Next Week: Art Opening with Elizabeth Whelan
Tuesday, January 2nd, 5 pm
Come to a reception with the painter Elizabeth Whelan to celebrate her new show of botanical and landscape paintings downstairs at the library.

Adult Crafts: Learn the Skill of Bookbinding!
Leave with a journal to keep; all supplies provided.
Sunday, January 7th, 1-3 pm

Programs for Children & Teens

Weekly Storytimes are hosted by Weezie on Mondays and Saturdays at 10:30 am. 

On Mondays from 3-5 pm, Teen Chill Zone is a relaxed hang out for teens with Nintendo Switch, crafts, games, laptops, and more, exclusively for ages 12 and up.

Special School Break Kids Movies and Crafts Events

Join us to watch movies and make movie-related crafts!
Tuesday 12/26 - Thursday 12/28, 3 pm 
Tuesday, December 26: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 3 to 5 pm
Wednesday, December 27: The Little Mermaid, 3 to 5 pm
Thursday, December 28: Elemental, 3 to 5 pm

Special Crafts for the Holidays!
Friday, December 29: Pom Pom Party Poppers Take and Make. Pick Up starting at 1 pm--while supplies last! 
Sunday, December 31: New Year's Eve Party Hat. 1-2:30.  Also available as a take and make!

Remember, our programs are subject to change. So, please check our online calendar and Facebook page for updates.

Upcoming Programs for Adults

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

VHPL Book Club is on hiatus for December, returning in January!

[In-person, Outdoors] 3 pm Wednesday December 27th
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. Sponsored by Vineyard Haven Library and BeWell-MV.

[Online] 9 am Thursday December 28th
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. (No session on Thursday, December 21st)

[In-person] 5 pm Tuesday January 2nd
Artist's Reception: Winter in the Stacks with Elizabeth Whelan
Acclaimed Vineyard painter Elizabeth R. Whelan combines recent botanical painting and new works with a snowy Island theme for the 'Winter in the Stacks' running through the end of January. Join us for a cozy opening on Tuesday, January 2nd at 5PM to meet the artist and enjoy cocoa and cookies downstairs in the library.

[In-person] 10:05 am to noon Wednesday January 3rd
Drop-in Mah Jong 
Mah Jong continues! 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. 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. 

[Online] 4 pm Wednesday, January 3rd
The Long Game: Longevity with Jim Lobley
This session will focus on movement for eating for longevity. Jim Lobley is a certified personal trainer and longevity coach in private practice in Northampton, and the founder/director of The Long Game, an online learning and training platform for longevity. Sponsored by the Chilmark and Vineyard Haven Public Libraries. 

[In-person] 12 to 2 pm Saturday January 6th
Learn About Girl Scouts
Island families are invited to enjoy a free activity and learn more about Girl Scouts! Presented by Girl Scouts of Eastern Massachusetts. For more information, contact Danielle Lopes at [email protected]. 

[In-person] 1 pm Sunday January 7th
Adult Crafts: Bookbinding
Learn to bind a book--leave with a journal for the new year! All materials provided. Adults and teens 12+ only! No registration required. Sponsored by the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library. 

[Online] 10 am Monday January 8th
MV Poetry Readers
The Martha's Vineyard Poetry Reading Group meets the first Monday of each month. This is an interactive group, where the meeting's leader selects a poem(s), from the earliest Greeks to contemporary. The poem(s) is read and discussed as a community, which always adds new dimensions to understanding. No qualifications required, except a love of poetry. This month, we will be reading from the works of Philip Larkin. 

[In-person] 11:15 am Monday January 8th
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. 

[Online] 6 pm Tuesday January 9th
Transformational Journaling: A Helpful Guide to a Heart-Centered Writing Journey
Journaling is more popular than ever, and transformational journaling encourages you to use the power of the written word to shift into an uplifted state of mind, gain a higher perspective and prepare to embrace the life changes you most wish to bring about. Together, we will explore a variety of transformational journaling techniques that are both inspiring and easy to put into practice. Caroline Joy Adams M.Ed., has a Master’s degree in Counseling Psychology and is the author of Transformational Journaling: A Helpful Guide to a Heart Centered Writing Journey. Excerpts from this book will be used in the class. Register here.

[Online]  7 pm Tuesday January 9th
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up
The KonMari Method of organizing was developed by Marie Kondo, author of the best selling books, “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up”, and “Spark Joy.” Rather than discarding things in a negative way, the method of decluttering is about keeping the things that you love. Certified KonMari consultant Kerry Adams will lead us on how to have a more organized life. Please register here or email [email protected]

[In-person and online]  5:30 pm Tuesday January 16th
A Smoke and a Song: Author Talk with Sherry Sidoti
January 2021, ten months into the global pandemic, Sherry Sidoti’s mother was diagnosed with
terminal cancer, so Sherry prioritizes a trip to Manhattan over her “second chance” with fiancé Jevon. With new life blooming and loss looming, she is beckoned to answer the question that has haunted her since childhood: is freedom found in “letting go,” as the spiritual teachers (and her mother) insist or is it found by digging our heels deeper into the earth and holding on to our humanness? This event is both in person and via Zoom (contact Anne McDonough at [email protected] for Zoom link.)

[In-person and online]   2 pm Thursday January 18th
Vineyard Haven Public Library Book Club
Come enjoy a lively discussion in a casual "hybrid" format--both in person in the Vineyard Room at the Library and on Zoom. Book club selections include contemporary fiction and the occasional memoir or non-fiction. Everyone is invited to join us. This month's selection is "Small Mercies" by Dennis Lehane. 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 email.

[Online]  6 pm Thursday January 18th and other dates
Known & Unknown Worlds: Fictions of the 21st Century with Phil Weinstein
Beginning in January, Philip Weinstein, the Alexander Griswold Cummins Professor of Literature at Swarthmore College, will present a nine-part seminar on Zoom, Known and Unknown Worlds: Fictions of the 21st Century, studying six of the most resonant novels published (in English) in the 1st two decades of our new century. The first two sessions will be devoted to Jonathan Franzen's The Corrections. To learn more about the class, including the full list of assigned books and how to register, please click here.

[Online] 6 pm Tuesday January 23rd
Art Class: "Frida with Parrot"
Join us online for a step-by-step drawing class led by art teacher Barbara Freiberg and learn how to draw a still life based on Frida Kahlo's 1951 painting "Still Life with Parrot and Fruit." For more information and a supply list, please click here. 

[Online] 6 pm Tuesday January 30th
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: harissa. REGISTER 

Click here to Read More Information About Vineyard Haven Public Library Weekly Happenings - December 24, 2023