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March 2017 @
Sturgis Library
Barnstable Village
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Let's get the 150th Anniversary Party Started!
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William Sturgis Birthday and Open House
Saturday, February 25 @ 4:00 pm -
6:00 pm
William Sturgis, the founder and original benefactor of Sturgis Library, was born on February 25th, 1782.
At this event we not only celebrate his birthday, but will officially kick off our 150th Anniversary celebration. Sturgis Library opened its doors in August of 1867, and in 2017 we are celebrating 150 years of library service to the community.
The open house celebration will feature:
-An opportunity to gather together with friends, neighbors, Sturgis Library patrons, and members of the community
-Wine, soft drinks, and appetizers
-The debut of the Sturgis community family tree
-Exhibits of documents and photographs related to the history of Sturgis Library
In addition,
students at the Sturgis Charter School (which is also named for William Sturgis) are creating a timeline/poster that will highlight important moments in William Sturgis's life. The poster will include original drawings, paintings, and digital images, and will be exhibited at the Open House.
Students contributing to the timeline are:
-Lily Bergeron, Class of 2018 - East (
Pocasset)
-Caroline Dorfman, Class of 2018 - West (Cotuit)
-Thomas Harris,
Class of 2018 - East (Sandwich)
-Juan David (Alex) Marquez-White, Class of 2017 - East (Cataumet)
-Alex Scott,
Class of 2018 - West
(
Buzzards Bay)
-Jennifer Smith,
Class of 2018 - East
(Plymouth)
Faculty/Staff who assisted with the project are:
-Xanthippi Abel, Art Teacher - East Campus
-Peter Richenburg, Art Teacher - West Campus
-William Mathews, Community Outreach Coordinator
-Marion Weeks,
Community Outreach Coordinator
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William Sturgis, Early Feminist
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The Barnstable Centennial: William Sturgis Takes a Stand for Women
 During the summer of 1839, a committee was chosen from Barnstable, consisting of David Crocker, Sylvanus Phinney, and Zenus Bassett, to confer with William Sturgis, John Dimmock, and Joshua Sears, in Boston, to make necessary arrangements for celebrating the centennial in Barnstable and the erecting of a pavilion to accommodate at least twelve hundred persons to the dinner.
Captain Sturgis declined to take part in the celebration, or to act with the committee, unless arrangements were made for ladies to dine with the company, and to join in all the festivities proper for the occasion. He believed the ladies had a common interest in the celebration, and that they should share in all or none. If they were excluded from the dinner-table they might with propriety let the gentlemen dance alone, and then retire alone and indulge in "sweet or bitter fancies, as they may chance to come."
He specially desired that it might first be tried at the banquet at Barnstable, and let the motto from one end of the Union to the other be, "Dine together and dance together, or dine alone and dance alone." It is enough to say that this recommendation was adopted unanimously by the committee, and more than four hundred ladies, for the first time in the history of the Government, partook of a public dinner at Barnstable.
--from A Biographical Sketch of Sylvanus B. Phinney
Special note: William Sturgis and his wife Elizabeth were parents of five accomplished daughters, which may have had some influence on his stance on this issue.
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Annual Library Dinner Tickets on Sale Now
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 Join us for the 11th Annual Sturgis Library Dinner
Sunday, March 19th, 2017
5:00 pm for drinks, 6:00 pm for dinner
At the Cummaquid Golf Club
35 Marstons Lane, Yarmouth Port, MA
Celebrate spring
with the Library Trustees, staff, neighbors, and fellow library supporters. Enjoy good company, a beautiful location, and great food! We'll be officially introducing the newly established Preservation Fund.
On the menu:
You choice of a variety of dishes:
- Appetizers and cheeses
- Stuffed Pork & Roast Chicken
- Salad & Sides
- Dessert & Coffee
- Cash Bar
Tickets are $65.00 each
Meal, tax, and gratuity all included.
A portion of the ticket price benefits Sturgis Library
To purchase tickets stop by the Library
3090 Main Street (Route 6A)
Barnstable Village
Or call us at (508) 362-6636
Email: sturgislibrary@comcast.net
Credit cards accepted
Purchase Tickets by March 15th
We hope to see you there!
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Off the Shelf Art Project
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 Create a piece of art from a piece of Sturgis Library! Ask for a shelf from our old 1920s basement bookshelves. Take it home and transform it into something new! Paint on it, sculpt it, carve it, cut it up, sand it down - whatever inspires you. Then donate it back to us by August 1st, 2017 for our 150th Anniversary Party's auction.
All proceeds from these works of art will benefit the
newly established Sturgis Library Preservation Fund.
Read more about the Preservation Fund in the next article.
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Sturgis Library Preservation Fund
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"Preserving History for Generations"
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 In 1863, William Sturgis left a bequest of $15,000 to help fund the Sturgis Library in its early years. In today's funds, that is the equivalent of nearly $250,000!
In honor of the 150th anniversary of Sturgis Library, the Board of Trustees recently established the
Sturgis Library Preservation Fund. Donations made to this special fund will be used exclusively for the preservation of the Library's building, grounds, special collections, and archives.
