Category: Miscellany

Introducing the WHOI and FPL Community Read

Posted on by Sue

For the first time, WHOI and Falmouth Library are collaborating on a community read, and the book will be Edith Widder’s Below the Edge of Darkness: a Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea. There will be a series of related events, ending in two live  events with Edie Widder on Saturday, June 11th!

The WHOI & FPL Community Read 2022 is part of Dispatches from an Ocean Planet: A Celebration of Film and Literature presented by the Yawkey Foundation and WHOI.

For more details on the program, and some great videos and further book recommendations, check out our Community Read page. 

WHOI & FPL Community Read 2022 Events

WHOI & FPL Community Read 2022 events are free to the public and registration is required.

Inner-Space Aliens with Larry Madin on Wednesday, May 11th from 3pm-4pm in the Library’s Hermann meeting room. Register here.

        The organisms of Earth’s ‘inner space’ – the oceans, are so alien in appearance and behavior to what most people know. Following a video on ‘Blue Water Diving’, Larry will give a short presentation to illustrate more of the biology of the open ocean and deep-sea and its connection to the rest of the world and society.  A discussion and Q&A period will follow.  Larry Madin is Deputy Director Emeritus and Senior Science Advisor at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in Woods Hole, MA, USA.

Below the Edge of Darkness Book Discussion with Allan Adams on Wednesday, May 25th from 7pm-8pm via Zoom. Register here.

        Discuss Edie Widder’s book, Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea, in a group setting.  We will have a special guest, Allan Adams.  Allan is an Adjunct Oceanographer in the Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering Department at WHOI.

Below the Edge of Darkness Book Discussion with Dana Yoerger on Wednesday, June 1st from 3pm-4pm in the Library’s Hermann meeting room.  Register here.

        Discuss Edie Widder’s book, Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea, in a group setting.  We will have a special guest, Dr. Dana Yoerger.  Dana is a Senior Scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and a researcher in marine robotics. He supervises the research and academic program of graduate students studying oceanographic engineering through the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in the areas of control, robotics, and design.

Edie Widder Book Reading & Signing on Saturday, June 11th from 1pm-2:30pm in the Library’s Hermann meeting room.  Register here.

        Come join us as author Edie Widder does a select reading from her book, Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea, followed by a short Q&A and then a book signing.  Copies of the book will be available for purchase by Eight Cousins at the event.  

Edie Widder Ocean Explorer – A Conversation on Saturday, June 11th from 4pm-5pm at WHOI’s Redfield Auditorium.

        After an introduction by Larry Madin, Edie Widder will engage in a conversation with Sam Harp, WHOI’s Vice President for Advancement, followed by a Q&A with the audience about her book Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea.

Chair Yoga with Janet in May!

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor
Join us for Chair Yoga with Janet on Thursdays, May 5th, 12th, 19th, and 26th from 11am-12pm in the library’s Hermann meeting room!  Chair Yoga with Janet is free and is sponsored by the Trustees of the Falmouth Public Library.  Registration is required for each class and each class is limited to 25 participants.  Use the links below to register for the classes that you would like to attend. 
 
May 5th: Register.
May 12th: Register.
May 19th: Register.
May 26th: Register. 
 
Chair-supported yoga is a complete practice of seated and standing poses, stretches, and a final relaxation. It is appropriate for everyone, regardless of age, experience, or level of fitness. We’ll focus on improving flexibility, strength, breathing, and balance in a calm, supportive atmosphere–all with no need to get on and off the floor. All poses and breath exercises will be done either seated in a chair or standing, with the option of using the chair for just a bit of extra support.
 
Janet Gardner is a 500-hour graduate of the Kind Yoga School in Centerville and is a registered Yoga Alliance teacher.  Janet has a passion for sharing the benefits of yoga with everyone. She has been practicing yoga for four decades and teaching yoga and meditation in Falmouth since 2016.

