February 2023 News

New Carpeting

Our new carpeting and flooring will be installed starting January 23rd, 2023, and should take about a week and a half. We hope to reopen by February 1st or 2nd.

The Library will be fully CLOSED to the public on Monday, January 23rd and Tuesday, January 24th.

The Library will be providing abbreviated service starting Wednesday, January 25th through February 1st. We plan to offer service each day (except Sunday) from 10am to 3pm.

We will be moving our circulation functions into the historic section of the building.
Patrons will enter the building through the front door of the Library. Please be aware that the front door is not handicapped accessible. If you wish to request curbside pickup, please let us know.
The main area of the Library will not be accessible to the public.
In the historic section, patrons will be able to browse and check out new books, pick up reserved items, read the paper and new magazines, access a computer, and learn more about the Library's history.
We are a fine-free libary, so no fines will accrue during the closure or abbreviated hours.

These details are all subject to change. Please keep an eye on our website and our eNewsletter for future updates.

We apologize for the disruption in Library service, and appreciate your patience during this time.

If you have any questions about this project, please contact Lucy Loomis at 508-362-6636 or [email protected].

Hartman Deetz program & exhibit to be rescheduled

Nation to Nation Trade Commerce and Diplomacy Among Tribal Nations of New England

Mr. Deetz will display his wampum at the Library throughout June and will give his talk later that month.

To be sent an email reminder about this program please email Gabrielle at [email protected]

Storytime to be held outside

January 25th and February 1st

Weekly Storytime will still gather but we will be outside on:

Wednesday, January 25th at 10:30am

Wednesday, February 1st at 10:30am

In the event of rain or snow, Storytime will be cancelled.

Programs Cancelled During Carpet Installation

Knitting Group

Monday, January 23rd

Monday, January 30th

Chess Group

Tuesday, January 24th

Thursday, January 26th

Tuesday, January 31st

Writers' Group

Tuesday, January 24th

Tuesday, January 31st

Lego Club

Wednesday, January 25th

What's Happening at This Time

Discussion Group

Friday, January 27th

Donate your Jewelry and Accessories

We hold our annual Jewelry and Accessories sale the first two weeks of April, and we're looking for donations of gently used and new items: earrings, necklaces, bracelets, brooches and pins, sunglasses scarves, hats, purses and bags, jewelry boxes, and more! Donations may be left at the circulation desk during regular library hours.

Understanding Our History: A Lifelong Learner Series

Come to one or all of the sessions in this five-part reading and lecture series to learn about little-known or often misunderstood areas of US history.

Each session, led by a subject matter expert, is designed to give participants a deeper understanding of their shared history as Americans.

Participants can engage more fully with the lectures by reading the selected reading material ahead of time. Copies will be available at the Library's circulation desk at least one month prior to the session dates.

For more information or to register, email Gabrielle at [email protected]

Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 2:00pm

Scars of Revolt: The Revolution's First Year in Massachusetts with Len Travers, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth

Saturday, March 18, 2023 at 2:00pm

Sailing to Freedom: The Maritime Dimensions of the Underground Railroad with Timothy D. Walker, Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth

Tuesday, April 18, 2023 at 6:00pm

The History of Voting Rights in America with Claudine Barnes, Professor of History at Cape Cod Community College

Tuesday, May 30, 2023 at 6:00pm

The Black Freedom Movement with Sara-Ann Semedo, Academic Coordinator at Cape Cod Community College and host of Intentional Critical Conversations

Date in June TBD

Nation to Nation: Trade Commerce and Diplomacy Among Tribal Nations of New England with Hartman Deetz, enrolled member of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and owner of Ockway Bay Wampum

Antique Sampler and Embroidery Exhibit

Sturgis Library is partnering with Barnstable Historical Society, the Nye Museum in Sandwich, and several individual collectors to offer an exhibit of antique samplers and other needlework throughout the months of February and March, 2023.

This impressive exhibit features pieces owned by the Library, Historical Society, Museum, and from privately owned collections. The exhibit will feature samplers that date back to the early 1800s, embroidered furniture, tools of the trade, and more.

According to the Smithsonian, the earliest known American sampler was made by Loara Standish of the Plymouth Colony about 1645. By the 1700s, samplers depicting alphabets and numerals were worked by young women to learn the basic needlework skills needed to operate the family household. By the late 1700s and early 1800s, schools or academies for well-to-do young women flourished, and more elaborate pieces with decorative motifs such as verses, flowers, houses, religious, pastoral, and/or mourning scenes were being stitched. The parents of these young women proudly displayed their embroideries as showpieces of their work, talent, and status.

