Library opens at 12 NOON today, Oct. 30

Our library will open two hours late today, Tuesday, October 30. We will open at 12 noon and stay open through 8 pm tonight.

Magazines Galore

  The Library has recently added lots of magazines to the collection, and we hope you will stop by and browse.

 

 In addition to the magazines we have gotten for a number of years, such as Architectural Digest, Better Homes and Gardens, Boston, Coastal Living, Ebony, Esquire, Fine Gardening, Forbes, Martha Stewart Living, New York Review of Books, People, Sports Illustrated, Time, etc., we are now also getting Cosmopolitan, Black Enterprise, Elle, Dwell, Family Handyman, Health, Marie Claire, Mother Earth News, The Nation, PC World, Popular Science, Town & Country and many others.

 

As you can see, the Oak Bluffs Public Library is a great place to sit back, relax and pick up a magazine.  We look forward to seeing you soon. 

Knitting for Charity on Tuesday evening

Would you like to knit a lovely shawl for a hospital in Ethiopia? Join us in the upstairs Conference Room on Tuesday evenings for a knit-a-long. The pattern and yarn will be available. Bring size 13 or size 15 needles. You need to know how to knit and purl but someone will be on hand to help you. All levels from novice knitters to experts are welcome. The yarn was donated by Jan Paul, owner of the Heath Hen Yarn and Quilt Shop, Vineyard Haven.
The shawl pattern is also available at the library, free of charge. Just ask at the main Circulation Desk. This knitting for charity project was inspired by the PBS documentary "A Walk to Beautiful."
The knitting group will meet for 6 Tuesday evening from June 12 through July 17 from 6 pm to 7:30 pm. Join us for friendly a evening. Your shawl will help a woman in Africa feel beautiful again.

Don't miss Documentary Thursday this week as we screen "A Walk to Beautiful," an inspirational film about women who walk for miles seeking treatment for a medical condition. Obstetric fistulas were common in pre-industrialzed countries; in Africa many women who give birth at an early age and then suffer from this condition. These women are ostracized by their communities, sent out of their homes by their families, and often left to die alone. This movie tells the story of 3 women who walk to hospitals for treatment.
Islander resident Dr. Jason Lew has made many trips to Africa to help these women. He will give a brief talk on Thursday evening.
There is an opportunity for knitters to make shawls and blankets for these women. Thanks to the efforts of library patron Susan Desmaris, patterns and yarn are available for those who can make a simple shawl. Jan Paul, owner of the Heath Hen, has donated yarn for this worthwhile project. Knitting nights will be held at the library on Tuesday nights for 6 weeks beginning June 12 at 6 pm. Knitting instruction will be available on those nights. For more information stop by the library or call Anna Marie at the Circulation Desk, 508-693-9433.

Artist Reception Sat., June 2, 1-3 pm

Local artist David Grey will be at the library to meet and greet the public this Saturday. He loves the Island and it shows in his work. Refreshments will be served.

MVTV to air library lecture

The talk entitled "Rising Water Rising Concerns, Climate Change Effects on People and Plovers," by research Geologist, Dr. Robert Thieler, will be aired on MVTV channel 13 on Thursday, May 24 at 8:30 pm. The talk was filmed at the library.

Following that airing check the station schedule for many more times. It will also be available on their Video on Demand which means you can access it online with you computer. Go to MVTV website and click on Video on Demand then enter the title.

Library Friends of Oak Bluffs Book Drive

Do you have books in good or very good condition you need to get rid of? Bring them to the library on Saturday, February 18 from 12:30 to 2:30!

Please, no telephone books, bibles, condensed books, or VHS tapes.

See you tomorrow!

NEW HOURS BEGIN TUESDAY, JAN. 17

The library hours have changed (we've gone back to our old hours):
Tuesday 10 am to 8 pm
Wednesday 10 am to 5 pm
Thursday 10 am to 8 pm
Friday 10 am to 5 pm
Saturday 10 am to 4 pm
Sunday CLOSED
Monday CLOSED

We are now open 2 evenings for your convenience. See you at the library!

Holidays are silver, blue, and white at the library

Happy Holidays from the staff at the Oak Bluffs Public Library. We have decorated the library with all recycled, reused, and re-purposed materials. Our Christmas trees have received lots of attention. We made them out of old paperback books. See if you can tell what publication we used to make the large trees. Hint: think close to home.
We hope to see you during the holidays.

