**OFF-SEASON HOURS**
SUNDAY: CLOSED
MONDAY: CLOSED
TUESDAY: 10:30 - 5:00
WEDNESDAY: 10:30 - 6:00
THURSDAY: 10:30 - 5:00
FRIDAY: 10:30 - 1:30
SATURDAY: 10:30 - 5:00
The library will be closed on Tuesday 1/17 in observance of
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, and Tuesday 1/24 for staff training

The Chilmark Library's Big Book Sale continues into January with loads of titles, DVDs, and kid's books--all FREE! Don't miss out! Come in during regular library hours.

The Chilmark Free Public Library is pleased to offer individuals, groups, or organizations the opportunity to display their art exhibits. 
Goals of the exhibits in the library include:

-Supporting community cultural and artistic activities

-Encouraging individuals to contribute to the appreciation of the arts

-Broadening horizons by presenting a wide range of art, collections, or displays

-Nourishing intellectual, aesthetic, and creative growth

-Reaching non-traditional library patrons

Exhibitions typically run for 3 weeks in the summer and 1 month during the rest of the year. The summer is defined as June, July, and August.

Email [email protected] for the application and rules. or call 508-645-3360 for more information.

The Chilmark Library of Things is a collection of games, tools, consumer electronics, and more that you can check out with your library card!  All items go out for two weeks.
Examples of items currently in our collection:

-Birding kit, with binoculars and device to recognize bird calls

-Handheld camcorder

-Gardening kit with a gloves, tools, and a sample of seeds

-Ukulele

-Electric keyboard

-Bongos

-Bocce ball set

-Spikeball set

-And much more!

Stop by the library today to check out an item! These items can be placed on hold at the Chilmark Library.

New Adult Programs

Please email Adult Programming Coordinator Tracy Thorpe at [email protected]g to sign up, get Zoom invite, and/or ask questions. 

Explorations on Sustainability with the Chilmark Library

Questioning everyday decisions, actions, and habits helps create awareness and stewardship rather than blind consumerism and waste. Join the Chilmark Library as we explore ways to include sustainability in our everyday lives with this series of in-person and virtual talks and workshops.

Backyard Bees I, Saturday, January 14, 4:00 PM, online with Steve Judd, beekeeper.
Mend & Repair Clinic, Saturday, February 11, 4:00 PM, in person with Angela Sison of Conrado.
Winter Gardening with Beetlebung Farm, Saturday, February 25, 2:00 PM, at Beetlebung Farm with Kate Woods.
Regenerative Gardening with IGI, Saturday, March 25, 2:00 PM at IGI Farm, with Roxanne Kapitan
Energy Resiliency & Climate Change, Saturday, April 15, in person with Robert Hannemann.
Backyard Bees II, Saturday, April 22, 4:00 PM, online with Steve Judd, beekeeper.
BiodiversityWorks Natural Neighbors, Wednesday, May 17, 5:00 PM, in person with Rich Couse.

Email [email protected] to sign up and get the Zoom invite.
Free. Sponsored by the Friends of the Chilmark Library. 508-645-3360

Saturday, January 14 and Saturday, April 22, at 4:00 PM: Backyard Beekeeping with Steve Judd, a two-part online workshop.

You know you’ve always wanted to keep bees in your yard, right? Did you know that a minimum time commitment is required?

And did you know that wholesale conversion of habitat on tropical islands and in coastal areas for sugar production has led to significant environmental damage—particularly a loss of biodiversity. Sugar mills produce wastewater, emissions and solid waste that impact the environment. The massive quantities of plant matter and sludge washed from mills decompose in freshwater bodies, absorbing all the available oxygen and leading to massive fish kills. In addition, mills release flue gases, soot, ash, ammonia and other substances during processing.

Learn about the sweet alternative—your own honey. Join Steve Judd, beekeeper extraordinaire in a two-part beekeeping program. 

Saturday, January 14, 4:00 PM:  Learn the basics of beekeeping.

Saturday, April 22, 4:00 PM: Learn the equipment of beekeeping, and discover sources for bees, the tools you’ll need, and resources for support.