Join us at Sturgis Library for the opening celebration of the Antique Sampler and Embroidery Exhibit on Tuesday, February 7th at 6pm. Marcia Brown Smith will be speaking briefly about the historical importance of needle arts in historic terms. Wine and tea will be available during the opening celebration.

Embroidery Beginners Workshop

Saturday, February 11, 2023 10:00am-12:00pm

Join embroidery artist and expert Marcia Brown Smith for a beginner-level embroidery workshop. Participants will stitch a monogram with a border. This program is appropriate for adults and teens. Materials will be provided.

Space is limited. Registration is required. Please email Christy at [email protected]

Scars of Revolt: The Revolution's First Year in Massachusetts

Saturday, February 18, 2023 at 2:00pm

Joblessness, poverty, disease, and displacement– these are not part of the traditional story one usually hears of the Revolution's opening year. And yet, these were realities of life in Massachusetts in 1775.

For all its transformative and positive effects, the first year of the war for independence brought real destruction, suffering, fear, and injustice to the people of Massachusetts, more than for the rest of the war.

As Patriot’s Day approaches, join Len Travers, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of Massachusetts, for a gripping look at how ordinary people experienced the trauma of revolt.

To register email Gabrielle at [email protected]

This program is part of a five-session reading and lecture series called Understanding Our History: A Lifelong Learner Series. Each lecture, led by a subject matter expert, sheds light on areas of US history that are little known or often misunderstood. Participants can engage more deeply with the lectures by reading the selected reading material ahead of time.

The article for this lecture is available here or at the Library's circulation desk.

Edible Perennials

Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 6:00pm

"Have your yard and eat it, too!"

Edible Landscapes of Cape Cod sprouted in 2013 with the simple mission of helping people grow food and connect with nature in their yards. Edible Landscapes promotes optimal health, sustainability, and style.

Join Edible Landscapes of Cape Cod at Sturgis Library to discuss planting and caring for edible perennials in your own backyard!

Registration is not required. Questions? Email Christy at [email protected].

Sketch & Breakfast

February 4th; 10:00am-11:30am

March 4th; 10:00am-11:30am

Artists of varying ages and abilities gather at Sturgis Library, chat, sip coffee and tea, nibble on breakfast treats, and (of course) sketch. Professional artists will lead a sketch session on select months!

The library will provide art materials but artists are welcome to bring their own materials and own sketchbooks.

Registration is not required. Space is ample but not limitless; first come first serve. Questions? email Christy at [email protected]

Barnstable Council on Aging:

Memory Tips and Cognitive Stimulation

February 21, 2023 from 10:00am-11:30am

Join Stacey Cullen to discuss Memory Tips and Cognitive Stimulation--the first pillar of her series, Six Pillars of Brain Health according to the Global Council on Brain Health and the AARP.

Questions? Contact Stacey Cullen at

[email protected]

or call 508-862-4765

History & Society Book Group

Meets on the Third Thursday of the Month at 2:00pm

This book group looks at history, politics, and society through literature. Books are available for checkout at the library. No registration is required. For information, please contact Maria at [email protected]

Book Line Up:

February 16th

The Battle for God by Karen Armstrong

March 16th

Democracy in Chains by Nancy Maclean

April 20th

Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in Mumbai Undercity by Katherine Boo

May 18th

American Midnight: The Great War, a Violent Peace, and Democracy's Forgotten Crisis by Adam Hochschild

June 15th

Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer

Cookbook Club

Meets on the second Tuesday of the month at 4:00pm

The Sturgis Library Cookbook Club chooses a different cookbook, cookbook author, spice, or ingredient each month! Members make recipes of their choosing from the cookbook (or using the selected spice/ingredient), and then meet on the second Tuesday of the month to discuss favorite recipes and other food-related topics.

Interested parties can contact Christy at [email protected]

Writers' Group

Meets every Tuesday at 6:00pm

Adults and young adults of all skill levels are invited to Sturgis Library to share their writing!

Writers will gather, share their writing, and be sent home with a writing prompt to work on to share at the next gathering.

Registration is requested. Please email Christy at [email protected]

Fireside Puzzles

First Tuesday of the Month, December through March

from 5:30pm until 7:00pm

Gather with friends and bask in the coziness of Sturgis Library all Winter long!

Enjoy...

wine
cheese
tea
wooden jigsaw puzzles
and crossword puzzles

...all by the glow of a cozy fire.

