Upcoming Events at Vineyard Haven Public Library

Friends of the Library Meeting

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2025-06-28T00:00:00-06:00

Online
Jun 28, 10:15 am
]]>The Friends of the Vineyard Haven Public Library always welcome new members! All volunteers and those who are interested in knowing more about the Friends meet at 10:15 am quarterly on the fourth Saturday of the month. Due to the library renovation meetings are held on Zoom. Contact the library for Zoom access. For more information visit www.vhlibrary.org/friendsjoin.shtml

Author Talk: “Historic Storms of Martha's Vineyard” by Tom Dresser

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-05-26T00:00:00-06:00

Katharine Cornell Theater
May 26, 6:00 PM
]]>Join local historian Tom Dresser for a presentation on his latest book, Historic Storms of Martha's Vineyard, a chronicle of the most memorable storms of the past four centuries on Martha’s Vineyard, including the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635, Hurricane Bob, and the No Name Storm of 1991, among others. This event will be held at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, May 26th at the Katharine Cornell Theatre, located at 51 Spring Street in Vineyard Haven (above Tisbury Town Hall). Free and open to the public. No registration required.

Historic Storms of Martha’s Vineyard is a compilation of the fiercest weather challenges of the past four centuries on Martha’s Vineyard, beginning with the Great Colonial Hurricane of 1635, the granddaddy of our major storms. Dresser takes note of “the year without a summer,” the devastating Portland gale, and Hurricane Edna, and concludes with Hurricane Bob and the No Name Storm of 1991, a pair of obtusely named windstorms that shook us up but were not in the category of the 1635 tempest.

Tom Dresser came to Martha’s Vineyard in 1995 to visit the woman who would eventually become his wife, Joyce Dresser. Since then he has written dozens of books, booklets, and articles about the history of Martha’s Vineyard. Tom has also worked as a teacher, a school bus driver, a tour bus operator, a walking tour leader, and a speaker on various aspects of island history.

Story Circle with Aria at the MV Family Center!

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-05-27T00:00:00-06:00

May 27, 10:45 am
]]>Join us for our weekly story circle with Children's Librarian Aria on Tuesdays (moving to Wednesdays in April) and Fridays -- stories, music, songs, and more! Both 10:45 storytimes will be at the MV Family Center on Greenwood Ave following their 9:30 playgroup.

Kids Crafts - Water Elf Squishies

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-05-27T00:00:00-06:00

May 27, 3:30 pm
]]>Make small squishies with magic gel

Tick Talk Thursdays: Community Q&A with the Martha's Vineyard Tick Program

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-05-28T00:00:00-06:00

Online
May 28, 12 - 1 pm
Registration required. Call -- or Register Online.
]]>

Tick science can be complicated—but getting answers shouldn’t be. Join the Martha’s Vineyard Tick Program for weekly open office hours, where members of the community can ask questions, share experiences, and learn more about ticks, tick-borne diseases, and Alpha-gal syndrome. These sessions are informal, conversational, and grounded in local experience and public health science. If we don’t have an answer on the spot, we’ll help find it. Drop in anytime—whether you have one question or many.*

*Note that individual medical advice will not be provided. Please consult your medical provider if you have questions about your own health.

Virtual Art History Series: American Revolutionary PaintersJohn Singleton Copley

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-05-28T00:00:00-06:00

Online
May 28, 2:00 PM
]]>As a portrait painter in Boston during the 1760s, John Singleton Copley took a bipartisan approach to politics, painting both patriots such as Paul Revere and loyalist such as British General Thomas Gage. However, Copley was forced to take sides when the tea was thrown from his father-in-law’s ship during the Boston Tea Party. Explore Copley’s portraits done in both America over twenty years and in England over the remaining forty years of his life. Led by art historian Martha Chiarchiaro, owner of Seeing History. Click here to register.

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-01T00:00:00-06:00

Landmarks Building 15 Church St
Jun 1,
]]>The Church Street library will be closed on Mondays beginning April 6th. Monday hours will resume when the 200 Main Street library opens following renovation.

The Martha's Vineyard Poetry Reading Group

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-01T00:00:00-06:00

Online
Jun 1, 10:00 AM
]]>Do you love poetry? If so, you'll love the Martha's Vineyard Poetry Reading Group. The Poetry Reading Group has been meeting for over 10 years to share and discuss poems by favorite poets from around the world. Meetings take place via Zoom at 10 AM on the first Monday of each month, from September to June. No qualifications, except a love of poetry. This month’s topic to be announced.

