Sept 10th Vineyard Haven's "Writer's Row," a Literary Walking Tour

 PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE TO SUNDAY, SEPT 10th

Take a stroll through Vineyard Haven and West Chop and hear stories about some great American writers who lived there: William Styron, Lillian Hellman, John Hersey, and Art Buchwald, with sprinkling of neighbor Mike Wallace. This tour features the former homes (from a distance along Main Street) and favorite haunts of these amazing accomplished writers, their friendships and Vineyard stories. Tour ends at the 1790’s historic graveyard on West Chop where 4 of the 5 writers are buried! Led by Native Islander and Amateur Historian Wayne Nichols. No registration or sign up required. Meet in front of the Bandstand at Owen Park off Main Street, Vineyard Haven, 4:30 to 6 pm, Sunday September 10th 3rd. 

New Challenge Grant for Library Capital Campaign

The Vineyard Haven Public Library Building Fund, Inc. (VHPLBFI) is pleased to announce a $150,000 challenge grant for the library capital campaign. The campaign will fund construction of an addition to the library building to house an accessible multi-purpose community meeting room.

To date, the VHPLBFI has raised more than $1.4 million towards the $2 million capital campaign goal. Now a generous island family has offered a matching grant to help reach the fundraising goal by the end of the year. For every $3,000 donated to the campaign now, $1,000 in matching funds will be donated, up to $150,000 in matching funds for $450,000 in new gifts.

To further add to the value of this project, Tisbury voters at recent Town Meetings approved $1 million dollars in funding for repairs and renovations for the existing library building, which can be undertaken at the same time as construction of the addition in order to achieve cost savings and limit interruptions to library services. The Library's Building Committee is now working with the Town to hire an owner's project manager to oversee the combined renovation and addition project. With funding in place, the library will be able to begin construction in 2024.

The renovation and addition will include environmental upgrades for sustainability, much needed storage, and flexible meeting facilities that will position the library to deliver optimal services for years to come. The project will also include a renovated and expanded reading room, and a new interpretation of the Margaret Webster Shakespeare Garden which was lost with the library's last expansion in 2000.

The planned facility will be used for classes, lectures, films, entertainers, literary and other cultural programs for all ages, that will be open to the public and free of charge. In the past decade the library has experienced more than 300% growth in attendance at adult programs, and regularly hosts several thousand program attendees of all ages, with more than 40 events taking place each month.

Donations can be made online on the library’s website at www.vhlibrarybuildingfund.org or checks sent 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 www.vhlibrarybuildingfund.org.

Family Friendly Concert with Rolie Polie Guacamole

Martha's Vineyard libraries present a family-friendly concert with Brooklyn's "kindie" rock band Rolie Polie Guacamole, at 3:00 pm Tuesday, August 22nd at the bandstand in Owen Park. Rolie Polie Guacamole's high energy, interactive shows are a mix of funk, rock, and folk music mashed into original tunes about natural living, eating healthy, and staying active. This free event is made possible by the Martha’s Vineyard Library Association and supported by the MV Cultural Council.  

Rolie Polie Guacamole lays claim to being the one of the hardest working bands in kids’ music, and that just might be true. They’ve released six albums and played well over 2,000 shows nationwide since hitting the boards with their first performance in 2007, receiving top picks from Boston.com, Time Out NY Kids, and Time Out Chicago.

Winner of the prestigious Parents’ Choice® and NAPPA Awards, Rolie Polie Guacamole has developed a smart, parent-friendly musical style that dresses up original tunes and classic covers with vibrant harmonies and deft instrumental layers, plugging in a sizzling electric current of rhythm that lights up lyrics humming with relevance and humor.

Free Online Newspaper Access, At Home or In the Library

You can now access the New York Times and Washington Post online for free using your library card. The links below will take you to library landing page where you can sign in for unlimited access to the newspaper website with a 3-day or 7-day pass -- you can renew your pass whenever needed by returning to the library website. Library newspaper passes will allow you to access this content anywhere you have internet access, on any device. This free access is made possible by the Martha's Vineyard Library Association with support from Friends of island libraries.

To access the Washington Post online HERE and enter the required fields to create a Washington Post account for unlimited 7-day access. Renew your seven day pass by returning to the library website. You may use this login and password for every future visit to the Washington Post online.



To access New York Times online click HERE and enter the code c59d2806040934a2. Then create a username and password for unlimited 3-day access. Renew your three day pass by returning to the library website. You may use this login and password for every future visit to the New York Times online.
 

Singer/Songwriter Naomi Westwater Performs at the Katharine Cornell Theater

 

Free concert with award-winning singer/songwriter Naomi Westwater, 7pm Thursday August 24th

Vineyard Haven Library welcomes you back to the Katharine Cornell Theater for a free concert! Naomi Westwater (they/she) is an award-winning singer-songwriter from Massachusetts who you may have heard on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert. Their work combines folk music, poetry, and spirituality. Under the Radar Magazine describes one of Westwater's songs this way: “Feeling My Feelings’ sees Westwater once again pulling from their eclectic array of influences, from jazzy songstress legends like Ella Fitzgerald to indie folk mainstays like Wilco. The percussion skirts around the edges of the song while acrobatic guitar lines wind and enlace with Westwater’s smoky vocals.” You can see some of Westwater's videos by clicking here. 

Naomi  holds a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance and Production from Berklee College of Music and she is a part of The Club Passim Folk Collective. She was nominated for a 2021 and 2022 Boston Music Award for best singer-songwriter, and has been featured in Under The Radar, WBUR, Vanyaland, WGBH, Allston Pudding, and The Bluegrass Situation.

This event will be held at the historic Katharine Cornell Theater at 51 Spring Street, above the Tisbury Town Hall.

Summer Reading Continues in August!

Visit the library to sign up for our annual Summer Reading program for children and teens!

Children’s Summer Learning
Children can participate in Summer Reading by doing a Summer Reading Challenge Sheet. Complete a level and win a prize! Contact the Children’s room for more info!

Teen Summer Learning
Teens can earn prizes by completing circles on a Summer Reading Challenge Sheet.! Contact Young Adult Librarian Jennifer for more info!

Summer Programs
Check out our summer calendar for all the fun events at the library this summer including weekly storytimes, crafts, and special events!

Beach Medicine: Tuesday August 1, 4:30 pm

 

Join us for Zoom presentation on the abundant medicinal herbs found in the coastal areas of the northeast led by herbalist Jade Alicandro. Many beach-loving medicinals can be found in the sandy soils of Cape Cod and the Islands and we'll explore their many unique characteristics and medicinal qualities. If a plant is very weedy and can be sustainably harvested (like Beach Rose) we'll talk about how to do that in a sustainable and respectful way. This class is suitable for beginners who are new to herbalism as well as those with some herbal training. To register, please email Anne McDonough at vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org. Jade Alicandro is a clinical herbalist in Shutesbury MA. Here is a little more information about her background: Jade has completed a 2 year training in Clinical Herbalism at Clearpath School of Herbal Studies. She has also completed advanced clinical training and a clinical mentorship at the Commonwealth Center for Holistic Herbalism. She holds a B.S. in Plant Biology and a B.S in Wildlife Conservation from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.