• Reference Services
• Find Books & More
• Find Articles
• Recommended Websites
• Book Discussion Group
• Find Lists & Reviews
• Ask a Librarian

Library Resources

Reference Services

• The Oak Bluffs Public Library provides reference services to anyone coming to the library in person, calling on the phone (1-508-693-9433),or via
  email: info@oakbluffslibrary.org
• Reference questions will be answered on a first come-first serve basis, with in-person questions at the reference desk having priority over phone and email inquiries.
• If the library is closed, or you need an answer to your question immediately, try the online reference service, 24/7 Mass Answers . You can use this online service at any time, and a librarian from another library will help you find the answer to your question.

Other Reference Services

• Interlibrary Loan
• Lists & Reviews (of Library Materials)
• Teaching Research Skills
• Individual Computer Help

Interlibrary Loan - is a service that allows library card holders to obtain hard to find materials, not found in the CLAMS or Virtual catalogs. If you are unable to find a book, DVD, CD, or other type of library material through the library catalog, please see a staff member to find out if Interlibrary Loan may be used.

Teaching Research Skills- consist of individual and group instruction sessions on how to use computers and print resources to fulfill all of your information needs. This includes learning how to find, evaluate, and use information, through the use of traditional library resources, the World Wide Web, and other online resources. This service is otherwise known as "Information Literacy".

Individual Computer Help- learn how to use email; search the World Wide Web; find books, magazine and journal articles, through the library's catalog; research a topic of your choice; or learn another computer skill that you are interested in. Sessions last 30 minutes, please talk to a staff member or call the library to make an appointment.

Find Books & More

Search the Library Catalog (CLAMS) now:

The Library is part of the "Cape Libraries Automated Materials Sharing System", commonly known by its acronym, CLAMS. Read more about this network of libraries below!

What can I do with CLAMS?

• Search the collections of all CLAMS libraries on Cape Cod and the Islands.
• Determine the location and availability of items you need.
• Request items to be delivered to the library of your choice.
• Manage your library account (i.e. renew books, check late fees, and more!)

In order to access CLAMS it is necessary to be a registered library card holder
(How to get an Oak Bluffs Public Library (CLAMS) card). Your barcode number, and PIN (Personal Identification Number) may be obtained at any member library, as long as you present a photo ID.

What else can I do with CLAMS?

• Find Magazine & Journal articles.
• Find Audiobooks, eBooks, & Music for download.
• Use the MassAnswers 24/7 reference service.
• Search recommended Internet Resources.
• Search Cape Cod & Island Websites.

Find Articles

If you are interested in finding magazine, newspaper, and journal articles for homework, business, or simply to learn about a subject you are interested in, try searching the library's online databases now:

From Inside the library: Click on the "Databases" tab at the top of the CLAMS library catalog web page to begin searching.

From Home: Type your library barcode into the box below and click on "Go":

You can learn more about the library's online databases that are used to find these articles by speaking with the Reference Librarian and picking up a handout in the Reference Department of the library.

There are also many free online resources that you may want to try searching, by going to our recommended websites section.

Ancestry Library Edition

The library has purchased a subscription to the Ancestry Library Edition website, a valuable resource for genealogy research. Over 5 billion names in approximately 3,400 databases, the website provides users with access to census, court, land, and many other records from the United States, Canada, and some European countries (including the UK).

The website may only be accessed from inside the library, simply click on the Ancestry Library Edition icon from the desktop of any public computer (except Children's & Library Catalog computers).

If you would like to learn more about how to use Ancestry Library Edition please refer to the help link on the Ancestry Library Edition website or speak with a librarian!

Heritage Quest Online

The library has also purchased a subscription to Heritage Quest Online, another website that offers an extensive amount of genealogy information. Users may search the US Census, genealogical books, local history articles, and records from the Revolutionary War and Freedman's Bank in order to find references to their ancestors.

You can access this website from home by using the barcode on the back of your Oak Bluffs Library CLAMS card: Heritage Quest Home Access

To access the website from inside the library, simply click on the Heritage Quest Online icon from the desktop of any public computer (except Children's & Library Catalog computers).

