November Book Club -- The Piano Tuner

Daniel Mason's historical novel, The Piano Tuner, takes place primarily in Burma of the 1880's. Mr. Mason tells the story of a London-based piano tuner who accepts a mission from the British War Office to travel to the jungles of Burma to tune an 1840's Erard piano, which is owned by an eccentric surgeon-major in the Shan Plateau.

Our discussion centered around the lush description of the landscape and life in the colonies of the British Empire during the 19th century. Several participants thought that the title of the book should have been The Piano, rather than The Piano Tuner, because the story really told more about the life and death of the Erard piano than of the piano tuner.

One person said the descriptions of life during the Raj brought back many memories of her life before she came to the States. Another person wanted to hear Burmese music and taste Burmese food to better understand the Burmese people. We discussed the fact that taste and audio are a wonderful addition to reading about different cultures.

All in all, most participants liked the book and were fascinated to hear more detail about the history of music and the art of piano tuning from one of our members. The discussion was lively and interesting!! We all agreed that this tale would make a wonderful movie or TV miniseries!

We will not have a book club meeting in December. The next time we meet will be in January.

Computer Class - Attendees Excited to Learn More!

On Thursday morning, November 29, the Library's Reference Department was full of people excited to learn more about how to use computers.

The class was titled - "Learn Basic Computer Skills" and required no previous computer experience in order to sign-up.

Attendees gained hands-on experience in basic computer skills like turning on the computer, using the mouse, navigating the windows environment, etc...

At the conclusion of the class several people signed up for our Individual Computer Help Sessions to continue their introduction to computers and related topics (searching the web, using Microsoft Word, etc...).

Stay tuned to the library's website and local media, as the library plans to host more computer/technology courses in the future!

Large Crowd Enjoys Songini Book Signing & Lecture!

Marc Songini, author of "The Lost Fleet: A Yankee Whaler's Struggle Against the Confederate Navy and Arctic Disaster," spoke to a crowd of over 40 people at the Library on Saturday, November 10th!

The focus of Mr. Songini's talk was "Vineyard Heroes: Great Whaling Masters and Mates of the Island."

Mr. Songini discussed the fascinating lives of the many Vineyarders who took part in the once-prolific whaling industry, using many interesting and humorous anecdotes to entertain the audience. Many Island history buffs were in attendance and so there was no shortage of questions or topics for discussion.

After the discussion period, copies of Mr. Songini's book were available for purchase, courtesy of Sun Porch Books. The author signed copies for anyone who asked him.

Trustee Toolkit Workshop

The Oak Bluffs Public library was a host to a workshop for library trustees presented jointly by the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) and Southeastern Massachusetts Library System (SEMLS).

Library trustees from all of the Island libraries had an opportunity to learn how the MBLC and SEMLS can assist them in providing service to their community. The speakers were:

Irving Zangwill, Commissioner, MBLC

Robert Maier, Director of the MBLC

Maureen Killoran, Head of Public Library Advisory Unit/Govenrment Liaison

Brian Donoghue, Librarian Research Services

Cindy Roach, SEMLS Regional Administrator

Cheryl Bryan, SEMLS Asst. Admin. for Consulting & Continuing Education.

Before the workshop, guests from MBLC were given a tour of the library and were happy to see it was being well used: a story hour was going on in the Children's program room, a book discussion in the Conference room, and many computer users in the reference area. They especially admired Margot Datz's artwork and her book end-pannels in the Children's room.

October's Book Discussion: "Cod" by Mark Kurlansky

In conjunction with The Sustainable Book Club our Book Discussion Group met recently to talk about Kurlansky's novel "Cod".



Spirited discussions took place at both the evening and morning sessions, with mostly praise expressed for the author's research and writing style.

Topics that received particular attention were fish farming, the fishing industry (techniques, technology, economics, etc..), the historical significance of cod, education in schools concerning sustainability, and the social/cultural influence of this important food source.