Send an email to vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org to be added to the list. A Zoom link and other materials will be provided.

Story Circle with Aria at the MV Family Center!

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-02T00:00:00-06:00

Jun 2, 10:45 am
]]>Join us for our weekly story circle with Children's Librarian Aria on Tuesdays (moving to Wednesdays in April) and Fridays -- stories, music, songs, and more! Both 10:45 storytimes will be at the MV Family Center on Greenwood Ave following their 9:30 playgroup.

Open Mic Night at the Katharine Cornell Theatre!

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-02T00:00:00-06:00

Katharine Cornell Theater
Jun 2, 6:00 PM
]]>With the closure of Island Music, Open Mic Nights are now co-hosted by Vineyard Haven Public Library and the Vineyard Haven Harbor Cultural District at the Katharine Cornell Theatre. Come to play, or just to listen. Sign-up on arrival, free and open to all!

Science & Nature Book Club Reads "Your Inner Fish" by Neil Shubin

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-03T00:00:00-06:00

Jun 3, 3:00 PM
]]>Do you like reading, thinking, and sharing ideas about science and nature? If so, you'll love the Vineyard Haven Library's Science & Nature book group. This month, we’re reading Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body by Neil Shubin.

The Science & Nature Book Club meets at 3:00 PM on the first Wednesday of each month to discuss nonfiction books about science and nature. For more information and to be added to the email list, please contact vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org or (508) 696-4211. Everyone is welcome!

Shakespearean Explorations with Professor Philip Weinstein

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-03T00:00:00-06:00

Online
Jun 3, 6 pm
]]>Philip Weinstein, the Alexander Griswold Cummins Professor of English Emeritus at Swarthmore College, will present a four-part seminar exploring two of William Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, from 6pm - 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings. Join us for a discussion of Hamlet on May 6th and 20th, and King Lear on June 3rd and 17th. These programs will be held online via Zoom.

Register for the Series

Tick Talk Thursdays: Community Q&A with the Martha's Vineyard Tick Program

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-04T00:00:00-06:00

Online
Jun 4, 12:00 PM
Registration required. Call -- or Register Online.
]]>Tick science can be complicated—but getting answers shouldn’t be. Join the Martha’s Vineyard Tick Program for weekly open office hours, where members of the community can ask questions, share experiences, and learn more about ticks, tick-borne diseases, and Alpha-gal syndrome. These sessions are informal, conversational, and grounded in local experience and public health science. If we don’t have an answer on the spot, we’ll help find it. Drop in anytime—whether you have one question or many.*

*Note that individual medical advice will not be provided. Please consult your medical provider if you have questions about your own health.

Local Off-Season Contra Dance with live music by The Flying Elbows

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-07T00:00:00-06:00

Jun 7, 4:00 PM
]]>The MV Ballroom Dancers invite you to their annual Contra Dance with live music by The Flying Elbows! Organized and sponsored by the MV Ballroom Dancers and the Friends of the Vineyard Haven Library, in collaboration with Pathways Arts and the Unitarian Universalist Society of Martha's Vineyard. Free and open to the public. No registration required.

Off-season music and dance events begin at 4:00 PM and are at the Unitarian Universalist Society’s Stevens Chapel at 238 Main Street. Come to dance, or just to listen. Everyone is welcome!

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-08T00:00:00-06:00

Landmarks Building 15 Church St
Jun 8,
]]>The Church Street library will be closed on Mondays beginning April 6th. Monday hours will resume when the 200 Main Street library opens following renovation.

Story Circle with Aria at the MV Family Center!

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-09T00:00:00-06:00

Jun 9, 10:45 am
]]>Join us for our weekly story circle with Children's Librarian Aria on Tuesdays (moving to Wednesdays in April) and Fridays -- stories, music, songs, and more! Both 10:45 storytimes will be at the MV Family Center on Greenwood Ave following their 9:30 playgroup.

Expert Panel: Ticked Off? What you need to Know!