Email [email protected] to sign up and get the Zoom invite.
Free. Sponsored by the Friends of the Chilmark Library. 508-645-3360

Four Fabulous Women Artists (You Probably Never Heard Of) : Art Talk Series with Janet Mandel. Virtual.

Wednesday January 18, 6:00 PM:  Suzanne Valadon
Suzanne Valadon was the illegitimate daughter of a sewing maid whose formal education ended at age eleven. She worked as a circus acrobat and artists’ model and gleaned what she could about painting by watching and listening to the men who put her image on canvas. Toulouse-Lautrec and Degas were her most important artistic influences. Under their tutelage she began to paint and created powerful, unconventional images, principally of women. Although mostly unknown today, she is regarded by scholars as an important chronicler of women’s experiences. Her paintings remain fresh and modern, cementing her legacy as a significant figure in the history of art.

Tuesday February 7, 6:00 PM: Florine Stettheimer
One of New York’s most unconventional painters, Florine Stettheimer was a keen and opinionated observer of the people and rapidly changing world around her. Her famous salon, attended by New York’s avant-garde during the 1920s through the early ’40s, was legendary. She prophetically chose to portray subjects considered controversial even today, such as race, sexual orientation, gender, and religion. Come and hear about the unique life of this German-Jewish artist and see some of her most celebrated works. It is time to recognize Florine Stettheimer as one of the most significant artists of the 20^th century, whose work remains as modern and relevant today as it was a century ago.

Wednesday March 22, 6:00 PM: Augusta Savage
Augusta Savage overcame poverty, racism, and gender discrimination to become a luminary of the Harlem Renaissance. Her sculptures celebrated African American culture, and her work as an arts educator and political activist catalyzed social change. This talk will explore Savage’s lasting legacy by examining her remarkable life and affecting works, as well as those of the younger artists she inspired.

Wednesday April 19: 6:00 PM: Ruth Asawa
American sculptor, educator, and arts activist Ruth Asawa is known for her extensive body of work including paintings, printmaking, public commissions, and especially her wire sculptures that challenge conventional notions of material and form.  A firm believer in the radical potential of arts education, she also devoted herself to expanding access to art-focused educational programs by co-founding the Alvarado Arts Workshop in 1968 and the first public arts high school in San Francisco in 1982. Come and hear about this pioneering and inspirational artist.
Janet Mandel taught in New Jersey’s public schools for 32 years, where she taught English, art history, World Languages and Cultures. Now retired, Janet presents illustrated talks on a variety of art history topics at adult schools, libraries, museums, senior centers, community centers, and similar venues.

Email  [email protected]  or  [email protected]  to sign up and receive the Zoom invite.
Free. Sponsored by the Vineyard Haven and Chilmark Public Libraries.

Tuesday, January 24 at 7 PM
“And That's the Way It Is,” A Look Back at 70 Years of TV News with Brian Rose. [Online]

Television news has undergone remarkable transformations in the last seven decades. Brian Rose will present from the Camel News Caravan to Walter Cronkite who became the anchor of the CBS Evening News to 24-hour news cycle 7 days a week. We will learn about MSNBC and Fox News Channel, which introduced a more partisan approach to news coverage that would have enormous implications for American political life. This presentation will look at these sweeping changes and examine the impact--both good and bad--of television journalism over the last seven decades.

BRIAN ROSE is a professor emeritus at Fordham University, where he taught for 38 years in the Department of Communication and Media Studies. He’s written several books on television history and cultural programming, and conducted more than a hundred Q&A’s with leading directors, actors, and writers for the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences, the Screen Actors Guild, the British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Directors Guild of America.

Free. Sponsored by the Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, Vineyard Haven, West Tisbury, and Chilmark Libraries. Email your local library for the Zoom access, or for more information.

Thursday, January 26, 3:00 PM: Tea Club

Join our monthly tasting and talk with teas from around the world. Pick up your tea previous to our discussion, and either brew beforehand or brew during our monthly Zoom meeting where we will discuss the taste, origin, history and producer of the specific tea in hand (or cup.) January’s tasting is Mauritius Vanilla from Mauritius, Africa.

