2022 Summer Movies

FPL Wednesday Night Movies (July 6th & July 20th)

The Falmouth Public Library will be showing two summer movie classics in the Hermann room on Wednesday Nights in July, Independence Day from 1996 and Jaws from 1975! These movie viewings are free to the public and are sponsored by the Friends of the Falmouth Public Library. Registrations are required and each movie is limited to 60 participants.

Wednesday, July 6th at 5:30pm in the Hermann room

Independence Day (Rated PG-13; Runtime 2.5 hours)

“In the epic adventure film “Independence Day,” as these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived; its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.”

Wednesday, July 20th at 6pm in the Hermann room
Jaws (Rated PG; Runtime 2 hours)

“When a young woman is killed by a shark near the New England tourist town of Amity Island, police chief Martin Brody wants to close the beaches, but mayor Larry Vaughn overrules him, fearing that the loss of tourist revenue will cripple the town. Ichthyologist Matt Hooper and grizzled ship captain Quint offer to help Brody capture the killer beast, and the trio engage in an epic battle of man vs. nature.”

FV Movies Under The Stars (July 27th – August 31st)

The Falmouth Village Association will be showing double feature movies on the library lawn every Wednesday at dusk (6pm-10pm) starting July 27th and ending August 31st! BYO blankets and chairs and join us on the library lawn to enjoy some outdoor family fun with Movies Under the Stars. These movies are weather dependent and are free to the public. No registration is required.

Wednesday, July 27th from 6pm-10pm on library lawn
6pm Movie: Star Wars: A New Hope (Rated PG; Runtime 2 hours)
“Young Luke Skywalker leaves his desert home planet to rescue Princess Leia and become a Jedi knight.”
~ 8pm Movie: Apollo 13 (Rated PG; Runtime 2.3 hours):
“The true story of the Apollo 13 space mission where astronauts are stranded in their crippled spacecraft while the ground crew race against time to bring them home.”

Wednesday, August 3rd from 6pm-10pm on library lawn
6pm Movie: My Dog Skip (Rated PG; Runtime 1.5 hours)
“Set in Mississippi in the late 1940s and based on Willie Morris’ boyhood memoirs, eight-year-old Willie loses his only friend in the world to the draft until his mother gives him a puppy for his birthday.”

~ 8pm Movie: Dog (Rated PG-13; Runtime 1.6 hours)
“Briggs and his companion Lulu, a Belgian Malinois, haul ass down the Pacific Coast in time to catch their best friend’s and handler’s funeral.”

Wednesday, August 10th from 6pm-10pm on library lawn
6pm Movie: Sing 2 (Rated PG; Runtime 1.8 hours)
“The ever-optimistic koala, Buster Moon and his all-star cast of performers prepare to launch their most dazzling stage extravaganza yet, all in the glittering entertainment capital of the world.”

~ 8pm Movie: The Greatest Showman (Rated PG; Runtime 1.7 hours)
“An original musical screenplay brings to life the story of P.T. Barnum and his creation of “the greatest show on Earth”.”

Wednesday, August 17th from 6pm-10pm on library lawn
6pm Movie: Coco (Rated PG; Runtime 1.7 hours)
“Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events.”

~ 8pm Movie: McFarland, USA (Rated PG; Runtime 2.1 hours)
“Inspired by the 1987 true story, the movie follows novice runners from McFarland, an economically challenged town in California’s farm-rich Central Valley, as they give their all to build a cross-country team under the direction of Coach Jim White, a newcomer to their predominantly Latino high school.”

Wednesday, August 24 from 6pm-10pm on library lawn
6pm Movie: Ratatouille (Rated G; Runtime 1.8 hours)
“A rat named Remy dreams of becoming a great chef despite his family’s wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession.”

~ 8pm Movie: Julie and Julia (Rated PG-13; Runtime 2 hours)
“Julie Powell is a frustrated insurance worker who wants to be a writer. Trying to find a challenge in her life, she decides to cook her way through Julia Child’s ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ in one year, and to blog about it.”

Wednesday, August 31st from 6pm-10pm on library lawn
6pm Movie: Ron’s Gone Wrong (Rated PG; Runtime 1.7 hours)
“The story of Barney, a socially awkward middle-schooler, and Ron, his new walking, talking, digitally connected device, which is supposed to be his ‘Best Friend out of the Box.’ Ron’s hilarious malfunctions, set against the backdrop of the social media, age launch them into an action-packed journey in which boy and robot come to terms with the wonderful messiness of true friendship.”

