Brooks Memorial Library - Brattleboro VT

Exploring the Afterlife: Learning from Experts and Personal Experiences
2025-07-15 18:00 - 19:15 (America/New_York) | Meeting Room D – Quiet Reading Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Have you had a near-death experience or communicated with a deceased loved one through a medium? Have you contemplated the possibility of reincarnation or had an experience about a past life? Do you wonder what awaits us in the afterlife? Western culture tends to dismiss or even disparage paranormal phenomena. But evidence is available to answer many questions about the afterlife.
In this five-part evening series on Tuesdays from June 17th to July 15th, we will do three things: 1) read books by experts on near-death experiences, scientific instruments and experiments in paranormal research, out-of-body experiences, and the work of reputable mediums; 2) raise questions and concerns about the evening’s topic; and 3) share personal experiences of paranormal phenomena in a safe environment. Each participant will choose a book from a provided list to report on. Participants are strongly encouraged to attend all sessions.
The group will be led by hospice chaplain and former social worker Diane Southard and Valerie Abrahamsen, author of Paranormal: A New Testament Scholar Looks at the Afterlife (2015).
Participants are encouraged to contact Valerie at www.wisdomwordsppf.org/contact/ as soon as possible to obtain the book list and additional information. Adults over 18 are invited!

Brattleboro Housing Providers - Renter Feedback Session
2025-07-15 18:00 - 20:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Brattleboro Renters! We want to hear from you.
This event is hosted by a collaborative group of non-profit and private Brattleboro Housing Providers and will be facilitated by Rachel Trill, from Interaction. It is an opportunity to discuss some ideas that have the potential to improve resident and building safety, the pros and cons of these ideas and the steps needed to implement them. If you are a Brattleboro renter and are interested in this topic, we want to hear from you. This event is open to the public with priority given to renters. Brought to you by:

Brattleboro Housing Partnership
Housing Providers Alliance of Southern Vermont
M&S Development
Windham & Windsor Housing Trust

Rhyme Time
2025-07-16 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-07-23 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-07-30 10:30 - 11:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join us on Wednesday mornings @ 10:30 am for 30 minutes of stories, songs, and fun!
Rhyme Time is for kids 5 & under and their caregivers.
Free and open to the public.

Board Gaming Guild: SUMMER SESSION
2025-07-16 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-07-23 15:00 - 16:00, 2025-07-30 15:00 - 16:00 | Children’s Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
This summer, come join the fun as the Board Gaming Guild returns for Summer Reading Program!
Drop in for a rousing hour of gaming! Splendor, Kingdomino, 5-Minute Dungeon, and more! Play the games we have on hand, or bring your own.
Every Wednesday at 3pm. Stop by to have a great time playing board games in the Children’s Room!
Ages 8 and up. No sign up required!

Report-back from the Global March to Gaza
2025-07-16 18:00 - 19:30 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
On June 13th, thousands of people from across the globe gathered in Cairo to march to the border with Gaza and break the Israeli siege and genocide against the people of Gaza…or at least they tried to. The Egyptian regime came down hard on organizers and participants, thwarting their efforts, subjecting them to surveillance, arrests, beatings, kidnappings, and deportation, preventing them from even peaceably assembling in Cairo.
Brattleboro resident Fhar Miess was part of the US contingent of the Global March to Gaza and will report back on his experiences there and lessons for organizing in repressive conditions that seem headed our way here. Sumer Mobarak from Washington DC and Lana Bilbo from Kaua’i for Palestine and the Hawaii pod of JVP will also be joining remotely to share their experiences with the March.
Fhar’s blog post reflecting on the Global March to Gaza is here.
This is a hybrid event. Masks are requested in-person.
Zoom link will be shared with registrants before the event. Registration can be found here.

RETREAT FARM- Storytime in the Sun
2025-07-17 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-07-24 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-07-31 10:30 - 11:00 | VT
Join Brooks Memorial Library at Retreat Farm for storytime as part of our Summer Reading Program!
Thursdays at 10:30am, come for the stories, stay for the goats! Free and open to all ages. Bring your own blanket or chair.