Friday Film Series Begins Feb. 18

Posted on by Phoebe Acheson

Please join us for a series of films on Friday afternoons! We’ll kick the series off with two films in February for Black History Month, and then show a film every other week.  Screenings will take place in the Hermann Room and attendance will be capped at 35, so please register using the link in our calendar. The films are selected for for adult viewers, and summaries as well as ratings are included. 

Our Schedule:

February 18, 2pm: Harriet. PG-13. Register. 

Based on the thrilling and inspirational life of an iconic American freedom fighter, the movie tells the extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman’s escape from slavery and transformation into one of America’s greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity, and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

 

February 25, 2pm: King Richard. PG-13. Register.

Based on the true story that will inspire the world, follow the journey of Richard Williams, an undeterred father instrumental in raising two of the most extraordinarily gifted athletes of all time, Venus and Serena Williams, who will end up changing the sport of tennis forever.
 
 
 
 
 
March 11th, 2pm: Emma. PG. Register.
 
Handsome, clever, and rich, Emma Woodhouse is a restless queen bee without rivals in her sleepy little town. In this glittering satire of social class and the pain of growing up, Emma must adventure through misguided matches and romantic missteps to find the love that has been there all along.
 
 
 
 
March 25th, 2pm: Belfast. PG-13. Register.
 
“It is 1969 and 9-year-old Buddy finds his peaceful life disturbed as a national conflict is starting to brew in Northern Ireland: unionists and loyalists—mostly Protestants—want the country to remain within the United Kingdom, while nationalists and republicans—mostly Catholics—are campaigning for the country to join a united Ireland. As the tension between these two opposing forces escalates, he and his family must decide whether to stay, or move somewhere safe.”
 
 
 
April 1st, 2pm: Belfast. PG-13. Register.  SECOND VIEWING

 
 
“It is 1969 and 9-year-old Buddy finds his peaceful life disturbed as a national conflict is starting to brew in Northern Ireland: unionists and loyalists—mostly Protestants—want the country to remain within the United Kingdom, while nationalists and republicans—mostly Catholics—are campaigning for the country to join a united Ireland. As the tension between these two opposing forces escalates, he and his family must decide whether to stay, or move somewhere safe.”
 
 
April 8th, 2pm: Dune. PG-13. Register.
 
Paul Atreides, a brilliant, gifted young man born into a destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence, only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
 
 
 
 
April 22nd, 2pm: West Side Story. PG-13. Register.
 
“Directed by Academy Award winner Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner Tony Kushner, this adaptation of the 1957 West Side Story musical explores forbidden love and the rivalry between the Jets and the Sharks, two teenage street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds in 1957 New York City.”
 
 
 
May 6th, 2pm: Death on the Nile. PG-13. Register.
 
Based on the novel by Agatha Christie, “Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot’s Egyptian vacation aboard a glamorous river steamer turns into a terrifying search for a murderer when a picture-perfect couple’s idyllic honeymoon is tragically cut short.  Set against an epic landscape of sweeping desert vistas and the majestic Giza pyramids, this is a tale of unbridled passion and incapacitating jealousy.”
 
 
May 20th, 2pm: Cyrano. PG-13. Register.
“A man ahead of his time, Cyrano de Bergerac, nobleman, military man and poet, dazzles with ferocious wordplay at a verbal joust or with brilliant swordplay in a duel.  But convinced that his appearance renders him unworthy of the love of a devote friend, the luminous Roxanne, Cyrano has yet to declare his feelings for her, and Roxanne has fallen in love, at first sight, with Christian.”

POSTCARDS FROM FALMOUTH: THE DOME

Posted on by K.C. DeWall

The Cape has its share of striking mid-century buildings, but even among them, the Dome in Woods Hole is unusual. It was built by Buckminster Fuller in 1953, at the behest of architect E. Gunnar Peterson, as the restaurant for the now-defunct Nautilus Motor Inn. You might remember eating there in its heyday—with or without an umbrella to shield you from the occasional leaks caused by its flexible construction! Though it wasn’t exactly welcomed by Falmouth residents at first, it soon earned a reputation as a special place to dine.

