Free Family Concert August 22nd in Owen Park!

Martha's Vineyard libraries present a family-friendly concert with Brooklyn's "kindie" rock band Rolie Polie Guacamole, at 3:00 pm Tuesday, August 22nd at the bandstand in Owen Park. Rolie Polie Guacamole's high energy, interactive shows are a mix of funk, rock, and folk music mashed into original tunes about natural living, eating healthy, and staying active. This free event is made possible by the Martha’s Vineyard Library Association and supported by the MV Cultural Council.  

Rolie Polie Guacamole lays claim to being the one of the hardest working bands in kids’ music, and that just might be true. They’ve released six albums and played well over 2,000 shows nationwide since hitting the boards with their first performance in 2007, receiving top picks from Boston.com, Time Out NY Kids, and Time Out Chicago.

Winner of the prestigious Parents’ Choice® and NAPPA Awards, Rolie Polie Guacamole has developed a smart, parent-friendly musical style that dresses up original tunes and classic covers with vibrant harmonies and deft instrumental layers, plugging in a sizzling electric current of rhythm that lights up lyrics humming with relevance and humor.

New Challenge Grant for Library Capital Campaign!

The Vineyard Haven Public Library Building Fund, Inc. (VHPLBFI) is pleased to announce a $150,000 challenge grant for the library capital campaign. The campaign will fund construction of an addition to the library building to house an accessible multi-purpose community meeting room.

To date, the VHPLBFI has raised more than $1.4 million towards the $2 million capital campaign goal. Now a generous island family has offered a matching grant to help reach the fundraising goal by the end of the year. For every $3,000 donated to the campaign now, $1,000 in matching funds will be donated, up to $150,000 in matching funds for $450,000 in new gifts.

Visit www.vhlibrarybuildingfund.org to learn more!

Summer Reading for Children & Teens!

Visit the library to sign up for our annual Summer Reading program for children and teens!

Children’s Summer Learning
Children can participate in Summer Reading by doing a Summer Reading Challenge Sheet. Complete a level and win a prize! Contact the Children’s room for more info!

Teen Summer Learning
Teens can earn prizes by completing circles on a Summer Reading Challenge Sheet.! Contact Young Adult Librarian Jennifer for more info!

Summer Programs
Check out our summer calendar for all the fun events at the library this summer including weekly storytimes, crafts, and special events!

Tonight at 6 pm at the Vineyard Haven Library:  Marsha Winsryg and the African Artists Community Development Project

Founded by Vineyarder Marthy Winsryg, the African Artists Community Development Project (AACDP) raises money for women's group, children with disabilities, and orphan by selling African crafts here in the United States. Come learn about the latest projects of this non-profit, including a communal farm run by the mothers of children with disabilities in Zambia. This program is in collaboration with the Chilmark Library and will take place in the program room of the Vineyard Haven Public Library.

Upcoming Programs for Adults

To register for online events or for more information, contact our Program Coordinator Anne McDonough at [email protected]. 

Summer Reading for Adults!

Read and listen to what you want all summer long! To enter drawings for prizes, write a short review and email it to: [email protected]. The review doesn’t need to be long. Please include the book title and author. A review will be randomly selected every other week for a prize. All entries will be automatically entered in a drawing for a grand prize at the end of the summer. Drawings will be held July 24th, August 7th and Grand Prize August 21st. Winners will be notified via email.

If you need ideas for fun and interesting titles contact us at [email protected] or visit NoveList for suggestions. Both physical and electronic media are allowed for reviews.

[In-person]  6 pm Tuesday August 15th
African Artists Community Development Project
Presentation given by Vineyarder Marsha Winsryg, founder of the African Artists Community Development Project.  Winsryg will be presenting photos and stories about the Mama Bakhita Cheshire Home and their latest project, the Zambezi Communal Farm, begun in 2020 as a response to exorbitant rises in food prices in Zambia during the pandemic. This program is a collaboration with the Chilmark and VH libraries and will take place in the program room at the Vineyard Haven Public Library.  