If you are using our wireless access with your laptop then you will have to follow the instructions for home access in the preceding paragraph.

If you would like to learn more about how to use Heritage Quest Online please refer to the help link on the Heritage Quest Online website or speak with a librarian!

Recommended Websites

Local Information	General Reference	Homework Help
Town of Oak Bluffs - Town's website	Virtual Reference Shelf - Created by the Library of Congress	IPL Teenspace - Homework help, entertainment, & more...
MV Times - MV Gazette - News	Infoplease	Librarians' Internet Index - Directory of websites created by librarians
MVY.com - MV Chamber of Commerce	Answers.com	Library Spot - Links to reference websites and more
MVOL.com - Martha's Vineyard information	Bartelby - Reference & Online Books	Citing Sources - Bibliography creation
National Weather Service - Weather	Refdesk	Webrary - Websites arranged by Dewey Decimal System
Martha's Vineyard Commission - regional planning commission of Dukes County -
Search Engines & Directories	Medical & Legal	Find Articles & News
Internet Public Library - Directory	Healthfinder	Newslink - Newspapers & Magazines
Open Directory Project - Directory	Medline Plus	Find Articles
Google - Popular Search Engine	Merck Manual - Medical Information	Google Scholar - For Finding Scholarly Articles
Yahoo - Popular Directory	Mass.gov - State of Massachusetts Website	ERIC - Education Resources
Dogpile - Search multiple search engines at once - for rare topics.	Barnstable Law Library	DOAJ - A Directory of Open Access Journals

Book Discussion Group

The book discussion group meets on the fourth Wednesday of every month (we have cancelled the Tuesday evening meeting time until further notice), unless there is a calendar conflict. Please read below for the exact dates of the next meeting and to learn more:

• The book that we are reading for our next meeting in September will be
  "A Yellow Raft In Blue Water" by Michael Dorris!
• Copies of the book will be available at the downstairs Circulation Desk of the library.
• The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, September 24 at 10:30am.
• Meetings will be held in the library's upstairs Conference Room.
• After each meeting a post is made on the library news page to inform library patrons about the book discussion and how to find similar books to read!
• Please contact the library for further information!
• Books Discussed in 2008 (click on the title to go directly to our catalog):
  January - "Angle of Repose" by Wallace Stegner
  February - "The Madonnas of Leningrad" by Debra Dean
  March - "Peace Like a River" by Leif Enger
  April - "Mountains Beyond Mountains" by Tracy Kidder
  May - "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
  June - "The Known World" by Edward P. Jones
  July - "Blackbird House" by Alice Hoffman
  August - "Snow in August" by Pete Hamill
  September - "A Yellow Raft In Blue Water" by Michael Dorris
• Visit the OBPL - Staff Reading Recommendations Goodreads web page for 2006 & 2007 Book Discussion Group selections.

Lists & Reviews of Library Materials

Staff Reviews: See what the Oak Bluffs Public Library staff reads & recommends!

Try these fun & informative websites:

• NoveList is a website designed to help readers find new and interesting reading material. It offers book lists, reviews, book & author read-a-likes, and more! Please remember that you need an Oak Bluffs library barcode number in order to log-in!
• What do your favorite celebrities read? Try the
  Who Reads What: Celebrity Name Index created by the Gardiner Public Library.
• Looking for a new book, or information about a series that you really like, try the Fantastic Fiction website.
• Need help finding a good book, try the Hennepin County Library's,
  Find A Good Book web page.
• Try the Waterboro Public Library's wonderful collection of
  book lists and bibliographies.
• For more book reviews, new books, or to find information about a book that you have heard about, try going to Amazon.com.

The library's reference department also has newspapers, magazines, and books that will help you to find new reading material. Ask a librarian to show you where these resources are!

Ask a Librarian

To ask a librarian at the Oak Bluffs Public Library a reference question you may call the library by phone at 1-508-693-9433, email us: info@oakbluffslibrary.org, or come to the library in person during our open hours.

If the library is closed, or you need an answer to your question immediately, try the online reference service, 24/7 Mass Answers . You can use this online service at any time, and a librarian from another library will help you find the answer to your question.