Peterson’s son Joel, former owner of the Dome, recorded this oral history for our collection. He brings us the inside story: the restaurant’s rise and fall, the controversy that surrounded it, and the eclectic guests it’s seen over the years. The Dome postcards in our collection are from his time as owner and manager – did you get one in the mail, once upon a time?

Visit our Dome digital exhibit page here.

Explore the postcard collection online here.

Postcards from Falmouth is a local history project of Falmouth Public Library, funded by a LSTA grant and administered by the MBLC.

Postcards from Falmouth: Falmouth Heights Ball Field

Posted on by K.C. DeWall

If you’ve set out to enjoy Falmouth in the height of summer, chances are you’ve been to the Falmouth Heights ball field. But have you heard of the Falmouth Falcons, or learned how that ball field came to be?

Let the late Richard Kendall take you back in time, to a boyhood spent practicing, playing ball, and facing off against local legends on this iconic field. His oral history spans the early days of Falmouth Heights to the postwar era of the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he rubbed shoulders with professional talent and watched new players get to know the game.

Visit our Heights Ballfield digital exhibit here.

Explore the postcard collection online here.

Postcards from Falmouth is a local history project of Falmouth Public Library, funded by a LSTA grant and administered by the MBLC.

Mighty Storms of New England

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

Virtual Author Talk With Eric Fisher

Check out the video below of Eric Fisher’s author talk from Wednesday, February 2nd, where he discussed his new book Mighty Storms of New England: The Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Blizzards and Floods That Shaped the Region and answered audience questions!  

“The New England landscape has long been battered by some of the most intense weather in US history. Discover the legendary storms that have devastated New England, including: the Great New England Hurricane of 1938 that killed 564 people; the Worcester Tornado of 1953; the Snow Hurricane of 1804 that demolished orchards and killed dozens of sailors off the coast; and the Blizzard of 1978 that brought Boston to a standstill for weeks.”

Eric Fisher is Chief Meteorologist for CBS Boston’s WBZ-TV News and anchors weather segments weeknights at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 11 p.m., as well as WBZ-TV News at 10 p.m. on TV38 (WSBK-TV).  He is also a contributor for CBS News, often found reporting on breaking severe weather across the country.  Born and raised in New England, Eric says there are few places on earth that produce weather like this little corner of the U.S. It offers the challenges of blockbuster snowstorms, hurricanes, tornadoes, heat waves, frigid cold snaps and dramatic seasonal shifts.  Eric vividly remembers Memorial Day of 1995 as a day that helped solidify his path as a meteorologist, when an infamous tornado ripped through Great Barrington in the Berkshires.  Glued to the red warnings crawling across the screen and watching the radar, his career in weather was born.  Eric joined WBZ-TV News from The Weather Channel in Atlanta where he spent three years as a Meteorologist.  He produced and delivered national forecasts and contributed to numerous live reports on extreme weather for The Weather Channel, NBC Nightly News, TODAY and MSNBC.  Previously he worked as the morning meteorologist at WGGB-TV in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Mighty Storms of New England is also available for purchase at Eight Cousins.

Cape Cod and New England Storm Reads

Fiction

Death on Tuckernuck by Francine Mathews

Girls of Summer: A Novel by Nancy Thayer

Storm of Secrets by Loretta Marion

Snowblind by Christopher Golden

Storm Girl  by Joseph C. Lincoln

Nonfiction

Mighty Storms of New England: The Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Blizzards and Floods That Shaped the Region by Eric Fisher

Historic Disasters of New England: Legendary Storms, Twisters, Floods, and Other Catastrophes by Randi Minetor

