Our Children’s Department, downstairs at the Edgartown Library, is an entire floor filled with resources and program spaces for children and young adults. We hope you’ll check this page frequently for news of special events.

Resources

The Children’s Department has three main spaces. Left of the entrance is the Young Adult area, set apart by a bank of six public computers, with a table for homework and two reclining chairs for comfortable reading. In the center of the room are the fiction and nonfiction book shelves. On the far side of the room is a space for younger children, with a sofa for friendly reading sessions and lots of kid-sized chairs and soft throw-rugs, set beside a wall filled with picture-books. Along that wall are the Children’s Department collections of videos, DVDs and audio books.

Our Summer Calendar

The Edgartown Library Children's Department plans to fill the Tuesdays of this summer with programs. Below is the full rundown for activities in July and August (you can also download this calendar and print it out at home):

July 8: Frogs & Their Habitats -- Learn about frogs, including the Vineyard’s own famous pinkletinks, in this 3 p.m. program. The craft activity will be a simple origami frog that hops when it’s finished. We’ll also feature an "infotainment" program, "How to Dress like a Frog." Toddler Time and Story Hours this week will include stories about frogs, too.

July 14 (note, this is a Monday!): Animal Visit with Gus Ben David -- Beloved Island naturalist Gus Ben David visits with his animal friends at 3 p.m. for a program on the library lawn, if the weather permits. If it’s raining, we’ll all move downstairs. Gus has a real gift for communicating with children, and always offers nature programs that both inform and entertain. We expect a crowd, and advise that you get here early! Toddler Time and Story Hour programs this week will feature stories about birds, especially owls.

July 22: Under the Sea with Maggie Rioux -- Maggie Rioux, who works at the MBL/WHOI Library at Woods Hole Oceanographic and is an avid diver, will present a 3 p.m. program featuring underwater photography from northern waters and from the Caribbean. She’ll also show us her diving gear in a program that promises to intrigue both young and old. Toddler Time and Story Hour programs this week will feature the theme of "fish tales."

July 29: Vineyard Shore Life with Robert & Wendy Culbert -- Naturalists Robert and Wendy Culbert will present a 3 p.m. program that begins on the library lawn, heading out to Fuller Street Beach to look at the unique habitat that is the water’s edge. (You'll need a signed permission slip for this outing.) Back at the library, a simple "make & take" crab shell program will round out the afternoon.

August 5: Imaginary Beasts/Where the Wild Things Are, with Phyllis Vecchia -- Every summer, the Edgartown Library tries to schedule a children’s program with the remarkable Phyllis Vecchia, whose creative dramatics programs involve children with lots of imagination in creating their own stories. She tells the youngsters about the theatre, helps them create a short script from a story, and the afternoon concludes with a lively performance. You’ll need to sign up for this 3 p.m. program — call 508-627-4221. Stories about imaginary "wild beasts" will be told at Toddler Time and Story Hour this week.

August 12: Dragonflies and Other Waterbugs -- Learn about interesting water insects in this week’s 3 p.m. program. Children will have the chance to make their own dragonflies out of beads, glitter and pipe cleaners. This week’s Toddler Time and Story Hour programs will focus on water insects and pond life in general.

August 19: The Topic Is Turtles -- Two of our Library staff will bring their pet turtles from home to visit with children at this week’s 3 p.m. program — and in the "make & take" crafts program, kids will create their own turtle doorstops. Toddler Time and Story Hour will feature turtles this week.

August 26: Into the Woods -- Island woodland animals will be the focus of this week’s 3 p.m. program. In this week’s craft program, kids will make squirrels. Story Hour and Toddler Time programs this week will focus on the animals who live in the woods.