Several special donors made the first donations to the Preservation Fund this month: The Lothropp Family Foundation and Benjamin Beale Baker and Deborah Murphy Baker of the Enable Hope Foundation. We are very grateful for their generous gifts.
Please consider a generous gift of your own to this important fund. These donations will help to ensure that our building and collections are protected and preserved for generations to come.
If you would like to donate online, please click on the DONATE button below and follow the prompts to charge your donation to your credit card or PayPal account. Please indicate in the "purpose" field that your gift is a donation to the Preservation Fund.
All donors of $150 or more will be recognized on our website, in this enewsletter, and on a special donor wall here at the Library.
Thank you.
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Barnstable Village Living History Project
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The Barnstable Village Living History Project
by Mary Petiet
 In this excerpt from the Barnstable Village Living History Project, local resident Robbie Stewart shares a memory of the harbor and the fishermen who worked there. The project aims to record and preserve living memories of Barnstable Village.
The most beautiful sight, one that always to me was like a signature for Barnstable, was the fishermen...drying their nets out on Common Fields during the Second World War and shortly after,... and I believe one of them was Tony, a little old Portuguese fisherman out there, and he knew how to sew those nets.
 I remember the fishermen going out at 5:30 in the morning, and [hearing] ... Portuguese fishermen and different dialects, and... the put-puts of the boat. It was like a symphony orchestra because it always seemed in the morning it was a dead calm.
They went outside of the harbor towards the back beach of Sandy Neck, over the point. They caught mackerel, cod and flounder trap fishing, so you'd see them sorting them when they came [back] in.
The postcard pictures show local fishermen from those days with their catch and trap, or weir fishing. From the Sturgis Library archives collection of Barnstable Village postcards, ca. 1880-1980.
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Mary Blair Petiet (www.marypetiet.com ) is a reporter, writer and story teller. A long-time contributor to Edible Cape Cod and a reporter for the Bourne Enterprise Newspaper, she writes locally about organic farming, food, and current events. Her book, Minerva's Owls is due out in April 2017, with Homebound Publications.
Do you have stories to tell about life in Barnstable Village in the early days? Please let us know -- call Marcella at 508-362-6636 or email her at sturgisreference@comcast.net.
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TEENS - Don't Throw Away Your Shot
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I'm just like my country,
I'm young, scrappy and hungry
And I'm not throwing away my shot!
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Wednesdays in March from 4:00-6:00pm
Join Alicia Mathewson for a musical multi-media project inspired by Hamilton and based on Barnstable/Sturgis Library history.
Participants will research local historical figures and events over the last 150 years and learn about the making of the Broadway hip-hop musical phenomenon. Alicia will facilitate the group as they endeavor to write and produce their own original creative rendition.
This five week project offers opportunities for vocalists, musicians, writers, artists, set designers and a tech crew. Workshop is for
ages 12-16
(limit 20) and is FREE!!!
Please call 508.362.6636 or email sturgiskids@comcast.net to register.
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150 Years of Reading Great Books
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Our literary discussion program is back by popular demand!
 Tuesday, February 28, 2017
6:30pm
Anne Speyer, editor, library director and teacher, will lead a discussion of selections from Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass.
When the first edition of Walt Whitman's anthology Leaves of Grass burst onto the literary scene in 1855, it not only changed forever the shape of poetry but also revolutionized its content. Shocking to American nineteenth century sensibilities--and it surely shocked many staid Cape Codders-- Whitman celebrated everything about being human and being alive: our bodies and emotions, our work and our play, our desires and
our diversity.
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
6:30pm
Dr. James Crowley, associate professor at Bridgewater State University will lead a discussion of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. Published in 1985, Atwood's award winning novel explores a broad range of issues relating to power, gender, and religious politics. It has been adapted for a television series that premieres this spring.
This program is free, but registration is appreciated:
By phone at 508-362-6636, by email at
sturgisreference@comcast.net
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Armchair Traveler 2017
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GREENLAND
with Bill Cook
Sunday, March 26, 2017
2-4 pm at Sturgis Library
In March
, Bill Cook will show a video and share stories of his 2010 voyage to Greenland.
He left from Marion, MA in early July, and returned there mid-august; distance sailed was about 3500 miles. The area around Cape Farewell, at Greenland's southern tip, can be one of the stormiest in the world, but it is also one of the most spectacular, with a network of fjords, glaciers and impossibly sharp mountain peaks, which
The Lonely Planet Guide described as "a Tolkien Fantasy land." It was also the locale of one of the two Viking settlements during the Middle Ages warm period.
We will enjoy finger foods and drinks. Mark your calendar and join us for another winter adventure.
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April 23
Antarctica with Paul Fitzgerald
** The Scotland program scheduled for Jan 22 was cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control. There is a possibility we will be able to reschedule.
Registration is appreciated. Please call the library at 508-362-6636 or email khorn@clamsnet.org to let us know how many will be attending.