Free and open to all! (Must be 21+ to sip wine.) Questions? Email Christy at [email protected]

Alexander Calder: a Workshop

Tuesday, February 21, 2023 3:00pm-4:30pm

Alexander (Sandy) Calder was an American sculptor known for his kinetic mobiles and his static “stabiles.” This workshop will quickly survey Calder’s life and works before giving participants the opportunity to make a Calder-inspired mobile.

For students grades 7-12, led by artist and teacher Tim Johnson.

Space is limited. To register, email Christy at [email protected]

Teeter, Totter, Topsy, Turvy Story Adventure with Mr. Tim

Tuesday, February 21, 2023 10:30am-11:00am

During this half hour story adventure, children will hear two funny stories about animals who find it difficult to keep their balance. Stories will be followed by the chance to explore balance scales.

For ages 5-7.

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

Mirette on the Highwire: A Dramatic Reading

Thursday, February 23, 2023 10:30am

Explore the nature of balance with artist and educator Mr. Tim! Come to Sturgis Library for a fun-filled reading of Mirette on the High Wire by Emily Arnold McCully.

A game and craft project will follow the dramatic reading.

For ages 8-12 years old.

Space is limited. Registration is required. Please email Christy at [email protected] to register.

Weekly Storytime

Wednesdays at 10:30am

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

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

Registration is not required.

Questions? Email Christy at [email protected]

Lego Club

Meets on the fourth Wednesday of the month from 3:30-4:30ish

Master Builders are invited to gather at Sturgis Library to imagine, create, and make friends!

No registration is required. Questions? Email Christy at [email protected]

The Sprightly Bright Book Club

Held in-person on the first Wednesday of every month at 4:00pm

Are you between the ages of 8ish to 12ish years old? Do you love to read? If you answered yes to these questions, then The Sprightly Bright Book Club is the place for you.

Let's choose, read, and discuss books together.

The discussion will take place on the first Wednesday of every month at 4:00pm.

Registration is required!

For more information and to register, please email Christy at [email protected]

Click here to view as a printable pdf file.

Adult Fiction to Check Out this Month

River Sing Me Home

by Eleanor Shearer

Rare. Moving. Powerful. This beautiful, page-turning and redemptive story of a mother’s gripping journey across the Caribbean to find her stolen children in the aftermath of slavery is a remarkable debut.

Her search begins with an ending.…

The master of the Providence plantation in Barbados gathers his slaves and announces the king has decreed an end to slavery. As of the following day, the Emancipation Act of 1834 will come into effect. The cries of joy fall silent when he announces that they are no longer his slaves; they are now his apprentices. No one can leave. They must work for him for another six years. Freedom is just another name for the life they have always lived. So Rachel runs.

Away from Providence, she begins a desperate search to find her children—the five who survived birth and were sold. Are any of them still alive? Rachel has to know. The grueling, dangerous journey takes her from Barbados then, by river, deep into the forest of British Guiana and finally across the sea to Trinidad. She is driven on by the certainty that a mother cannot be truly free without knowing what has become of her children, even if the answer is more than she can bear. These are the stories of Mary Grace, Micah, Thomas Augustus, Cherry Jane and Mercy. But above all this is the story of Rachel and the extraordinary lengths to which a mother will go to find her children…and her freedom.

Click here to reserve

Essex Dogs

by Dan Jones

The New York Times bestselling historian makes his historical fiction debut with an explosive novel set during the Hundred Years’ War.

July 1346. Ten men land on the beaches of Normandy. They call themselves the Essex Dogs: an unruly platoon of archers and men-at-arms led by a battle-scarred captain whose best days are behind him. The fight for the throne of the largest kingdom in Western Europe has begun.

Heading ever deeper into enemy territory toward Crécy, this band of brothers knows they are off to fight a battle that will forge nations, and shape the very fabric of human lives. But first they must survive a bloody war in which rules are abandoned and chivalry itself is slaughtered.

Rooted in historical accuracy and told through an unforgettable cast, Essex Dogs delivers the stark reality of medieval war on the ground – and shines a light on the fighters and ordinary people caught in the storm.

Click here to reserve

The Chinese Groove

by Kathryn Ma

Eighteen-year-old Shelley, born into a much-despised branch of the Zheng family in Yunnan Province and living in the shadow of his widowed father’s grief, dreams of bigger things. Buoyed by an exuberant heart and his cousin Deng’s tall tales about the United States, Shelley heads to San Francisco to claim his destiny, confident that any hurdles will be easily overcome by the awesome powers of the “Chinese groove,” a belief in the unspoken bonds between countrymen that transcend time and borders.

