As the holidays approach, it seems like the perfect time to celebrate — in this case, to honor — our Island’s six excellent libraries, each with its own special flair.
I grew up in New York City, which, granted, has its share of great libraries. But I frequented them to browse for books or delve into research for work. Moving here permanently in 2017, I was enthralled by how our libraries do far more than carry much-desired tomes. They are welcoming community centers bustling with activity all year round for residents and visitors alike. Walk into any of them, and they are humming with children and adults, and librarians eager to help them. Edgartown library director Lisa Sherman nurtures this atmosphere: “We have a saying here that there is no unimportant interaction, and we mean that both with our patrons and each other. We believe that’s the foundation of building community.”
“Our libraries brim with resources beyond books,” Ebba Hierta, director at the Chilmark library, points out. “We have so much more to offer than books, movies, and magazines. The libraries now have a collection that they call ‘The Library of Things’ that we loan out. Each one is a little unique.” There are hotspots, Chromebooks, musical instruments, leaf blowers, and metal detectors, to name only a few.
A community fridge at the West Tisbury library is stocked with free commercial and fresh products. Without leaving home, you can borrow e-books and e-audiobooks, not just from the Cape and Island system but from the Boston library. There are also free subscriptions to streaming services, journals, newspapers, and archives. Need help figuring out how to access something online? That is no problem; tech support is always available.
The heart of the community center–like aspect is the vast array of programs each month, run by the staff or Islanders happy to bring their expertise. Just a smattering include art exhibits, author talks, craftsmaking, tap and ballroom dancing, classics and LGBTQ book clubs, poetry- and memoir-writing workshops, American Sign Language practice group, music performances, mahjong and bridge, adaptive yoga and strength training, foreign and domestic movie nights, and cooking classes. There are talks galore, whether they be on shellfishing, foster parenting, or wellness. And I’m not even touching on the countless opportunities for kids.
Amy Ryan, director of the Vineyard Haven library, speaks to the impact of their programs: “They have developed over the past 15 years, which has led us to the renovation of the library with the addition of the new community program room that will allow us to better fulfill adult programming, children’s programming, and performances.”
The West Tisbury library is expanding in other ways. Director Alexandra Pratt explains that another Community Foundation grant enables them to expand their Brazilian Portuguese–language adult and children’s collections: “It’s also to bring in more programming highlighting our Brazilian neighbors, and to move forward with all our signage and more of our marketing being in both English and Brazilian Portuguese.”
Sherman’s comments are apropos: “Island libraries have continually moved toward growth and expansion in response to our communities’ needs and wants. We continue to be regarded as vital hubs, which I’m immensely proud of.”
Libraries are agents of personal growth, as well. Pratt speaks about the gratification regarding young patrons: “It’s great to watch these kids become wonderful young adults. We had a kid come visit us from college recently. He told me hanging out with other kids here that he would not otherwise have chosen to hang out with forced him to become a better person, to learn to cooperate, and be more accepting of others.”
Our libraries also provide much-treasured camaraderie in the long, cold winter months. Chilmark library director Ebba Hierta says about its up-Island location, “There’s not much open other than the gas station. So you can come to the library and get a cup of tea or coffee, bring your friends, and hang out, or use one of our laptops and get some work done.”
The directors emphasized their desire to hear from patrons. Ryan urges, “If you don’t see something you want, definitely ask, because so many things are being published with different formats. We do our best to determine what the community wants, but we’re open to hearing from people. Please let us know if there’s something you want that we’re not doing, or a book you want to read that we don’t have.”
Aquinnah library director Rosa Parker reflects, “We are incredibly fortunate to have a library in every town on Martha’s Vineyard, and each one has their unique character. Libraries are critical to the fabric of communities in innumerable ways. They truly are the great equalizers, as we serve people of every age, gender, education level, income level, ethnicity, and physical ability. Libraries are one of the few places where people can find solace, connection, and entertainment at no cost. We provide services and resources that empower the members of our community to learn, work, grow, play, and find connection.” As Ryan observes, “They really are unlike anything else in our society.”