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Exhibits and Displays in March
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 In the Simpkins Room
Photographer, Marie Grady Palcic, will display her images that combine her photographic and painting talents. Originally from Albany, NY, Marie Grady Palcic spent a lifetime vacationing with family on Cape Cod. A self-taught hobbyist, she was lucky to turn her hobby into a successful 35 year career in the retail portrait industry. After retiring, Marie and her husband fulfilled a dream and moved to Cape Cod. Inspired by the beauty of the four seasons on the Cape, Marie's love of photography turned away from portraits and towards the world of nature.
 In the Lobby Wall Display Case
During the month of March, the Library will be exhibiting books, photographs, artifacts, manuscripts and documents from our extensive maritime collections. From the personal and research papers of historian and author Henry Crocker Kittredge to modern works on the maritime trades, Sturgis Library's special collections and archives are a treasure trove of Cape Cod maritime history. Don't miss it!
In the Lobby Floor Display Case
The Town of Barnstable Land Acquisition and Preservation Committee will be promoting the April 14 - 17 Walking Weekend. Learn about walks led by committee members throughout the town.
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Do you have artwork, photography, sculpture, crafts, a collection, or other interesting items to exhibit? Contact Marcella Curry at 508-362-6636 or drop her an email at
A portion of the proceeds from the sale of exhibited art, photography, and crafts benefits the Sturgis Library. Proceeds are used to enhance library services and programs.
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Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
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New museum pass available at Sturgis Library
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 Thanks to the generosity of two Sturgis Library patrons, we now have discount passes available for the Isabella
Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. These passes are date specific and allow a discounted admission of $5.00 for up to four people per pass. (Regular admission is $15.) A CLAMS library card is required to use the pass. The museum is open 11-5 on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday; 11-9 Thursday and closed on Tuesday.
Call the library at 508-362-6636 to reserve your pass.
If you are a museum lover, please consider adopting a museum pass by paying for the pass for a year. To adopt a pass, please contact Assistant Director Karen Horn
at 508-362-6636 or email her at khorn@clamsnet.org. And thank you!
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LEGO Club
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Wednesday, March 1st @ 4:00
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The Sturgis Library LEGO Club meets the first Wednesday of every month from 4-5pm. Collaborate with other brick masterminds as you engineer solutions to a new challenge each month, designed to inspire and enthrall kids of all ages.
FREE! Drop in.
Free healthy snack served to all kids age 18 and under from 3:30-5pm on Wednesdays.
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Knitting For Beginners
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Learn to Knit with Didi McKimmey, For Ages 8-108
Mondays, February 27th Through April 3rd From 4:00-5:30 |
 Battle the winter blues with busy hands and friendly company in this cozy fire-side knitting circle. No prior experience required. Participants can choose between a rolled brim hat or a scarf and will complete their projects in the six week session. This is a FREE class but participants are asked to bring size 8 circular knitting needles, 16 inches in length, and 200 yards of medium weight acrylic blend yarn (avoid black or navy as it will be too difficult to see your stitches).
Advance registration required. Class Limit: 12
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FREE After School Snacks For Kids!
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 Free after school snacks will be available every Wednesday from 3:30-5:00 PM for ANY child age 18 and under.
Healthy snacks will be different each week and served on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
Absolutely no restrictions or requirements apply.
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Preschool Storytime
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 Join us for Drop-In Preschool Storytime every Thursday morning at 11:00. Read, sing and dance with Miss Megan! The program is designed for children ages 2-5 and their parents or caregiver, but siblings are always welcome. Keep an eye on our events calendar or follow us on facebook to hear about the latest programs for children, young adults and their families.
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Barnstable: Memories of the 20th Century
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 Mark your calendars for
Tuesday, April 4, 2017 at 6:30pm
Cape author and freelance writer Jack Sheedy will share stories he discovered while researching his weekly Barnstable Patriot column, "Early Files." He will showcase interesting local news stories from the 20th century.
You are encouraged to come prepared to share a story of your or your family's life in Barnstable during the 20th century. You are also invited to bring along a personal artifact - a letter, uniform, photograph, pin, or some memento which tells a story about life at that time.
This program is free, but registration is appreciated:
By phone at 508-362-6636, by email at
sturgisreference@comcast.net
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Notary Services Now Available
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Sturgis Library now offers notary services during regular library hours. If you need a document notarized it is best to call ahead at 508-362-6636 and make sure our Notary is available. We're very pleased to make this service available to the public.
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| Library Hours & Holidays |
Sturgis Library will be
open regular hours in March
Regular Library hours are:
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Monday 10 AM to 6 PM
Tuesday 1 PM to 8 PM
Wednesday 10 AM to 6 PM
Thursday, & Friday 10 AM to 5 PM
Saturday 10 AM to 4 PM
Sunday & major holidays CLOSED
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Jeanie Hill, President, Board of Trustees
Greg Williams, Vice President
Lucy Loomis, Library Director
Karen Horn, Assistant Director/Circulation Services
For a complete list of staff and Board members,
__________________________________________________________________
Do you have questions about the Sturgis Library? Contact us:
Phone & Fax:
Phone: 508-362-6636
Fax: 508-362-5467
Email:
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