Donate Your Used Books, CD's and DVD's

Do you need to make some room in your house? Donate your used books, CD's, and DVD's to support the Oak Bluffs Public Library. The Library Friends of Oak Bluffs are gearing up for their Summer Book Sale. The Friends are looking for used books across all categories, for all ages, including hardcover and paperback, fiction and nonfiction, DVD's and books on CD, as well as recent textbooks and travel books. They must be in good shape, with no missing pages, water damage or mold.

Drop off your donations at the Oak Bluffs Public Library, Tuesday - Saturday, during library hours. Please do not leave books outside the library when it is closed. If you have a lot of books to donate, please help us by calling e.l. Edwards in advance at 508-693-8326. If you can’t get your book donation to the library, call for a pick-up.

National Library Week - April 11 - 17

During National Library Week April 11 – 17, we are encouraging community members to use the “Library Savings Calculator” to learn how much money they are saving by using their local library.

To calculate your savings visit:
http://oakbluffslibrary.org/library_calculator.shtml

National Library Week - Facts:

Americans check out an average of more than seven books a year. They spend $33.56 a year for the public library—about the average cost of one hardcover book.

Americans go to school, public and academic libraries nearly three times more often than they go to the movies.

Reference librarians in the nation’s public and academic libraries answer nearly 5.7 million questions weekly. Standing single file, the line of questioners would span from Long Island, New York, to Juneau, Alaska.

A 2009 poll conducted for the American Library Association found that 96% of respondents agreed that public libraries play an important role in giving everyone a chance to succeed because it provides free access to materials and resources.

*Facts taken from the "Quotable Facts About America's Libraries 2010" produced by the American Library Association

3rd Annual Savor the Moment Photography Contest

The Oak Bluffs Public Library, in conjunction with the annual celebration of DELLA HARDMAN DAY on Saturday, July 31st, is sponsoring a photography contest to select 14 images featuring Martha’s Vineyard that reflect Della Hardman’s legacy theme ~ “savor the moment.” The winning entries will be published in the Oak Bluffs Public Library Calendar for 2011. An exhibition is planned of a representative sample of the works submitted. The contest is open to all who wish to participate.

Entry deadline: May 29, 2010

View and print an entry form online, or pick one up at the library during your next visit. Please speak to a library staff member or read the entry form for more details.

Tax Forms Are Now Available

State and federal tax forms have been delivered to your local library. Visit the upstairs reference area to pick up the forms that you need. Please speak to a staff member if you can't find a form and we will help you print a copy or request it from the state or federal government.

Libraries Offer New Language Learning Service

Did you know that you can use your Oak Bluffs Public Library card, a computer and Internet connection to start learning a new language at home or at the library?

The service is called Mango and it can be accessed from the library's homepage (www.oakbluffslibrary.org). Just scroll down the page and click on the Mango link or picture to get started.

Read an article published in the Cape Cod Times about this exciting new service:

http://www.capecodonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20091229/NEWS/912290309&emailAFriend=1

Library Receives 3 Star Rating From Library Journal

Library Journal released the latest LJ Index of Library Services rankings and as you may have read in the MV Times, "Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven received three star ratings, joining only 256 other libraries to be top-rated nationally for excellent service".

The ranking is based on the circulation of materials, visits to the library, public computer usage and attendance at library programs. Congratulations to the Oak Bluffs community, the library trustees, friends, staff and volunteers for receiving this award.

Click here to read the Library Journal Article.

Adult Summer Reading Program Announced!

The library is hosting a series of book discussions this summer based upon popular works of travel, geography and history.

Attend the monthly book discussion meetings to be eligible for monthly prizes, enjoy free refreshments, and to be entered into an end of summer giveaway drawing. The more book discussion meetings that you attend the more chances you have to win the giveaway drawing!

Copies of the books will be available at the library, please read the books and join us for a series of lively discussion meetings:

June's Discussion - "The Man Who Loved China: the Fantastic Story of the Eccentric Scientist Who Unlocked the Mysteries of the Middle Kingdom" by Simon Winchester on Wednesday, June 24 at 10:30am.

July's Discussion - "Out of Africa" by Isak Denisen on Wednesday, July 22 at 10:30am.

August's Discussion - "A Voyage Long and Strange" by Tony Horwitz on Wednesday, August 26 at 10:30am.