Email [email protected] to sign up, receive your tea, and get the Zoom invite.
Free. Sponsored by the Friends of the Chilmark Library. 508-645-3360

Thursday, January 26, 5:00:
Whole Grains vs. Refined Grains: A Virtual Talk with Jeanne Schumacher.

Online. Whole grains are grains that haven't had their bran and germ removed by milling; therefore, all of the nutrients remain intact. They are excellent sources of fiber and other important nutrients, such as selenium, potassium and magnesium. Refined grains are milled, a process that strips out both the bran and germ to give them a finer texture and longer shelf life. Learn more about the differences, the impact on your health, and why so many people suddenly have a gluten intolerance.

Jeanne Schumacher, M.Ed., Ed.D., earned her doctorate in science and education, has taught for over 35 years, and earned her Nutrition Certificate through eCornell - Center for Nutritional Studies. Being passionate about making a difference in the lives of others, she teaches practical ways to improve your health. She believes that food is our best medicine and helps us get our bodies back to a state of health when faced with “dis”-ease. She has been sharing her knowledge through motivational and educational lectures as well as on her website www.SimplyPlantBased.net.

Email [email protected] to sign up and get the Zoom invite.
Free. Sponsored by the Friends of the Chilmark Library. 508-645-3360

Technology help by appointment on Tuesdays from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM. Bring your tablet, ereader, computer, phone, or any questions about library technology services. Call the library at 508-645-3360 or email [email protected] to reserve an appointment.

Art Shows Are Back!

Youth Services

Make no-heat play dough and help your child build fine motor skills and creative confidence! 

Recommended for children aged 1 to 5. Free, all supplies provided.

Tuesday January 10 @ 11 AM. Call 508-645-3360 for more information.

Enjoy listening to stories about colors and counting while your child masters their fine motor skills! Children can play with pom poms and oversize tweezers, and can practice sorting items by color, number, or size.

Recommended for children aged 1 to 5. Free, all supplies provided.

Tuesday January 31 @ 11 AM. Call 508-645-3360 for more information.

Join us every Wednesday from 2:30 PM to 3:30 PM in the Chilmark Library Meeting room to play with LEGOs. We provide the LEGOs, you provide the creativity! This program is free and open to the public. Registration is not required.

Join Caroline on Saturdays at 11 AM for an in-person story time. This event is free and open to the public, but the stories and songs are geared toward toddlers and preschoolers. 

Masks are required for all patrons aged 2+, regardless of vaccination status. Children aged 10 and younger must be accompanied by a caregiver.

Did you know that 85% of what we learn, we learn by listening? Give kids access to their favorite books on the audiobook player built just for them. No downloads or internet needed.

Simply plug in headphones and press play. Learn more at playaway.com/audiobooks/kids

Borrow their favorite audiobooks today at the Chilmark Free Public Library. Our brand new collection includes favorite kid titles: Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, Warrior Cats, and more!

Virtual Resources

Libby: https://www.overdrive.com/apps/libby
Libby is an Overdrive app designed to make borrowing and enjoying eBooks and audiobooks easier than ever. Try it out on your smartphone or tablet! Download it for free from your app store, and log in using your library card number and PIN.

Kanopy: chilmark.kanopy.com
Kanopy is an on-demand streaming video service for West Tisbury Library cardholders.  Download the free app from the app store or log in through your browser. Kanopy allows you 20 borrows per month. Enjoy critically-acclaimed movies, inspiring documentaries, award-winning foreign films, and more! Log in with your library card number and PIN.

Visit https://www.chilmarkma.gov/referenceeresources/read for free access to the NY Times and the Washington Post.

Complimentary access to NYTimes.com and WashingtonPost.com is sponsored by the Martha's Vineyard Library Association.

The Martha’s Vineyard Library Association has partnered with Brainfuse, a national online education company, to provide free online tutoring and homework help to all Martha's Vineyard library cardholders. The program is available seven days a week to anyone with a library card issued by any of the six Martha's Vineyard libraries. Click here to learn more about Brainfuse and get started!