[In-person] 10:05 am to noon, Wednesday August 16th
Drop-in Mah Jong 
Mah Jong continues this summer! Please come in for a pick-up mah jong game or two. There won't be any 'official' instruction but this is an opportunity to use what you've learned in our recent beginners series. Experienced players encouraged to attend. No RSVP necessary. Please bring your mah jong card and if you have an extra set of tiles, bring them as well.

[In-person, Outdoors] 3 pm Wednesday August 16th
Wednesday Walk the Chop
Walk and Talk Book Club has become ''Walk the Chop'. We will meet every Wednesday at the Library and walk/run or any combination the West Chop loop. Course is not hilly and is just over 3 miles. No sign up necessary. Contact [email protected] or [email protected] with any questions. Sponsored by Vineyard Haven Library and BeWell-MV.

[Online] 9 am Thursday August 17th
Conversation en Francais
Join our weekly French conversation group. All levels are welcome. For more language learning support try Mango Languages, an online language-learning system available to library cardholders.

[In-person and online]  2 pm Thursday August 17th
Vineyard Haven Public Library Book Group
Come enjoy a lively discussion in a casual "hybrid" format--both in person in the Vineyard Room at the Library and on Zoom. This month's selection is the mystery "Lady in the Lake" by Laura Lippman, which has also been made into a movie soon to be appearing on Apple+ starring Natalie Portman. Copies of the book are available at the circulation desk of the Vineyard Haven Public Library. Please email [email protected] with any questions and to be added to the list and a zoom link will be sent by emai

[In-person] 11:15 am Monday August 21st
Chair Yoga with Kat 
Yoga With Kat's continuing sessions of Chair Yoga, one of the most gentle forms of yoga. This class is perfect for students recovering from injury or illness, and anyone who wants to experience the many benefits of yoga without having to get up and down from the floor. No sign up or registration necessary. Program takes place on the lower level of the library. 

[In-person]  6 pm Tuesday August 22nd
Film Screening: Taylor Toole's Mow Crew
Come watch this semi-autobiographical romantic comedy directed by Vineyard resident Taylor Toole and shot on the Vineyard. Aspiring musician Eric Campbell has a choice to make: stay in his native Martha's Vineyard and work as a landscaper, or leave for Los Angeles where a record deal awaits. You can read Nicole Galland's review in the Gazette by clicking here.

[In-person at Katharine Cornell Theater ]  7 pm Thursday August 24th
Live: Singer/Songwriter Naomi Westwater
Naomi Westwater (they/she) is a queer, Black-multiracial singer-songwriter from Massachusetts. Their work combines folk music, poetry, and spirituality. Naomi  holds a Master of Music in Contemporary Performance and Production from Berklee College of Music and she is a part of The Club Passim Folk Collective. She was nominated for a 2021 and 2022 Boston Music Award for best singer-songwriter, and has been featured in Under The Radar, WBUR, Vanyaland, WGBH, Allston Pudding, and The Bluegrass Situation. To see her work, you can click here. 

[In-person meeting at Owen Park Bandstand ]  4:30-6 pm Sunday, August 27th
Literary Walking Tour of Vineyard Haven and West Chop with Wayne Nichols
Take a stroll and hear stories some great American writers who lived in Vineyard Haven: William Styron, Lillian Hellman, John Hersey, Art Buchwald with sprinkling of neighbor Mike Wallace. This tour features the former homes (from a distance along Main Street) and favorite haunts and stories of these amazing accomplished writers, their friendships and Vineyard stories. Tour ends at the 1790’s historic graveyard on West Chop where 4 of the 5 writers are buried! Led by Native Islander and Amateur Historian Wayne Nichols. No registration or sign up required. 

[Online] 6 pm Tuesday August 29th
Vineyard Haven Library Spice Club
A new take on a cookbook group, Spice Club meets virtually one Tuesday a month. Registration comes with a sample pack of the spice of the month and a little history about it. You prepare a recipe and then come and discuss your opinions, experiences, and love (or like less!). This month: Dried Lemon Juice. Register

Friends of the Library Museum & Beach Passes

The Friends of the Library's Beach & Museum Pass Program provides free or discounted access to the Martha's Vineyard Museum, the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and for Trustee's properties including Long Point and Mytoi on MV.

Join the Friends

Click Here to view the Vineyard Haven Public Library This Week News - August 15, 2023