Savor the Moment Photography Contest - Now Accepting Entries

Savor the Moment Photography Contest & Exhibition sponsored by the Oak Bluffs Public Library

Entry deadline: May 29, 2009

The Oak Bluffs Public Library, in conjunction with the annual celebration of DELLA HARDMAN DAY on Saturday, July 25th, is sponsoring a photography contest to select 14 images featuring Martha’s Vineyard that reflect Della Hardman’s legacy theme ~ “savor the moment.”

The winning entries will be published in the Oak Bluffs Public Library Calendar for 2010.

Contest judges are photographers Alison Shaw and Donalexander Goss, and Francine Kelly, Director, Featherstone Center for the Arts. Photographs will be judged based on the artful representation of the “Savor the Moment” theme during all four seasons on the Island.

Fourteen award-winning entries will be selected: twelve to represent each month of the year, one for the cover and one for the back cover.

For more details, please read the contest entry form or speak to a library staff member.

Cape & Island Libraries Give Away MP3 Players

The Edgartown, Oak Bluffs and Vineyard Haven Public Libraries are promoting a new audio book and music download service by giving away MP3 Players.

Patrons of the 27 participating CLAMS libraries that use the digital download service during the month of March are automatically entered to win one of two Creative MuVo V100 MP3 players courtesy of OverDrive, our service provider.

The more titles you download and the more often you use the service, the greater your chance of winning. All you need is a valid CLAMS library card from a participating library, computer access and a broadband Internet connection.

Speak to a staff member at the library for assistance. Some rules and restrictions apply.

Visit www.oakbluffslibrary.org and click on the Free MP3 Player icon for more information. The drawing will be held during the first week of April 2009.

Della Hardman Day - Photography Contest!

The Oak Bluffs Public Library, in conjunction with the annual celebration of Della Hardman Day on Saturday, July 26^th, is sponsoring a photography contest to select 14 images featuring Martha’s Vineyard that reflect Della Hardman’s legacy theme:

“savor the moment.”

The winning entries will be published in the Oak Bluffs Public Library Calendar for 2009.

The entry deadline is June 14, print out an entry form (including the contest rules) today!

Please contact the library by phone 508-693-9433 for more information.

National Library Week - Letter to the Editor

Many patrons saw the library's letter to the editor published in the recent issues of the Martha's Vineyard Times and Martha's Vineyard Gazette newspapers. In case you missed it, here is the letter that we sent in celebration of National Library Week 2008:

National Library Week 2008

To the Editor:

April 13-19 is National Library Week, a time to celebrate the contributions of libraries, librarians and library workers in schools, campuses and communities nationwide - and the perfect time to discover how you can join the circle of knowledge @ your library.

Library use is up nationwide among all types of library users, continuing a decade-long trend, and it’s easy to see why. Libraries are places where everyone can go to discover the world. With free resources like books, magazines, DVDs and computer and wifi access, libraries help people find new jobs, do better in school, tackle projects and learn new ways to improve their health.

Everyday, libraries in big cities and small towns, colleges and universities, in schools and in businesses help transform their communities. At our library, people of all backgrounds can come together for community meetings, lectures and programs, or to do research with the assistance of a trained professional.

What can you discover? National Library Week is the perfect time to find out. Join your family, friends and community. Join the circle of knowledge @ your library.

Respectfully,

Danguole Budris
Library Director
Oak Bluffs Public Library

Oxford African American Studies Center - New Library Resource!

About the OAASC: Excerpt from the OAASC Website



The Oxford African American Studies Center combines the authority of carefully edited reference works with sophisticated technology to create the most comprehensive collection of scholarship available online to focus on the lives and events which have shaped African American history and culture.









To learn how you can begin using the Oxford African American Studies Center please speak with an Oak Bluffs Public Library Staff Member today!

Did you know?

Ben Roethlisberger, Quarterback for the 2006 Super Bowl Champion Steelers, was named the spokesman for this year's Library Card Sign-Up Month (Sept. 1 - Sept. 30).

Stay tuned for library promotions & displays for Library Card Sign-Up Month in the near future!

The Smartest Card. Get It. Use It. @ Your Library

Baseball Card Raffle!

Baseball Card Raffle

Come to the library on Tuesday, July 10 between 10am-8pm to be entered into a raffle for a 2007 Team Set of baseball cards (Choose your favorite team!) and other prizes.

Also learn how you can be entered into the Step Up to the Plate @ Your Library program (ages 9-18) and win a trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame!

And remember, if you read a book for the Step Up to the Plate @ Your Library program you can count the time you spent reading towards your Summer Reading Program at the Oak Bluffs Public Library!