"I Remember" : Writing Childhood Stories

 Virtual - "I REMEMBER" : WRITING CHILDHOOD STORIES

4:30  -  6:00 pm Thursday March 10th

Childhood tends to remain a vivid time, no matter where we find ourselves now. In this informal writing workshop, we’ll recall memories from early days and hear recollections from others. Using Joe Brainard’s whimsical memoir "I Remember" as a model, we’ll tap into tales from our youth and consider how these experiences have shaped us. No prior writing experience necessary. All are welcome to attend.

A graduate of the Program for Writers at Warren Wilson College (MFA Creative Writing), Lara Tupper taught at Rutgers University for many years and now presents private writing workshops (online and in person). For ten years she was a faculty member at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health, where she led journaling workshops and retreats for thousands of guests seeking wellness practices. She is founder of Swift Ink Stories, which offers private manuscript guidance and tutorials, and the award-winning author of three books (a short story collection, Amphibians, and the novels Off Island and A Thousand and One Nights).

This free program is brought to you by the Martha's Vineyard Library Association

No registration required, join Zoom program here:
https://oakbluffs.zoom.us/j/83226098898?pwd=aTh6WldNdnZzVndsWjFRbTUzMjRHQT09
Meeting ID: 832 2609 8898
Passcode: 181557

Special Event: Celebrate Women's History Month with Bestselling Author Marie Benedict!

 

7 pm Thursday March 10th
Virtual : An Evening With Marie Benedict

To celebrate Women's History Month in March, Vineyard Haven Library welcomes bestselling author Marie Benedict for a discussion of her newest book, Her Hidden Genius. The novel is about the brilliant British scientist Rosalind Franklin who, through her intellect and diligent work, discovered the molecular structure of DNA. Her research was utilized without her knowledge or permission by three now-famous scientists -- Francis Crick, James Watson, and Maurice Wilkins -- to write a paper for which they alone won the Nobel Prize. 

Author Marie Benedict found her calling unearthing the hidden historical stories of women. Her mission is to excavate from the past the most important, complex and fascinating women of history and bring them into the light of present-day where we can finally perceive the breadth of their contributions as well as the insights they bring to modern day issues. Previous novels in her thematically connected series include:

• The Other Einstein, the tale of Albert Einstein's first wife, a physicist herself, and the role she might have played in his theories
• The Only Woman in the Room, the story of the brilliant inventor Hedy Lamarr
• The Mystery of Mrs. Christie, on the disappearance of renowned author Agatha Christie
• The Personal Librarian, the story of Belle DaCosta Greene, librarian and collector of books and manuscripts for JP Morgan (co-written with Victoria Christopher Murray)

Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN__56GztrBQXWAQ48-GOONwA

Sponsored by the Martha's Vineyard Library Association with Bourne Public Library, Brooks Free Library, Falmouth Public Library, and Mashpee Public Library

Black History Month Film Selections on Kanopy

 

In honor of Black History Month, our streaming video provider Kanopy has curated a collection of films that offer various perspectives on the Black experience in America. These films, both narrative and documentary, highlight the history and culture of the Black community while noting the trials and tribulations endured during periods of racial injustice. By telling the stories of leaders and those working behind the scenes to improve civil rights, as well as displaying facets of Black identity, these cinematic works provide valuable commentary of race relations across several generations.

To browse the complete collection, visit: 
https://vhlibrary.kanopy.com/category/40898

Black Boys
This documentary explores the body, mind, voice, and heart of Black boys and the
double-edged sword of having to build up their own self worth while knowing the world
is not built for them. As various Black men and boys open themselves up to the camera,
the emotional landscape of racism and its effects on them are revealed.
vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/black-boys

Brother Outsider: The Life of Freedom Fighter Bayard Rustin
On November 20, 2013, Bayard Rustin was posthumously awarded the prestigious
Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. Who was this man? He
was an important part of the Civil Rights Movement — but always in the background.
Brother Outsider asks "Why?" It presents a vivid drama, intermingling the personal and
the political, about one of the most enigmatic figures in 20th-century American history.
vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/brother-outsider

Daughters of the Dust
At the dawn of the 20th century, a multi-generational family in the Gullah community on
the Sea Islands off of South Carolina — former West African slaves who adopted many of
their ancestors' Yoruba traditions — struggles to maintain their cultural heritage and
folklore while contemplating a migration to the mainland, even further from their roots.
vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/daughters-dust

The French Way
This farcical romantic-comedy set in WWII France is about young lovers forbidden to
marry by their respective families. Josephine Baker plays Zazu, the owner of a nightclub,
who inherits the job of restoring harmony between the two families and allowing the
young lovers to "se marier."
vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/french-way

Fresh Dressed - The Evolution of Rap Fashion
A fascinating chronicle of hip-hop, urban fashion, and the hustle that brought oversized
pants and graffiti-drenched jackets from Orchard Street to high fashion's catwalks and
Middle America shopping malls. Director Sacha Jenkins's music-drenched history draws
from a rich mix of archival materials and in-depth interviews with rappers, designers, and
other industry insiders.
vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/fresh-dressed

Jayhawkers
Directed by Oscar-winner Kevin Willmott, Jayhawkers tells the powerful fable of how a
small group of unlikely allies modernized college sports and changed a small Midwestern
town, serving as a parallel to the Civil Rights movement that would transform an entire
American society.
vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/jayhawkers

Sounder
Set in rural Louisiana during the Depression, this heartfelt story tells of a sharecropper
family struggling to overcome adversity. After stealing to feed his family, Nathan is sent
to a prison camp. In their fight for survival, his determined wife and their eldest son hold
the family together. Once the boy becomes an adult, he searches for his father but
instead discovers manhood.
vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/sounder

Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson
Jack Johnson—the first African-American Heavyweight Champion of the World, whose
dominance over his white opponents spurred furious debates and race riots in the early
20th century—enters the ring once again in Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of
Jack Johnson a provocative PBS documentary by acclaimed filmmaker Ken Burns.
vhlibrary.kanopy.com/product/unforgiveable-blackness

To browse the complete collection, visit: 
https://vhlibrary.kanopy.com/category/40898

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.