~ 8pm Movie Chistopher Robin (Rated PG; Runtime 1.7 hours)
“The young boy, who loved taking adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood with a gang of spirited and loveable stuffed animals, has grown up and lost his way. Now it is up to his childhood friends to venture into that world and help Christopher Robin remember the loving and playful boy who is still inside.”

Ticks: Educate and Protect Yourself!

Posted on by Sue

As summer is coming, it seems like a great time to repost the video from Larry Dapsis’ Zoom presentation on ticks from a year ago!

Lyme disease is the most prevalent tick-borne disease in Massachusetts, and is now considered a public health crisis. In addition to Lyme, deer ticks can carry the pathogens that cause other illnesses.

This program reviewed the basic life cycle and ecology of deer ticks, incidence rates and distribution of tick-borne illnesses. It included a three-point protection: Protect Yourself, Protect Your Yard and Protect your Pet. Tick-Borne diseases are preventable! Also, for even more information on ticks and bugs, click here to go to Larry’s page on the Cape Cod Cooperative Extension site.

Larry Dapsis has been an entomologist since age 5. He has a B.S. in Environmental Science & Biology from Fitchburg State University and an M.S. in entomology from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst. He has forty years of professional pest management experience, for vegetables, cranberries and households. He joined Cape Cod Cooperative Extension in 2011 as the Deer Tick Project Coordinator and Entomologist, and he is a member of the Barnstable County Task Force on Lyme and other Tick-Borne Diseases.

Author signing for Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea

Posted on by Sue

Below the Edge of Darkness is this year’s WHOI & FPL Community Read, and author Edie Widder will be here in person to do 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 on Saturday, June 11th from 1pm-2:30pm in the Library’s Hermann meeting room! Registration is required, you can do so by clicking here. Copies of the book will be available for purchase by Eight Cousins at the event.

She will then go right to WHOI’s Redfield Auditorium for a community conversation with Sam Harp, WHOI’s Vice President for Advancement, followed by a Q&A with the audience from 4 pm – 5 pm-you can register for that here!

“A pioneering marine biologist takes us down into the deep ocean to understand bioluminescence—the language of light that helps life communicate in the darkness—and what it tells us about the future of life on Earth.”

“Dr. Edith Widder is an oceanographer, a marine biologist, and the co-founder, CEO, and senior scientist at the Ocean Research & Conservation Association, a non-profit organization where she is focusing her passion for saving the ocean into developing innovative technologies to preserve and protect the ocean’s most precious real estate: its estuaries.”

For some videos of Edie, and some further books on the topic, go to our WHOI & FPL Community Read page by clicking here!

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.

Below the Edge of Darkness Book Discussion with Allan Adams: A WHOI & FPL Community Read Event!

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

Join us on Wednesday, May 25th from 7pm-8pm via Zoom to discuss the 2022 WHOI & FPL Community Read, Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea by Dr. Edith Widder, in a group setting! We will have a special guest, Allan Adams, joining us. Allan is an Adjunct Oceanographer at WHOI in the Applies Ocean Physics and Engineering Department.

This event is free to the public and registration is required. Register online by clicking here or by calling the library at 508-457-2555 x7.

Below the Edge of Darkness: A Memoir of Exploring Light and Life in the Deep Sea takes readers deep into our planet’s oceans as Widder pursues her questions about one of the most important and widely used forms of communication in nature. In the process, she reveals hidden worlds and a dazzling menagerie of behaviors and animals, from microbes to leviathans, many never before seen or, like the legendary giant squid, never before filmed in their deep-sea lairs. Alongside Widder, we experience life-and-death equipment malfunctions and witness breakthroughs in technology and understanding, all set against a growing awareness of the deteriorating health of our largest and least understood ecosystem.

Come pick up a copy today at the library! Below the Edge of Darkness is also available for purchase at Eight Cousins and the WHOI Bookstore! The 2022 WHOI & FPL Community Read is part of Dispatches from an Ocean Planet: A Celebration of Film and Literature presented by the Yawkey Foundation and WHOI.

Pseudoscience & Archaeology

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

Pseudoscience & Archaeology

How the Media Blends Fact & Fiction: ‘The Indiana Jones Effect’

Join the Falmouth Public Library on Wednesday, May 18th via Zoom from 7pm-8pm for the online lecture of Pseudoscience & Archaeology: How the Media Blends Fact & Fiction ‘The Indiana Jones Effect’ by Marie Zahn. Registration is required. To register online click here or call us at 508-457-2555 x7.