"Fall back" on November 6

Get an extra hour of sleep on Sunday, November 6th. Or show up somewhere an hour early, if you forget to set the clocks back. Just a friendly reminder from your library:)

Open Hours after Labor Day

Starting September 6th, the week after Labor Day, the library will again be open 40 hours a week:

Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday: 10 to 6
Thursday: 10 to 8
Saturday: 10 to 4

Author Talk: Dr. Chester P. Soliz

On Wednesday, August 24th, at 2 p.m. Dr. Chester P. Soliz discusses his book, The Historical Footprints of the Mashpee Wampanoag. Book signing to follow. Refreshments will be served.

Screening of a documentary film, The Presumption of Guilt

Screening of the Documentary Film, The Presumption of Guilt
Based on the best selling book by Charles Ogletree, directed by award-winning director Hafiz Farid. Thursday, August 18, 6 pm in the Meeting Room.
Q&A to follow with the director Hafiz Farid.

Notes from the publicist:
Shortly after noon on Tuesday, July 16, 2009, Henry Louis Gates, Jr., a renowned Harvard professor acclaimed for his work on racial justice, was arrested by a Cambridge police sergeant. The reasons for the arrest would come under scrutiny, raise questions about racial profiling, and set off a firestorm in the media, finally culminating in a much publicized “beer summit” where the policeman and the professor came face to face at the White House. Here, one of the country’s foremost experts on civil rights puts the now infamous event in the context of the complicated history that exists at the intersection of race, class, and crime in America.
From the book THE PRESUMPTION OF GUILT: THE ARREST OF HENRY LOUIS GATES, JR. AND RACE, CLASS AND CRIME IN AMERICA by Charles Ogletree

“In the documentary film, THE PRESUMPTION OF GUILT, we aim to use the camera lens to highlight the complex issue of Race, Class and Crime in American society and to shine the light on that dreaded subject that we have failed to confront, but simply cannot ignore. Einstein once said that racism is America’s worst disease. We sincerely hope and pray that this book and film will be used as a tool to help find the cure. We must be honest enough to admit that racism is an adult disease and courageous enough to stop passing it on through our children." Hafiz Farid, Director

Oak Bluffs Week at the Museum!

Oak Bluffs Week: The Martha's Vineyard Museum is celebrating Oak Bluffs. With the exhibit, Your Town, Our Island, seasonal and year round Oak Bluffs residents are encourages to come tour the Museum for free the entire week. The Museum is open Monday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Discounts on memberships to the museum, too!
The Museum is on 59 School Street in Edgartown.
Here is a link to their web site:
http://marthasvineyardhistory.org/

Book Talk: A Shred of Hope, by Yuliana Kim-Grant

Ms. Kim-Grant will discuss her book from 2 to 4 pm Wednesday afternoon, August 10th, at a book signing in the library Meeting Room.
Yuliana Kim-Grant received her MFA in Creative Writing Fiction from Emerson College. She lives in Manhattan with her husband and son, and in Oak Bluffs.
Here is a review of the book by Jack Shea in the Martha's Vineyard Times:
http://www.mvtimes.com/marthas-vineyard/article.php?id=6649

Opening Reception ~ Art by Della Hardman

West Africa - Mother and Child
Photo by Della Hardman


Opening Reception - Art by Della Hardman
On Saturday, July 30, from 2:00pm-3:30pm

The annual DELLA HARDMAN DAY, a celebration of the arts established by the Town of Oak Bluffs in 2005, was inspired by the life of Della B. Hardman, PhD (1922 -2005), Vineyard artist, civic activist & writer who chronicled cultural and social events in Oak Bluffs for the Vineyard Gazette for nearly a decade.
The Oak Bluffs Public Library, in conjunction with the seventh annual celebration on July 30th, 2011, is hosting a show of Della’s photographs and textile art, which will be on display at the library from July 30th to August 12th.

New open hours for July and August

In July and August the hours are the same on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. On Thursday we will be opening at 2p.m.
The trustees had to make the difficult decision to reduce open hours for July and August from 40 to 36 hours per week. The town is not able to fill the Reference Librarian's position for now, and since we are already short-staffed, this makes it difficult to properly staff the library during the busiest time of the year.
We hope that, with some additional summer help, this reduction in open hours will be sufficient, and we are able to provide the level of service our users expect when we are open.

Origami!

Origami is the ancient Japanese art of paper-folding, which appeared shortly after the invention of paper nearly two thousand years ago. It was first a privilege that only the rich and the ruling class could enjoy. As paper became cheaper to manufacture, it became an art enjoyed by more and more people until it became popular among all cross-sections of societies across the globe. No cutting, gluing, or taping is allowed in traditional origami.