Thirty-Eight: The Hurricane That Transformed New England by Stephen Long

Great New England Storms of the 20th century editor Janice Page

Fatal Forecast: An Incredible True Tale of Disaster and Survival at Sea by Michael J. Tougias

The Forgotten Cape: 1940-1960 by Mary Sicchio

The Blizzard of ’78 by Michael Tougias

Storms and Shipwrecks of New England by Edward Rowe Snow; updated by Jeremy D’Entremon

Historic Storms of New England: Its Gales, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Showers with Thunder and Lightning, Great Snow Storms, Rains, Freshets, Floods, Droughts, Cold Winters, Hot Summers, Avalanches, Earthquakes, Dark Days, Comets, Aurora Borealis, Phenomena in the Heavens, Wrecks Along the Coast, with Incidents and Anecdotes, Amusing and Pathetic by Sidney Perley

Southern New England Tropical Storms and Hurricanes: A Ninety-Seven Year Summary, 1900-1996, Including Several Early American Hurricanes by David R. Vallee and Michael R. Dion

The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger

Coastal Flooding in Barnstable County, Cape Cod, Massachusetts by Water Resources Commission 

Pictures of the Worst Storm in New Bedford’s History, August 26, 1924 (reference department)

 

 

 

Science and History of Shipwrecks

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

 

Check out the video below of Marie Zahn’s talk from Please Tuesday, January 25th from 7pm-8pm as she discussed the Science and History of Shipwrecks: Archaeology and Conservation and answered audience questions!

The journey of an artifact from the past into the present.  When it comes to shipwrecks, archaeologists have a potential time capsule of the past.  It’s a safe assumption to claim that most shipwrecks happen unintentionally – all of the objects on board, from the parts of the ships themselves to the cargo and personal items of the crew, sink together.  What you have is a single slice of history preserved in one place.  A small moment in time captured unexpectedly.  This discussion into the world of underwater archaeology focusses on the challenges of artifact conservation and the effects of different underwater environments on ships and their artifacts.  See how material objects deteriorate and decay over time by looking at shipwrecks from diverse time periods throughout history as well as spanning the globe in terms of construction and final resting places – from ancient Greece to pirate treasure!

Marie Zahn, a Cape Cod native, is the Director of the Brooks Academy Museum and A. Elmer Crowell Decoy Barn Museum for the Harwich Historical Society, as well as serving as the Administrator for the Historical Society of Old Yarmouth. Prior to this, she spent several years working on an early 18th century shipwreck as an archaeologist, conservator, and science education coordinator.  When she’s not talking about history, Marie volunteers as a Solar System Ambassador for NASA, acting as a liaison between the space agency and the public, spreading awareness of current and upcoming NASA missions and sharing news about ongoing work in the space sciences and space exploration.  Marie’s work in science and archaeology has given her a unique perspective and appreciation for history. She believes that history is a continuous narrative, and that it is of the utmost importance to make connections between the past and where we are today. Marie aims to make science open, inclusive, and accessible to anyone that’s curious about the past, present, and future.

Cape Cod and New England Shipwreck Reading List:

Shipwrecks of Cape Cod: Stories of Tragedy and Triumph by Don Wilding

Dangerous Shallows: In Search of the Ghost Ships of Cape Cod by Eric Takakjian and Randall Peffer

The Wreck of the Portland: A Doomed Ship, a Violent Storm, and New England’s Worst Maritime Disaster by J. North Conway

The Palatine Wreck: The Legend of the New England Ghost Ship by Jill Farinelli

The Sol e Mar tragedy off Martha’s Vineyard by Captain W. Russell Webster (U.S. Coast Guard, Ret.) and Elizabeth B. Webster

Disaster off Martha’s Vineyard: The Sinking of the City of Columbus by Thomas Dresser

The Anthology of Cape Cod Shipwrecks by Donald L. Ferris

Storms and Shipwrecks of New England by Edward Rowe Snow; updated by Jeremy D’Entremon

