Documentary Screening at the OBPL!

On Friday, August 10 "Darfur: Too Dark, Too Far" a film shown at the MV African American Film Festival was shown on the Library's large projection screen.

Over 20 attendees had an opportunity to meet the Director, Hafiz Farid!

"Darfur: Too Dark, Too Far" is a documentary that examines the root causes of genocide.

African American Classics in History & Literature Event!

A crowd of over 60 people attended the African American Classics in History & Literature event at the library!



Keynote speaker Dr. Adelaide M. Cromwell, Professor Emerita of Sociology – Boston University, and author of Unveiled Voices, Unvarnished Memories: The Cromwell Family in Slavery And Segregation, 1692-1972, provided an enlightening talk on the subject and received an enthusiastic round of applause from the audience.



The event was arranged by the MV-ASALH; which graciously presented the Oak Bluffs Public Library with a donation of $200 to be used towards library materials.



The mission of ASALH (founded in 1915) is to research, study, interpret, preserve and promote information about Black life, history and culture to the global community. The MV Branch of ASALH (founded in 2002), supports the study of African American history and life in schools, learning centers, homes, churches and community groups.



For More Information about the MV-ASALH Contact:

Bob Hayden, President MV-ASALH, 508-693-8714

Thank you Michael Wooley!

Island resident, Michael Wooley, recently provided an encore performance of Exploring a Coral Reef, a program about his recent underwater photographs taken on a scuba diving trip to the second largest barrier reef in the world off the coast of Belize.


Mr. Wooley's photographs and commentary on the mysterious and beautiful undersea world were fun and informative! Thank you for another great program Michael!


About Michael Wooley: Water and the sea are Michael's life. Many of you may know him as an Island swimming teacher/lifeguard as well as an accomplished visual artist. His blue-ribbon photography, collages, ceramics, and illustrations have been exhibited in many different countries and are now in households all over the world! Michael's subject matter focuses primarily on the natural world; his presentation at the library spotlighted the sea and the ecosystem of a barrier reef.

Another great Movie Night at the OBPL!

The Library is hosting monthly Movie Nights, when a new DVD release is shown on the library's big screen, it is just like being at the movies!

On August 7th the new Family Drama, "Astronaut Farmer" (starring Billy Bob Thornton), about a farmer who builds a rocket in his barn and dreams of going into space, was shown for an audience of 20 people!

September's Movie Night will be announced on the library's website soon!

Gus Ben David Live Animal Interview: a Frogtastic Event!

A tremendous crowd of 57 people came to see Gus Ben David perform at the Library!

People of all ages were entertained by African Bull Frogs, Alligator Turtles, Spotted Salamanders, and others! Gus Ben David informed the audience about the nature of these fascinating animals while introducing us to his slippery friends.

The program was a part of the Della Hardman Day events, and was the perfect compliment to the wonderful collection of Della's frogs that were on display throughout the library.

Book Discussion Group - "My Antonia"

The majority of Book Discussion Group attendees enjoyed reading Willa Cather's novel, "My Antonia".

Discussion topics included:

• The author's writing style & use of language.
• The historical accuracy of how the mid-west was portrayed during the late 1800's.
• The main characters (Antonia, Jim, etc...).
• What the author did not tell us and the questions left unanswered.
• And other interesting topics that came to people's minds while reading the novel!

For more information about Willa Cather's life and other books that may interest people who enjoyed reading "My Antonia", try these suggestions:

Click on the link to be brought directly to the book/DVD in the CLAMS Catalog!

• Willa Cather: The Road Is All - a recent PBS special (DVD) about Willa Cather.
• "Giants In The Earth" by Ole Edvart - one of our attendees was reminded of this novel while reading "My Antonia".
• "The Virginian" by Owen Wister
• "Barren Ground" by Ellen Glasgow
• "Yonnondio: From the Thirties" by Tillie Olsen
• "The Age of Innocence" by Edith Wharton

Please join us next month for our next meeting when we will discuss "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee! Stop by the circulation desk to pick up your copy today!

Gus Ben David Live Animal Interview @ the OBPL

Thursday, July 26 from 7pm-8pm at the Oak Bluffs Public Library

Gus Ben David, the renown Island naturalist and former Felix Neck director, will bring live frogs, toads and other creatures to the library for a fun & informative nature program!

Learn more about Gus Ben David by visiting the World of Reptiles and Birds Website!

This is a Della Hardman Day Event!

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

Book Discussion Group - "The Time Traveler's Wife"

Many of the Book Discussion Group attendees had distinctly different experiences while reading the book, "The Time Traveler's Wife" by Audrey Niffenegger.

While many people did not like the time travelling/sci-fi aspect, relationships, etc... in the book, others enjoyed the novel's unique plotline and love story.

The differing opinions made for an intriguing discussion!

If you weren't able to read the book for the discussion group, you can request the book in the CLAMS catalog today!

Other books with time traveling/memory themes include:

1. "A Shortcut in Time" by Charles Dickinson
2. "Replay" by Ken Grimwood
3. "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold
4. "Slaughterhouse-Five" by Kurt Vonnegut
5. "Crooked River Burning" by Mark Winegardner

New Africana Encyclopedia!

Come to the Reference Department and browse the latest encyclopedia to be added to our collection, "Africana" ed. by Kwame Anthony Appiah and Henry Louis Gates Jr.

"Substantially larger than the first edition (1999), and with expanded references and indexing, this five-volume set covers a vast geographic area and encompasses the complex histories of Africans in Africa and the Americas. It is written for high school level readers and above and for a non-specialist audience. Slavery and the struggle for political and economic freedom and equality are central themes, and the roots of African and African-American culture in the histories of individual countries are thoroughly explored. In addition to topical entries, "interpretation" essays offer, for example, an examination of the dual tradition of African American fiction with discussion of perceptions, stereotypes, and alternative avenues for analysis. Among the topics new to this edition are African American architects, African oral literature, Black classicism in the U.S., the history of writing in Africa, Black literature in South Africa, the transatlantic slave trade database, and migrancy and African literature. "

Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)