Marie will discuss how the evolution of science fiction has affected the public view of archaeology. Throughout the history of sci-fi, archaeological plot lines have become more popular in recent times. While this has furthered public interest in archaeology, the science fiction origins of the “ancient alien theory” have tarnished the view of legitimate archaeological studies. From H.P. Lovecraft to Indiana Jones and Doctor Who, the impact of the entertainment industry on archaeological research is examined.

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.

This free, online lecture is sponsored by the Trustees of the Falmouth Public Library.

Celebrating 50 Years of Homebound Services

Posted on by Library User

In the 50 years since 1972, the Falmouth Public Library has delivered just shy of a quarter of a million library books, movies, audiobooks and magazines to Falmouth residents who were unable to visit the library due to illness, injury or other reasons through our Homebound Library Service.

Without interruption, FPL’s Homebound Service has continued through 8 US presidents, 5 library directors, 5 economic recessions and enormous technological changes. Despite the arrival of ebooks, most library users continue to prefer physical books and to make use of DVDs and CD audiobooks.

The Beginning

In 1972, recently retired Library Director, Hazel Atwood, envisioned a service for shut-ins and created a volunteer home delivery service to provide library books to local residents. Assisted by Laurie McNee, FPL’s now retired North Falmouth Branch Librarian, Mrs. Atwood delivered books in her own white Buick Skylark. Although Mrs. Atwood began winding down her volunteer commitment due to her husband’s illness by 1979, the delivery service was so popular that the Falmouth Public Library created a paid part-time position to continue it. Laura Wool, already a staff member at FPL, became the Library’s first Homebound Librarian.

Today

Laura Wool visits patrons at home or in local facilities every three weeks. According to Laura, many new patrons find out about the Homebound Service through word-of-mouth from family, friends or neighbors. Service can be provided on a short-term basis in case of injury or surgery, or on an ongoing basis if needed. Residents can provide a specific list of titles, or Laura will also assemble a delivery based on specific interests and preferences. Just call the library to begin the process. Laura is available Monday-Fridays from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, when she isn’t on the road making deliveries.

Words of Appreciation

The Falmouth Public Library is both proud and grateful for the support of the town in providing this needed and much appreciated service for the past five decades to countless residents. We hope to continue it for many years to come!

Here are some words of appreciation from some residents who have benefited from the service.

” You have no idea how much you have enriched my life. In this time of all the stress and worry in this world you are a ray of sunshine…You have helped me out with a life line to the books that helped keep me on an even keel.”

“One never appreciated the convenience of a handicapped society until one has been there. I am so thrilled to have books delivered to my door as this is my main recreation and I can’t manage a trip to the library.”

“Thank you again for the variety of books which you’ve shared with Mom over the year. Your visits have meant a good deal to us!”

“Your service to shut-ins was invaluable to me and I am sure many others, and then to have it come in the delightful person of Laura Wool is an added bonus as she gives a great lift to the day.”

Our 50th Anniversary Celebration

On May 12th from 12:00 to 2:00 pm, the Falmouth Public Library will be holding an Open House to celebrate their 50 years of service. The public is invited to attend, to reminisce and learn more about FPL’s Homebound Services. Please join us!

Learn Libby From The Experts!

Posted on by Jessica O'Connor

The Falmouth Public Library is hosting a free, online Libby webinar by the experts at OverDrive on Wednesday, May 11th at 10am! With the Libby app, you can access the entire CLAMS digital library collection to read and listen to eBooks, eAudiobooks, and eMagazines all for free with your library card!

Register today to learn how to sign into Libby, navigate around, browse and search for titles, borrow titles and place holds, manage notifications, and much much more!

Can’t make this webinar but are interested in learning more about Libby? Register and a recording of the webinar will be sent to you for you to watch whenever it is best for you!

To register, just click this link: https://bit.ly/falmoutlibby

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.

Friday Film Series Begins Feb. 18

Posted on by Library User

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

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.

Category: Miscellany

FPL Wednesday Night Movies (July 6th & July 20th)

FV Movies Under The Stars (July 27th – August 31st)

Pseudoscience & Archaeology

How the Media Blends Fact & Fiction: ‘The Indiana Jones Effect’

WHOI & FPL Community Read 2022 Events