March 2024 News

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Enter a Drawing for a Basket of Vintage Works on Paper

Sturgis Library is offering a basket of vintage works on paper in a drawing during the months of February and March, to coincide with our Works on Paper exhibit. The basket includes vintage postcards, booklets, pamphlets, a notebook, advertisements, prints, a beautiful framed miniature love letter, and more. The basket is valued at more than $100. Tickets for the drawing are on sale at the desk for $2 each. The winner will be drawn on April 1.

Sturgis Library's Jewelry and Accessories Sale

will be held from April 1 to April 13, 2024 during regular Library hours.

Donate your sparkly treasures today!

Final Movie Matinee with Film Critic Tim Miller

Saturday, March 2, 2024 12:30pm

Join longtime Cape journalist and film critic Tim Miller for a movie matinee featuring Spotlight. The film will be followed by a discussion about the film’s themes and audience reactions.

About the film: Spotlight is the true story of how Boston Globe reporters uncovered a massive abuse scandal and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

This is the final film of a five-part film series with critic and journalist Tim Miller. This series was made possible by the Arts Foundation of Cape Cod

Visit sturgislibrary.org/events or click HERE to register today.

31 Titles: Women in History

Friday, March 15, 2024 12:00pm-1:00pm

Local Cape Cod author Janis Robinson Daly will share a curated list of thirty-one titles of historical fiction to celebrate Women’s History Month.

Come share historical fiction titles you’ve enjoyed

and discover others to add to your "To Be Read" list.

Includes a bingo-styled game with prizes, book signing, and more!

Visit sturgislibrary.org/events or click HERE to register today.

The Art of Picture Books

Tuesday, March 12, 2024 at 12:30pm

Adults are encouraged to join Children's Librarian Christy Munier for a monthly gathering honoring the brilliance of picture books and picture book art.

Each month a different children's book author and/or artist will be discussed.

This gathering will feature artist/author Matthew Cordell.

To register, email Christy at [email protected]

Postcards From a Pandemic

Tuesday, March 19, 2024 5:30pm-6:30pm

Join us as we mark the fourth anniversary of Cape Cod’s entrance into lockdown during the COVID-19 pandemic with live reflections from some of the local artists, poets, and writers featured in Dorothy Skelley’s book, Postcards from a Pandemic: Living on Cape Cod During Covid-19.

Books will be available for purchase. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to Cape Kids Meals.

Visit sturgislibrary.org/events or click HERE to register today.

Cape-Wide Conversations with the News Literacy Project

The News Literacy Project and Sturgis Library are partnering with nineteen other Cape Cod libraries to host two timely and important virtual events.

Thursday, April 25, 2024 5:30pm

This Zoom talk will explore how to have productive conversations about current events without confrontation.

Thursday, May 23, 2024 5:30pm

This Zoom talk will look at how to avoid election misinformation, and will feature WCAI's Mindy Todd.

Cut Paper Pictures Workshop

Tuesday, March 26, 2024 5:30pm-6:30pm

Use paper as your medium to create personalized art with amazing depth and texture in this hands-on workshop for adults of all skill levels!

This program is free. All materials are provided by the library.

To register, visit

sturgislibrary.org/events

or click here.

From the Archives -- Pond Village Resources

If you live on or near Hinckley (aka Coggins) Pond in Barnstable Village, you may be interested to learn that Sturgis Library has several collections related to the homes and families near "Pond Village." Pond Village is comprised of the area around the Pond, off 6A and Scudders Lane.

First in the collection is the fascinating and very readable memoir Pond Village Memories: Biographical Sketches of Mallie Grant Hinckley, 1865-1942 and George Chipman Seabury, 1866-1950 by one of their descendants, the Rev. James Bradbury Mitchell Jr. It tells the story not only of Mallie and George, their family and friends, but also has many recollections of the colorful residents of the Village, the history of many of the buildings, and the remarkable changes that took place on Cape Cod in the 100 or so years of the memoir. To view the memoir, ask at the Circulation Desk for MS. 152.

Accompanying the memoir are scrapbooks compiled by Rev. Mitchell, filled with hundreds of original photographs, articles, documents, and more, related to the Seabury and Hinckley families and others. To view the scrapbooks, ask at the Circulation Desk for MS. 180.

The Library also has a collection of issues of the Great Pond Breeze from 1936 and 1937, published "once in a while in the interests of Pond Villagers now absent from their usual habitations." The mimeographed newsletters convey news about residents near and far. The January 22nd, 1936 issue tells of the convalescence of Mr. and Mrs. Porter's pet dog Patsy. It announces that the Pond Village Book Club is in full swing, and they are reading a book by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. It assures residents that despite evidence to the contrary that love is in the air and romance is not dead in Pond Village, as evidenced by several "affairs" leading to marriage. Also, Miss Maude Baker came home with the first prize from the whist party held at the home of Miss Irene Loring on January 17th. To read the issues, ask at the Circulation desk for MS. 142.

