Scrabble Group Meets for the First Time!

The Scrabble Group met for the first time at the library on Saturday, May 19th. Memorable moments from the games included a 68-point word (rations) using all seven tiles, a high score of 209 total points for a match (4 players), and the appearance of a slew of other interesting words: borage, bivalve, etc...

We will be holding future meetings on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month. So keep June 2nd (10am-12pm) on your calendar free and join us for the next Scrabble Group meeting. Please bring a scrabble board with you if you own one.

Refreshments will be served and all ages and skill levels are invited to attend!

Library Friends Book Sale!

The Library Friends organized and ran a very successful book sale in the Library's Meeting Room this past Friday and Saturday. Thank you to all of the Library Friends and Volunteers that worked so hard to set up the room and operate the sale. Here are a few pictures from the fundraising event:

New Photography Book Displays!

Have you seen our new photography books displays yet? Downstairs there are books about digital photography, famous photographers, photograph collections, and much more that you can browse, check out and take home if you would like.

Upstairs there are some wonderful photography books and old photographs (1870-1888) from our Martha's Vineyard Historical Collection on display for your viewing pleasure!

Judy Campbell - Poetry Reading!

Judy Campbell delivered a wonderful poetry reading on May 1. Her clear and enthusiastic oration and creative verse were very much appreciated by the 13 audience members!

Please come see our display case of poetry books (by the downstairs Circulation Desk) which features poets that have delivered poetry readings at the library (including Judy!).

Book Discussion Group: "Their Eyes Were Watching God"

This book was also chosen as the One Book One Island adult book for 2007. Their Eyes Were Watching God is the unforgettable story of Janie Crawford, an articulate African-American woman in the 1930s, and her quest for identity and independence through three marriages and many interesting adventures. Much of our discussion was about the life of the author, Zora Neale Hurston, who was born in Eatonville, Florida -- an all-black community in the late 1800's. She studied anthropology at Barnard College and did field work in Harlem and Haiti. The group was particularly keen on attending the talk by Hurston scholar, Glenda Carpio, on Friday, April 27th at the Oak Bluffs Library.

For those of you who enjoyed this book, we would like to suggest the following further reading:

Gloria Naylor, Mama Day (1988)
Toni Morrison, Sula (1973)
Randall Kenan, A Visitation of Spirits (1989)
Alice Walker, Possessing the Secret of Joy (1992)

National Library Week - April 15-21

In the spirit of National Library Week here is a list of ten services that you may not have known are available at your library. Also check out the Library Calculator to see how much money you save when you take advantage of library services!

10 Great Library Services You May Not Have Known About!

• Use the library’s website to place holds on the latest books, DVDs, CDs, and more!


• Download Free Audiobooks at Home!


• Renew books & manage your library account from home using our website!


• Learn about fun & educational library programs on our website and online calendar.


• Movie Nights - on a giant projection screen!


• Individual Computer Help Lessons.


• Request materials from libraries in Massachusetts and across the Country!


• Get homework help & answers to all of your questions at the Reference Desk!


• Read a huge selection of newspapers & magazines online.


• Use your laptop to surf the net at the library - We have WIFI!

Celebrate National Jazz & Poetry Month!

Come see our great National Jazz & Poetry Month display in the downstairs of the library! We have a great collection of jazz and poetry materials for you to check out.

For the month of April we will be playing Jazz music during our Wednesday morning Coffee Times (10am-11:30am) for your enjoyment! Drink, Eat, Discuss Jazz Music & More!

In the upstairs of the library we have a display of Martha's Vineyard poets & poetry created using our Martha's Vineyard Historical Collection.

Learn some interesting local poetry history by viewing the display case by the reference desk, and check out our great collection of Shel Silverstein books (many of which are signed) and more in our conference room.

Book Discussion Group - The Known World

In March we read The Known World by Edward P. Jones. We had some interesting discussions about the unusual plot which tells the story of what happens when a plantation proprietor and former slave--possessing slaves of his own--dies. We learn that his household falls apart in the wake of a slave rebellion and corrupt underpaid patrollers who enable free black people to be sold into slavery. The book has many fascinating, colorful characters which invite the reader to pay very close attention to the twistings and turnings of the story. For those of you who enjoyed this book, we would like to suggest the following further reading:

Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Bondwoman's Narrative by Hannah Crafts
The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman by Ernest J. Gaines
Absalom! Absalom! by William Faulkner
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Learn about eAudiobooks

We had a very successful "Learn about eAudiobooks" session for library patrons on Saturday, March 24! Five attendees learned more about how to use the audiobooks service and had an opportunity to ask questions and get answers.

Stay tuned for more eAudiobooks sessions in the future and please ask a librarian for help if you want to learn more about this exciting new service!

P.S. - There is a new handout in the Reference Department to help you begin using eAudiobooks on your computer and or MP3 player.

Begin listening to new titles like "The Boleyn Inheritance" by Philippa Gregory & "Mercy" by Jodi Picoult, try a classic such as "Moby Dick" by Herman Melville, or learn a new language by using the extensive language studies section of the eAudiobooks collection!

New Resources for Island Non-Profits!

The Oak Bluffs Public Library and the Martha’s Vineyard Donors Collaborative (MVDC) announce a $1,000 donation from the MVDC to the Library for the purchase of materials in the field of Non-Profit Organizational Management and Finance. The donation is part of the MVDC’s ongoing effort to support Vineyard non-profits, many of which can’t afford these important resources on their own.

The Library is acquiring subscriptions to the Foundation Directory Online – Plus database, Chronicle of Philanthropy, and Nonprofit Quarterly; as well as books on a broad range of topics including Grant Writing, Fundraising, Budgeting, Capital Campaigns and Management for Non-Profit Organizations. The Foundation Directory Online – Plus database gives Vineyard non-profits access to information on 10,000 Foundations and 500,000 grants. A complete list of these materials follows and is also available on the MVDC website http://mvdonors.org/obbooks, as well as in print at the Oak Bluffs Public Library. Materials are now being received and processed by the library and they will be made available on the library’s shelves and through its online catalog (at www.oakbluffslibrary.org ) as they arrive.