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-09T00:00:00-06:00

Katharine Cornell Theater
Jun 9, 6:00 PM
]]>Growth of tick populations, diseases, and syndromes are dominating conversations on Martha’s Vineyard, from the dinner table to medical professionals to environmentalists and public health leaders. Hosted by the Vineyard Haven Public Library in collaboration with the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital, this expert panel will answer your questions about preventing bites, seeking medical treatment, alpha gal syndrome, community action, and new research efforts. This event will be held at 6:00 PM on Tuesday, June 9th at the Katharine Cornell Theatre, located at 51 Spring Street in Vineyard Haven (above Tisbury Town Hall). Free and open to the public. No registration required.

The panel will be moderated by Ellen McMahon, MD, of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital. Panelists include: Lea Hamner, MPH of the Inter Island Public Health Excellence Collaborative; Aubrey Stimola Ryan, PA-C of the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital; Josh Levy, MS, RDN, LDN of Vineyard Nutrition; Virginia Barbatti of Tick Free MV; and Kathleen Fitch, NP of Mass General Hospital Infectious Disease Division.

Tick Talk Thursdays: Community Q&A with the Martha's Vineyard Tick Program

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-11T00:00:00-06:00

Online
Jun 11, 12:00 PM
Registration required. Call -- or Register Online.
]]>Tick science can be complicated—but getting answers shouldn’t be. Join the Martha’s Vineyard Tick Program for weekly open office hours, where members of the community can ask questions, share experiences, and learn more about ticks, tick-borne diseases, and Alpha-gal syndrome. These sessions are informal, conversational, and grounded in local experience and public health science. If we don’t have an answer on the spot, we’ll help find it. Drop in anytime—whether you have one question or many.*

*Note that individual medical advice will not be provided. Please consult your medical provider if you have questions about your own health.

Virtual Writing Series: Great Travels Writing Workshop with Caroline Joy Adams

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-11T00:00:00-06:00

Online
Jun 11, 2:00 PM
]]>Explore various writing topics and creative pathways in a supportive writing community led by creative writing coach Caroline Joy Adams. This month is the Great Travels Writing Workshop. Click here to register.

For those who love to travel, this fun, inspiring workshop offers a chance to contemplate, discuss, write about, and share some of our most memorable travel experiences and adventures—either those from recent times or from the long-ago past.

Writers of all experience levels, backgrounds, and interests are invited to attend this virtual series. Writing may take the form of memoir, poetry, fiction, essays, or creative non-fiction. Workshops are held via Zoom on the first Thursday of each month from 2:00-3:30 pm, February through June.

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-15T00:00:00-06:00

Landmarks Building 15 Church St
Jun 15,
]]>The Church Street library will be closed on Mondays beginning April 6th. Monday hours will resume when the 200 Main Street library opens following renovation.

Open Mic Night at the Katharine Cornell Theatre!

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-16T00:00:00-06:00

Katharine Cornell Theater
Jun 16, 6:00 PM
]]>With the closure of Island Music, Open Mic Nights are now co-hosted by Vineyard Haven Public Library and the Vineyard Haven Harbor Cultural District at the Katharine Cornell Theatre. Come to play, or just to listen. Sign-up on arrival, free and open to all!

Board of Library Trustees

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-17T00:00:00-06:00

Online
Jun 17, 3 pm
]]>MAY AND JUNE 2026 MEETINGS WILL BE HELD AT 3PM

The Board of Trustees meets at 6pm on the third Wednesday of each month and welcomes your input.
Meeting will include a Joint Meeting with the Library Building Design and Construction Committee.
Meeting will be held virtually on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/94580360907
To join by telephone: dial 646 558 8656 and enter Meeting ID: 945 8036 0907 when prompted.

Shakespearean Explorations with Professor Philip Weinstein

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-17T00:00:00-06:00

Online
Jun 17, 6 pm
]]>Philip Weinstein, the Alexander Griswold Cummins Professor of English Emeritus at Swarthmore College, will present a four-part seminar exploring two of William Shakespeare's greatest tragedies, from 6pm - 7:30pm on Wednesday evenings. Join us for a discussion of Hamlet on May 6th and 20th, and King Lear on June 3rd and 17th. These programs will be held online via Zoom.

Register for the Series

VHPL Book Club Reads “The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)" by Rabih Alameddine.

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-18T00:00:00-06:00

Jun 18, 2:00 PM
]]>Enjoy a lively discussion in a casual "hybrid" format--both in person at the Tisbury EMS Facility and via Zoom. Book club selections include contemporary fiction and the occasional memoir or nonfiction. This month, we're reading the 2025 National Book Award Winner, The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother) by Rabih Alameddine.