For a complete list of the collections in our archives, see the archives page on our website www.sturgislibrary.org/research/finding-aids/. If you have questions about any of the collections, please contact Lucy Loomis at 508-362-6636 or [email protected].

Did You Miss the Mayflower Families Silver Books Talk?

The Silver Books are a collection of books published by the General Society of Mayflower Descendants which document the Mayflower passengers and their descendants.

In the January Zoom talk, Bonnie Wade-Mucia, Director of the Silver Books Project, discussed the Silver Books Project, its history, why they are unique, and how you can use them in your genealogy research.

If you missed this Zoom talk, you can view it by clicking HERE or visiting http://tinyurl.com/2a79y7mu

We Want Your Garden!

Sturgis Library is participating in the Cape Cod Hydrangea Festival again this year by sponsoring tours of local gardens. We would love to feature yours!

Gardens can be large or small, ornamental or rustic, and they don't have to feature hydrangeas. We've sponsored gardens with perennials, vegetables, grasses, water features, views of ponds or the ocean, gardens with artwork and sculpture, and more.

On the days of the tours (this year July 6th and 8th), visitors pay $5 per garden, and tour the grounds between 10 am and 4 pm. Volunteers work at each garden collecting admission, which benefits Sturgis Library. The homeowner need not be present during the tours unless they choose to be.

For more information on participating, please contact Library Director Lucy Loomis at [email protected] or by calling 508-362-6636.

Barnstable Council on Aging:

Caregiver Connections: After Care is Over

March 19, 2024 at 10:00am

Recovering from loss, rebuilding your life, this is an open discussion about regaining our purpose after being a dedicated caregiver.

Questions? Contact Stacey Cullen at

[email protected]

or call 508-862-4765

Creative Writing Group

Meets every Tuesday at 5:30pm

Adults of all skill levels are invited to Sturgis Library to sharpen their skills and spark their creativity!

Writers collectively agree on a prompt and then gather weekly to share their work.

To register, email Christy at [email protected]

Chess & Checkers

Looking for a mindful way to spend your time? Sturgis Library has chess and checkers sets available for patrons to use in-library during their visit. Inquire at the circulation desk!

Alma Thomas Workshop: Ablaze with Color

Friday, February 23, 2024 from 12:30pm-1:30pm

Join us as we celebrate and honor artist Alma Thomas with this hands-on workshop for kiddos ages 8-12!

Alma Thomas is the first Black woman to have a solo exhibit at the Whitney Museum in New York City and the first Black woman to have her work chosen for the White House Collection. Inspired by nature and space, and with the use of vibrant color in her paintings, Alma sought to focus on beauty and joy.

Drawing inspiration from Alma's work, kids will create their own masterpieces.

All materials are provided by the library.

Registration is required. Click here to register or visit sturgislibrary.org/events

Lego Club

Wednesday, March 13, 2024 1:00pm

It's a half day for Barnstable Public School kiddos! Swing by Sturgis Library to create a Lego masterpiece!

No registration required.

Questions? Email Christy at [email protected]

Weekly Storytime

Wednesdays at 10:30am

Swing by to read a story, illustrate a picture, talk with friends, and learn about nature at Sturgis Library's weekly Storytime!

Geared to ages 2-4 but all are welcome to attend.

Registration is not required.

Questions? Email Christy at [email protected]

The Sprightly Bright Book Club

Wednesday, March 6, 2024 at 4:00pm

Let’s choose, read, and discuss books together! This gathering, we’ll be discussing Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan. Copies of the book are available at the circulation desk.

Copies of the book are available at the circulation desk.

For kiddos 9ish-12ish years old.

Registration is required. To register, please email Christy at [email protected]

Recommended New Titles

Adult Fiction

Celebrate Women's History Month with one of these historical fiction novels!

The American Daughters

by Maurice Carlos Ruffin

A gripping historical novel about a spirited girl who joins a sisterhood working to undermine the Confederates.

Finding Margaret Fuller

by Allison Pataki

An epic imagining of the life of Margaret Fuller — America’s forgotten leading lady and the central figure of a movement that defined a nation.

The Tower

by Flora Carr

A bold, feminist debut novel, reimagining Mary, Queen of Scots’s darkest hour, when she was held hostage in a remote Scottish castle with a handful of loyal women while plotting a daring escape to reclaim her country and her freedom.