As usual people's personal experiences and expertise on relevant subjects greatly contributed to the conversation, and made for a thought provoking group discussion!

Kurlansky has written a number of other books that may also appeal to readers:
Salt: A World History
The Basque History of the World: The Story of a Nation
The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell

Biographies, MV Hurricanes, Fishing Derby, and more!

Come to the Library and see our latest and greatest Library & Book Displays:

Visit our "Who's Life Is It Anyway?" Book Display and find Library materials concerning the lives of fascinating people!

Or take a look at our "Hurricanes & Martha's Vineyard" exhibit to learn more about some of the powerful storms that have affected the Island's people, towns, and landscape over the years! There is more information in the Reference Department that will help you and your family prepare for future hurricanes and natural disasters.

It is also the season for the annual Fishing Derby, the Library staff has created a display of related materials along with some brief information about the Derby.

Finally, don't forget about Banned Books Week! There are bookmarks and information packets near the Library's Catalog Computers and in the Reference Department. Celebrate your freedom to read today!

September Book Discussion Group: "The Death of Vishnu" by Manil Suri

This story of one apartment building becomes a metaphor for the social and religious divisions of contemporary India, and Vishnu's ascent of the staircase parallels the soul's progress through the various stages of existence. We had a lively discussion on several topics, such as racism, rights of women, and religion in India during the 1960's and 70's. We were very fortunate to have a member of our discussion group with first-hand knowledge of India's culture and religion.

The author, Manil Suri, infused his tale with many details and insights into everyday Indian life -- its hardships and customs. His descriptions of food, particularly the many sweets that are consumed, was mouth-watering.

Please join us in October when we will be reading "Cod" by Mark Kurlansky. The Discussion Group Meetings will be held in conjunction with The Sustainable Book Club, an Island-wide book group, which is reading and discussing books that examine our relationship with nature. The group is sponsored by all six Island Libraries, Felix Neck Sanctuary, Polly Hill Arboretum and The Vineyard Conservation Society. The group will meet at the Oak Bluffs Library on Tuesday, October 23rd, at 6:30 pm and Wednesday, October 24th, at 10:30 am.

Summer Memories: Past and Present - Jessica Harris

Popular author, Jessica Harris, performed readings and reminisced about topics from her latest book, “The Martha’s Vineyard Table”. A crowd of 18 people came to the event. The intimate environment allowed for some great discussion and input from the audience!

About Jessica Harris:Excerpt from Ebony Magazine (March 2007, pg 118)
Culinary historian Jessica B. Harris, Ph.D. has authored nine acclaimed cookbooks that document the foods and foodways of the African Diaspora. A culinary historian, she has lectured on food at the Museum of Natural History in New York City, the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., as well as at numerous institutions and colleges throughout the United States and abroad.
Harris has written for major food magazines, including Gourmet, Food & Wine, Cooking Light and Eating Well. In addition, she has given presentations at prestigious events, including meetings of the international Association of Culinary Professionals and the American Institute of Wine and Food conference. Dr. Harris also has appeared on The Today Show and Good Morning America, and she has served as culinary and cultural expert on two Burr Wolf series for PBS.
A tenured professor of English at Queens College, C.U.N.Y., Harris holds degrees from Bryn Mawr College, Queens College, The Universite de Nancy, France, and a doctorate in performance studies from New York University. She speaks French fluently and is conversant in Spanish and Portuguese.

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!

Triad Club Display!

The Library would like to thank the Martha's Vineyard Museum and Susan Wilson for contributing materials to the Triad Club Display (by the staircase in the upstairs of the library).

The materials were on display during the month of August, and library patrons enjoyed viewing the collection and reading Susan Wilson's article, For 70 Years, the Triad Club of Oak Bluffs Was a Forum For Members' "Improvement", which appeared in the Dukes County Intelligencer (August 2007 Edition).

You can learn more about other topics related to local history by visiting the Library and reading a book from our Martha's Vineyard Collection!