Upon arrival, Shelley is dismayed to find that his “rich uncle” is in fact his unemployed second cousin once removed and that the grand guest room he’d envisioned is but a scratchy sofa. The indefinite stay he’d planned for? That has a firm two-week expiration date. Even worse, the loving family he hoped would embrace him is in shambles, shattered by a senseless tragedy that has cleaved the family in two. They want nothing to do with this youthful bounder who’s barged into their lives. Ever the optimist, Shelley concocts a plan to resuscitate his American dream by insinuating himself into the family. And, who knows, maybe he’ll even manage to bring them back together in the process.

Click here to reserve

Don't forget that you can browse the newest books in CLAMS, see what's coming soon, discover award-winning titles, bestsellers, local authors, and more. CLICK HERE to browse these lists.

Adult Nonfiction to Check Out This Month

This month's nonfiction titles are all "little" books -- small in size and under 150 page, but filled with beauty, humor, and light.

Trees: An Anothology of Writing and Painting by Herman Hesse

Hermann Hesse, author of the classic book Siddartha, understood trees to be symbols of transcendence and rebirth, of instinctive growth present in all natural life. This elegant collection of his essays, poems, and passages on trees, accompanied by thirty-one of his watercolor illustrations, reveals his inspired thoughts on nature, spirituality, and self-knowledge. Together, his writings and paintings mirror the seasons and landscapes as he experienced them, and help remind us that trees' annual rings are representations of our own days' struggle, happiness, and purpose. In the author's words: "They struggle with all the force of their lives for one thing only: to fulfill themselves according to their own laws . . . Whoever has learned to listen to trees no longer wants to be one. He wants to be nothing except who he is."

Click here to reserve

Pickleball is Life: The Complete Guide to Feeding Your Obsession by Erin McHugh

The ultimate keepsake for every pickleball fan--from a dink shot to the kitchen, everything a pickleballer needs to know in this fully illustrated guide to the world's greatest recreational sport, packed with lots of joy, good humor, and even a little bit of wisdom. Pickleball is the fastest growing sport in America. Easy to learn, but impossible to master, it's no wonder that nearly 5 million people nationwide have picked up their paddles and taken to the court. But people aren't just dabbling in this up-and-coming activity, they are obsessed; some hit the court as many as five, six, even seven times a week. As Vanity Fair put it, pickleball has "won over everyone, from Leonardo DiCaprio to your grandparents." Pickleball Is Life is the first book of its kind celebrating the weird and wonderful world of pickleball.

Click here to reserve

Catching the Light by Joy Harjo

U.S. Poet Laureate and winner of the 2022 Academy of American Poets Leadership Award Joy Harjo examines the power of words and how poetry summons us toward justice and healing "Her enduring message--that writing can be redemptive--resonates: 'To write is to make a mark in the world, to assert "I am."' The result is a rousing testament to the power of storytelling."-- Publishers Weekly "

In this lyrical meditation about the why of writing poetry, Joy Harjo reflects on significant points of illumination, experience, and questioning from her fifty years as a poet. Composed of intimate vignettes that take us through the author's life journey as a youth in the late 1960s, a single mother, and a champion of Native nations, this book offers a fresh understanding of how poetry functions as an expression of purpose, spirit, community, and memory--in both the private, individual journey and as a vehicle for prophetic, public witness. Harjo insists that the most meaningful poetry is birthed through cracks in history from what is broken and unseen.

Click here to reserve

Click here for a printable pdf file.

Kids' Books to Check Out this Month

Golden Girl by Reem Faruqi

"Defying cliche, Faruqi paints an unflinchingly honest portrait of a protagonist who makes mistakes - serious mistakes - and whose heroism lies in her ability to own up to her worst errors and do her best to make amends. A story that sends an important message - that people who make bad choices are not bad people."

A captivating coming-of-age middle grade novel in verse about seventh grader Aafiyah Qamar, a Pakistani American girl who hatches a special plan to help her family but finds that doing what's right isn't always easy.

For all ages, especially for 8-12 year-olds.

Click here to reserve

The Three Billy Goats Gruff retold by Mac Barnett; illustrated by Jon Klassen

A brilliantly crafted, hilarious twist on this beloved classic, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, from renowned, award-winning, and New York Times bestselling duo and picture book pioneers Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen.

For all ages, especially 4-8 year olds.

Click here to reserve