LEGO-Palooza Summer Session
2025-07-17 13:00 - 17:00, 2025-07-24 13:00 - 17:00, 2025-07-31 13:00 - 17:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join us for these SPECIAL SUMMER SESSIONS of LEGO-Palooza every Thursday this summer from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.
Come build something fun with the library’s LEGOs and get a chance to see them on display. FREE!

LEGO-palooza happens from 3:00 to 5:00 pm on the first Thursday of the month with occasional special sessions during school breaks and the summer.
For more information, call 802-254-5290 ext. 1210

Teen Game Night!
2025-07-18 19:00 - 22:00 | Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join us on Friday, July 18th, from 7pm-10pm for the second Teen Game Night of the summer!
We will have a selection of board and card games to play with as well as a Jack Box Party Pack set up. Feel free to bring your own games as well.
We’ll be spread out across the whole 2nd floor. Pizza and snacks provided!
Hosted by the Teen Advisory Board. “Teens Only” events are open to people in grades 7-12.

Illustration for Science! Workshop I: Butterflies + Moths
2025-07-19 10:30 - 12:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL. PLEASE CONTACT US TO JOIN THE WAITLIST.
Workshop I: Butterflies + Moths — Saturday, July 19
In this drawing and watercolor workshop presented in collaboration with The River Gallery School, we will explore the delicate beauty of butterflies and moths, learning to capture their intricate patterns and structures through careful observation. Participants will develop a deeper understanding of these creatures’ forms and behaviors, which are essential for community science projects tracking species populations.

Illustration for Science!
Summer of Community Science Art Workshop Series
Adult Summer Reading Program
Workshop I: Butterflies + Moths — Saturday, July 19
Workshop II: Birds — Saturday, July 26
Workshop III: Local Botanicals — Saturday, August 23
Join us for a series of three nature-inspired classes designed for adults and youth ages 15 and up. These hour-and-a-half workshops will focus on the skill of close observation, a vital gift of drawing from life, which connects the visual arts with the sciences. Each workshop provides an opportunity to explore the natural world while learning to create detailed illustrations that could contribute to community science projects.
Throughout these workshops, the emphasis is on learning how to see the natural world through a new lens. Drawing from observation will enhance participants’ attention to detail, fostering a deeper connection between art and science while contributing to the understanding of our local environment.
Participants are welcome to attend one or all workshops, and all sessions are free.
Registration is required. Please contact the Circulation Desk (in person, 802-254-5290, circ@brookslibraryvt.org) to register by Monday, July 14.

Brattleboro in Stitches
2025-07-19 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-07-26 13:00 - 16:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Bring a work in progress to sew, knit, crochet, embroider, or mend. Sewing machines, irons, and companionship will be provided.

Monday Movie Matinee-Dog Man
2025-07-21 15:00 | VT
Join us at a NEW TIME, 3 pm, for our Monday Movie Matinee: Dog Man!

Sci-Fi Reading Group
2025-07-21 19:00 - 20:30 | Meeting Room D – Quiet Reading Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
The Sci-Fi Reading Group will meet in the Quiet Reading Room from 7:00pm – 8:30pm to discuss The Practice, the Horizon, and the Chain by Sofia Samatar!
The boy was raised as one of the Chained, condemned to toil in the bowels of a mining ship out among the stars. His whole world changes—literally—when he is yanked “upstairs” and informed he has been given an opportunity to be educated at the ship’s university alongside the elite.Overwhelmed and alone, the boy forms a bond with the woman he comes to know as “the professor,” a weary idealist and descendent of the Chained who has spent her career striving for validation from her more senior colleagues, only to fall short at every turn.Together, the boy and the woman will embark on a transformative journey to grasp the design of the chains that fetter them both—and are the key to breaking free.
The Sci-Fi Reading Group meets the third Monday of every month and is open to curious minds, whether or not they’ve read this month’s selection.

ON THE COMMONS-Sing & Dance with Robin
2025-07-22 10:30 - 23:30 | VT
For Ages 0-5 and their caregivers, held on the Brattleboro Commons.
This lovely class is an enriching musical experience for toddlers and preschoolers, designed to support healthy cognitive, physical, and social development. Children will sing, clap, stomp, dance, and play along with the curriculum of traditional and modern folk songs. Parents will be encouraged to fully sing and participate with their child in the class.
On rainy days, Sing & Dance will be held in the BML Community Meeting Room.