The Perfect Storm: A True Story of Men Against the Sea by Sebastian Junger

Expedition Whydah: The Story of the World’s First Excavation of a Pirate Treasure Ship and the Man Who Found Her by Barry Clifford with Paul Berry

Exploring the Waters of Cape Cod: Shipwrecks & Dive Sites: The Complete Guide to Scuba Diving & Shipwreck Locations around Cape Cod & the Islands by Donald L. Ferris

The Pirate Prince: Discovering the Priceless Treasures of the Sunken Ship Whydah: An Adventure by Barry Clifford with Peter Turchi

Cape Cod Maritime Disasters: A Collection of Photographs of Maritime Accidents Around Cape Cod, Nantucket, and Martha’s Vineyard by William P. Quinn

Treasure Wreck: The Fortunes and Fate of the Pirate Ship Whydah by Arthur T. Vanderbilt II

Shipwrecks around New England: A Chronology of Marine Accidents and Disasters from Grand Manan to Sandy Hook by by William P. Quinn

Shipwrecks on Cape Cod: The Story of a Few of the Many Hundred Shipwrecks Which Have Occurred on Cape Cod by Isaac M. Small

Great Storms and Famous Shipwrecks of the New England Coast by Edward Rowe Snow

 

East Falmouth Branch Library Survey

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

 

ThThe Falmouth Public Library is considering a Planning and Design Grant to study the East Falmouth Branch Library for possible improvement, expansion or replacement in the future. We would like your help in determining how best to proceed. Please take this short, eight question, survey by clicking on the

East Falmouth Survey Square.    We want to know what you think! 

 

Postcards from Falmouth: Greetings from the Waquoit Congregational Church

Posted on by K.C. DeWall

 

“It takes a name to make a town.  It takes people to make a community.  Falmouth is a community rich with people, places and memories.”
                                                                Succanessett Snapshot, by Troy Clarkson
 
The Falmouth Public Library is delighted to roll out the first Postcards from Falmouth oral history, which is part of a series recently added to the Digital Collections@FPL.  As recently featured in the Falmouth Enterprise, the oral history project is truly a community effort and definitely illustrates Troy’s take on our community as quoted above.
 
So without further ado….

If your first thought of Waquoit is the white steeple of Waquoit Congregational Church, you’re in good company. Join Reverend Nell Fields for a tour through the history of this iconic church, from summer-only services to remote outreach during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic. Learn about the quirks of its restoration, the personal touches left by congregations past, and just what kind of church you could build for for $1300 in 1848.

Again, the Library thanks all our historians (past, present, and future), our interviewers (Barbara Kanellopoulos, Troy Clarkson, and Anna Lee), and the Staff at FCTV (Bob Fenstermaker, Allen Russell, and Andrew Richards). We also thank the MBLC for awarding us this lovely grant because we are now better enabled to realize a new paradigm for the Library’s approach to local history collections–the active facilitation, preservation, and celebration of Falmouth, its history, its people, and most especially its evolving local story told through the eyes of current and future residents.   

Explore more of the Library’s postcard collection here.

 

 

 

This Postcards from Falmouth Oral History was funded by a LSTA grant & administered by the MBLC.  The content around it was provided by Anna Lee, the FPL grant assistant.  Contact Anna for more information about the project at alee@falmouthpubliclibrary.org

 

Owls of Cape Cod with Mass Audubon (via Zoom)

Posted on by Sue

We had a great Zoom talk by Chris Walz from Mass Audubon back, on Wednesday, January 19th!

You can view the recording here!

We learned how to identify Cape Cod’s owl species, gain into insight their life histories and discover the art of owling!

Chris Walz is the property manager and a naturalist at Mass Audubon’s Long Pasture Wildlife Sanctuary. He has been birding for over 20 years and has taught many birding classes for birders of all backgrounds and abilities.

This event was free and sponsored by the Trustees of the Falmouth Public Library.