Here are examples of origami, some designs being from long ago and others from more recent times. These models will be on display all summer long.

One Book ~ One Island Event: Documentary screening

On Thursday, May 19th, 6:30 p.m., in the Oak Bluffs Public Library Meeting room, we'll be screening a documentary film: Farming the Future: Farm Life on Long Island. The film celebrates the more than three-century old family farmer way of life, examining the challenges of farming in suburbia and exploring solutions that can help farmers remain on the land. The one-hour documentary weaves interviews, historical photographs and contemporary footage to sew a vibrant tapestry of Long Island’s farming legacy from a historical, cultural and economic perspective. Farming the Future: Farm Life on Long Island features Farm Aid President and music legend Willie Nelson, Nassau County Executive Thomas R. Suozzi, Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy, Congressman Tim Bishop, Assemblyman Michael J. Fitzpatrick, Suffolk County Legislator Jon Cooper, Long Island Farm Bureau Executive Director Joseph M. Gergela III, local bluegrass band Buddy Merriam & Back Roads, and a cross-section of Suffolk and Nassau counties farm families, including the Halseys, Tuthills, Grossmanns, Schmitts, Fosters, Kennedys, Talmages, and many more. Massapequa native, actor William Baldwin (Backdraft, The Squid and the Whale) narrates.
Although best known as the oldest suburban community in the country, Long Island housed nearly 3,000 farms in 1950. In 2005, only 700 remain, but Long Island farms continue to be the most productive in New York State, adding $150 million annually to the economy in the shadows of strip malls, as the region faces looming financial and environmental challenges. According to a 1997 study by American Farmland Trust, “Long Island is one of the top 20 most threatened agricultural regions,” reports Northeast Regional Director Jerry Cosgrove.
The program begins by exploring the history of farming on Long Island, highlighting the various ethnic groups that settled here and forever left their marks, including English, Irish, and Polish families. Viewers gain a sense of life growing up on a farm as the families share their emotional stories – the value system, work ethic and appreciation of nature, as well as the challenges of fighting natural and manmade factors beyond their control, such as weather conditions and real estate development pressures. The program also explores the ways that farmers have adapted to changing times, highlighting niche markets like the wine industry; flower production; direct marketing of produce to New York City restaurants; agri-tourism including pumpkin picking, corn mazes and music festivals held in the fields; and suburbanite support of local family farms.

After the screening, we would like to have a short discussion about the film's relevance to Martha's Vineyard.

Produced by Rudaitis Media. Producers: Ron Rudaitis and Sarah L. Rudaitis. Thank you to the authors for allowing the Oak Bluffs Public Library to screen the film!
From: http://www.wliw.org/productions/local-focus/farming-the-future-farm-life-on-long-island/325/

One Book - One Island 2011 events

The first of the One Book - One Island 2011 series of events were held at the libary: Wednesday we had a discussion of Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" led by Dawn Braasch, owner of the Bunch of Grapes bookstore, followed by "Local" lunch prepared by Jan Buhrman of Kitchen Porch and sponsored by Library Friends of Oak Bluffs. Thursday evening we hosted a panel discusion "Local&Sustainable", moderated by Nis Kildegaard, Reference Librarian, Edgartown Free Public Library, with Jim Athearn (Morning Glory Farm), Ali Berlow (edible Vineyard), Jan Buhrman (Kitchen Porch), Rebecca Gilbert (Native Earth Teaching Farm), Sidney Morris (Farm Institute, Thalia Scanlan (COMSOG) and others in the audience participating. Healthy tasty refreshments were prepared by Jan, and sponsored by Library Friends of OB. Thank you to all who participated!
More events are scheduled:
May 5, at 5p.m. at the Chilmark Library ~ Book discussion of Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle"
May 7, 4p.m. at the West Tisbury Library ~ Book discussion and signing, "Book of Duck Cookery", with Rebecca Randall Gilbert of Native Earth Teaching Farm.
May 19, 6:30 p.m. ~ Screening of documentary film, Farming the Future: Farm Life on Long Island.
A cheese making workshop at the Oak Bluffs Library is being planned for June 14th (check for the exact time and sign up at the library later).
The kids have not been forgotten: on May 7, children 3 years old and older are invited to a story time with Sondra, with a theme of "slow food" followed by seed planting to seed pods that the kids will be able to take home with them.