

 

On Wednesday, October 9th at 3:30pm epidemiologist Lea Hamner and Biologist Patrick Roden-Reynolds return for the second presentation in this two-part series. In Part One, Patrick focused on basics of tick ecology and behavior, including the most important tactics to prevent tick bites. In Part Two, Lea will discuss tickborne diseases found on Martha’s Vineyard and the new kid on the block: Alpha Gal Syndrome or red meat allergy. Question and answer period to follow talk.

To register to attend the live ZOOM event on October 9th, email us at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org

The first program in the series on September 25th was recorded, and can now be viewed online at: https://vimeo.com/1012911702

Some of the links mentioned during the first presentation are as follows:  

• EPA repellent search: https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you
• Tick Identification Services: https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/tickspotters/
• InsectShield Permethrin treating services: https://www.insectshield.com/
• Tick Pathogen Testing Services: https://www.tickreport.com/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwu-63BhC9ARIsAMMTLXTuhEFfJoHRaT6cUmZUvRo04Nqs_ZvIEAG14Zff1IebS4fYwMzFK_EaAkDREALw_wcB

Patrick Roden-Reynolds is Public Health Biologist for the Inter-Island Public Health Excellence Collaborative and Director of the Martha’s Vineyard Tick Program. His work focuses on education and surveillance of vector-borne diseases and their vector populations.  Lea Hamner is an Epidemiologist for the Inter-Island Public Health Excellence Collaborative. She focuses on infectious diseases of public health significance and promotes data-informed decision-making to support healthier communities.

Hike the Camino de Santiago with Polly Simpkins

At 6:00 PM on Tuesday, October 29th, the Vineyard Haven Library is pleased to host “Hike the Camino de Santiago,” a presentation by Polly Simpkins. The talk will be held on the main floor of the library with refreshments provided by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library. 

Also known as the Way of St. James, the Camino de Santiago is a network of ancient pilgrim routes that stretches across Europe, coming together at the tomb of St. James in Santiago de Compostela in northwest Spain. Like tributaries of a river system, the network of trails passes through parts of France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Poland and Italy.

The history of the Camino de Santiago goes back to the discovery of the tomb of the evangelical apostle of the Iberian Peninsula in the year 814. Since this discovery, the Camino has become a pilgrimage for hundreds of thousands of people every year. Some make the journey for spiritual reasons, others as a test of endurance.

In September 2023, Polly set out from Martha's Vineyard to hike 500 miles through the Pyrenees along the Camino Frances (French Camino). Beginning in St. Jean Pierre de Port in southern France and ending in Santiago, Spain, her trip lasted 42 days. Through a combination of photos and discussion, Polly will immerse us in the sights, sounds and spiritual aspects of the Camino that make so many people dream of taking this journey. 

Polly Simpkins is an interspiritual minister, a ceremonialist, and the founder of Petal Sky, which provides spiritual care for all stages of life, including death. She is also a fourth-generation Islander, a story gatherer, and a DJ at MVY Radio. 

For more information, please send an email to vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or call the library at (508) 696-4211.

 

Hiking New England with Jeff Romano

At 6:00 PM on Tuesday, October 22nd, the Vineyard Haven Library welcomes Jeff Romano for a slideshow presentation highlighting hiking opportunities throughout New England. This event will be held on the main floor of the library with refreshments provided by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library. 

The program will cover destinations in all six states with a focus on itineraries featured in his latest guidebook, 100 Classic Hikes New England (June 2023). Jeff will share advice, provide insights, and answer questions on how and where to plan your next hiking adventure. The presentation will also include information on New England wildflowers, birds, and other wildlife, as well as related history and conservation success stories.

Jeff Romano is a lifelong New England resident who has been hiking for five decades. He is the author of four other guidebooks published by Mountaineers Book: Hike the Park Acadia (2021), Day Hiking New England (2015), 100 Classic Hikes New England, first edition (2010), and Best Loop Hikes: New Hampshire's White Mountains to the Maine Coast (2006). Jeff has also written numerous outdoor articles for the Boston Globe and other publications. His books will be available for purchase after the presentation. 

When not hiking, Jeff directs public policy activities for Maine Coast Heritage Trust, a land trust that conserves and stewards Maine's coastal lands and islands. He lives in Hallowell, Maine with his wife, and shares his passion for the outdoors with his family, including his two adult children.

For more information, please call the library at (508) 696-4211 or send an email to vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org.

Book Donation Drive at 15 Church Street Saturday September 28th

 

This Saturday September 28th from 11am to 2pm, at 15 Church Street in Vineyard Haven! Bring your like-new books to the Friends of the Library book drive! 

Guidelines: books should be less than 5 years old in good to excellent condition only, including popular fiction and recent nonfiction for all ages. We are not able to accept reference books, academic titles, textbooks, bibles, book sets such as encyclopedias, or any items with odors or visible damage.

Please Note: Book donations can be made at other times by appointment, contact the library for information. Please note donations will NOT be accepted at the library, only at 15 Church Street.

Coming soon: Book sales to benefit the library will be held in October, dates to be announced!
 

The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library grew out of the Library League which began in 1878. The Friends encourage public understanding of the Library's vital role in the community, support activities for both adults and children, and provide various volunteer services. For more information or to join, visit: https://vhlibrary.org/friendsjoin.shtml