Send an email to vhpl_programs@clamsnet.org to be added to the list. A Zoom link will be sent via email if you’re joining virtually. Everyone is welcome!

CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-19T00:00:00-06:00

Landmarks Building 15 Church St
Jun 19,
]]>The library will be closed for the holiday today.

Tisbury Family Shellfish Day

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-20T00:00:00-06:00

Jun 20, 9AM
]]>

Join the Tisbury Shellfish Department and Friends for our 10th Annual Family Shellfish Day!
Saturday June 20th from 9am-11am @Lagoon Pond Family Area
Children must be accompanied by an adult. Wear appropriate clothing for wading in the water and being exposed to the sun (bring sunblock).

No Experience Necessary
Learn How To Quahog, the Importance Of Shellfish, Ponds Ecology
Join Local Shellfishermen and Learn How You Can Become a Good Steward of the Pond
Free Event!

To sign up, email: dewart@tisburyma.gov

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-22T00:00:00-06:00

Landmarks Building 15 Church St
Jun 22,
]]>The Church Street library will be closed on Mondays beginning April 6th. Monday hours will resume when the 200 Main Street library opens following renovation.

Nôepe: A Wôpanâak History of the Island

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-23T00:00:00-06:00

Katharine Cornell Theater
Jun 23, 6:00 PM
]]>To understand the history of the island from the Wampanoag perspective, we must look to the land and waterways that make up Nôepe and seek to understand the stories they hold. Nôepe is Wôpanâak Homelands and has been for thousands of years. By utilizing both oral tradition and primary source documents, participants will engage with island history from the Wampanoag perspective and gain an introductory understanding to Wampanoag continuance in this place and space. This presentation aims to dispel myths and misunderstandings of land ownership and use, Wampanoag history, continued existence, and more. Participants will explore ways to support Wampanoag histories and communities and leave with a new understanding of the island.

Brad Lopes is an Aquinnah Wampanoag citizen and life-long educator currently working within the traditional homelands of his people, the Wampanoag Nation. He currently serves as the Education Manager for the Aquinnah Wampanoag Tribal Education Department (TED) and as the Education and Public Programs Manager for the Aquinnah Cultural Center, an Aquinnah Wampanoag museum located on Nôepe (Martha's Vineyard). Prior to this, Brad went to the University of Maine Farmington, located in Wabanaki Homelands, and graduated with a degree in Secondary Education before spending five years teaching Social Studies to students in 7 - 12 grade. In his time in education, Brad has sought to decolonize the pedagogies, content, and ways of understanding education, including the ways in which public education can reinforce stereotypes and harmful understandings of Indigenous people.

The Light of Awareness: The Ancient Art of Zen Meditation and the 21st-Century Work of Byron Katie.

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-27T00:00:00-06:00

Katharine Cornell Theater
Jun 27, 10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Registration required. Call -- or Register Online.
]]>Join Jonathan Herrick, LCSW, for this two-hour workshop combining two powerful, pragmatic approaches that can reduce personal suffering and increase the capacity for happiness and love. The workshop’s ultimate focus is on the nature of awareness and on providing participants with practical skills that can benefit their lives. It will introduce four primary Zen meditation practices, walk participants through Katie’s four-step “CBT on steroids,” and demonstrate the similarities, differences, and strengths of each practice. Ample time is included for Q & A.

Jonathan Herrick has been in private psychotherapy practice for over 40 years as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. After receiving his master’s degree from New York University, he trained extensively with some of the world’s foremost mentors and institutes, including a decade with Byron Katie, who asked him to write about her work's relationship to Zen Buddhism. His training with leading Zen, Tibetan Buddhist, and Advaita Vedanta masters includes Philip Kaplea, H.W.L. Poonja, Ramesh Balsekar, Jean Klein, and Anam Thubten. He has led Psychology of Selves workshops and practiced in Westport, Connecticut, Park Slope, San Francisco, and now on Martha’s Vineyard.

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-06-29T00:00:00-06:00

Landmarks Building 15 Church St
Jun 29,
]]>The Church Street library will be closed on Mondays beginning April 6th. Monday hours will resume when the 200 Main Street library opens following renovation.

CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-07-04T00:00:00-06:00

Landmarks Building 15 Church St
Jul 4,
]]>The library will be closed for the holiday today.

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-07-06T00:00:00-06:00

Landmarks Building 15 Church St
Jul 6,
]]>The Church Street library will be closed on Mondays beginning April 6th. Monday hours will resume when the 200 Main Street library opens following renovation.

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-07-13T00:00:00-06:00

Landmarks Building 15 Church St
Jul 13,
]]>The Church Street library will be closed on Mondays beginning April 6th. Monday hours will resume when the 200 Main Street library opens following renovation.

Board of Library Trustees

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-07-15T00:00:00-06:00

Online
Jul 15, 6 pm
]]>MAY AND JUNE 2026 MEETINGS WILL BE HELD AT 3PM

The Board of Trustees meets at 6pm on the third Wednesday of each month and welcomes your input.
Meeting will include a Joint Meeting with the Library Building Design and Construction Committee.
Meeting will be held virtually on Zoom: https://zoom.us/j/94580360907
To join by telephone: dial 646 558 8656 and enter Meeting ID: 945 8036 0907 when prompted.

Terrible Thicket Escape Room with Wicked Fun Games Session 1

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-08-12T00:00:00-06:00

200 Main Street Library
Aug 12, 3:30 pm
Registration required, begins Jul 1. Call -- or Register Online.
]]>You’ve become lost in the Forest! Mix Potions with the correct herbs, Read the Signs of the forest, & translate fairy messages to find your way out!
An Escape room is a series of Themed puzzles and Obstacles for the participants to work together to solve and overcome within a specific amount of time.
10 particiapnts at a time!

Terrible Thicket Escape Room with Wicked Fun Games Session 2

support@engagedpatrons.org (EngagedPatrons Support) — 2026-08-12T00:00:00-06:00

200 Main Street Library
Aug 12, 5:00 pm
Registration required. Call -- or Register Online.
]]>You’ve become lost in the Forest! Mix Potions with the correct herbs, Read the Signs of the forest, & translate fairy messages to find your way out!
An Escape room is a series of Themed puzzles and Obstacles for the participants to work together to solve and overcome within a specific amount of time.
10 particiapnts at a time!

Upcoming Events at Vineyard Haven Public Library

Friends of the Library Meeting

Author Talk: &ldquo;Historic Storms of Martha's Vineyard&rdquo; by Tom Dresser

Story Circle with Aria at the MV Family Center!

Kids Crafts - Water Elf Squishies

Tick Talk Thursdays: Community Q&A with the Martha's Vineyard Tick Program

Virtual Art History Series: American Revolutionary PaintersJohn Singleton Copley

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

The Martha's Vineyard Poetry Reading Group

Story Circle with Aria at the MV Family Center!

Open Mic Night at the Katharine Cornell Theatre!

Science & Nature Book Club Reads "Your Inner Fish" by Neil Shubin

Shakespearean Explorations with Professor Philip Weinstein

Tick Talk Thursdays: Community Q&A with the Martha's Vineyard Tick Program

Local Off-Season Contra Dance with live music by The Flying Elbows

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

Story Circle with Aria at the MV Family Center!

Expert Panel: Ticked Off? What you need to Know!

Tick Talk Thursdays: Community Q&A with the Martha's Vineyard Tick Program

Virtual Writing Series: Great Travels Writing Workshop with Caroline Joy Adams

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

Open Mic Night at the Katharine Cornell Theatre!

Board of Library Trustees

Shakespearean Explorations with Professor Philip Weinstein

VHPL Book Club Reads &ldquo;The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)" by Rabih Alameddine.

CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY

Tisbury Family Shellfish Day

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

Nôepe: A Wôpanâak History of the Island

The Light of Awareness: The Ancient Art of Zen Meditation and the 21st-Century Work of Byron Katie.

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

CLOSED FOR THE HOLIDAY

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

Temporarily CLOSED Mondays

Board of Library Trustees

Terrible Thicket Escape Room with Wicked Fun Games Session 1

Terrible Thicket Escape Room with Wicked Fun Games Session 2

Author Talk: “Historic Storms of Martha's Vineyard” by Tom Dresser

VHPL Book Club Reads “The True True Story of Raja the Gullible (and His Mother)" by Rabih Alameddine.