Cooking the Books: A Cooking Class Storytime
2025-07-22 15:00 - 16:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join us for Cooking the Books, a special Storytime/Cooking Class with Jamie Champney!
This session, Jamie will read “Pete’s a Pizza” by William Steig, followed by a demonstration of how to make English muffin pizzas! You will go home with the snack recipe of the day as well as fun ideas for more delicious, and simple snacks to make after school, on the go, or any time you feel inspired to create in the kitchen! All recipes can be adapted to meet food allergies, intolerances, and sensitivities.
Registration Required! Register by calling the Children’s Room at (802) 254-5290 x.1210, dropping by the Children’s Room in person, or emailing cr@brookslibraryvt.org

Town Arts Committee
2025-07-22 17:00 - 19:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
The monthly meeting of the Town Arts Committee members invites guests and the public to discuss town arts!

Teen Movie Night - D&D: Honor Among Thieves
2025-07-23 18:30 - 21:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
The Teen Advisory Board invites you to a Summer series of Teens Only movie nights! Join us Wednesday, July 23rd, for D&D: Honor Among Thieves.
A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers undertake an epic heist to retrieve a lost relic, but things go dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people. Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves brings the rich world and playful spirit of the legendary RPG to the big screen in a hilarious and action-packed adventure.
The movie will start at 6:30pm and will be shown in the Community Meeting Room at the library. Snacks and comfy chairs provided!

Illustration for Science! Workshop II: Birds
2025-07-26 10:30 - 12:30 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
THIS WORKSHOP IS FULL. PLEASE CONTACT US TO JOIN THE WAITLIST.
Workshop II: Birds — Saturday, July 26
In this drawing and watercolor workshop presented in collaboration with The River Gallery School, we will focus on the dynamic world of birds, where participants will practice observing bird anatomy, posture, and movement. Through the process of sketching and watercolor painting, we will learn how to render birds with accuracy and appreciation, linking art with the study of local avian species for community science efforts.

Illustration for Science!
Summer of Community Science Art Workshop Series
Adult Summer Reading Program
Workshop I: Butterflies + Moths — Saturday, July 19
Workshop II: Birds — Saturday, July 26
Workshop III: Local Botanicals — Saturday, August 23
Join us for a series of three nature-inspired classes designed for adults and youth ages 15 and up. These hour-and-a-half workshops will focus on the skill of close observation, a vital gift of drawing from life, which connects the visual arts with the sciences. Each workshop provides an opportunity to explore the natural world while learning to create detailed illustrations that could contribute to community science projects.
Throughout these workshops, the emphasis is on learning how to see the natural world through a new lens. Drawing from observation will enhance participants’ attention to detail, fostering a deeper connection between art and science while contributing to the understanding of our local environment.
Participants are welcome to attend one or all workshops, and all sessions are free.
Registration is required. Please contact the Circulation Desk (in person, 802-254-5290, circ@brookslibraryvt.org) to register by Monday, July 21.

Monday Movie Matinee-The Wild Robot
2025-07-28 15:00 | VT
Join us at a NEW TIME, 3 pm , for our Monday Movie Matinee: The Wild Robot!

Green Carnation Reading Group
2025-07-28 19:00 - 20:30 | Meeting Room D – Quiet Reading Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Discussions of books by and for queer people. For more information, please visit the Green Carnation Reading Group Facebook page.

Summer Book Club
2025-07-29 15:00 - 16:00 | VT
Share your love for your favorite books at our Summer Reading Program Book Club!
The Book Club will take place over two sessions:
On Tuesday, July 1st, at 3pm, we will hang out, eat snacks and talk about some of the books we love.
On Tuesday, July 29th, at 3pm, we’ll meet to discuss the book “HOLES” by Louis Sachar. Several copies are available to borrow at the library.
Register ahead of time for this event at the Children’s Room circulation desk.

Medicare Educational Seminar
2025-07-29 16:15 - 17:15 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
We inform Vermonters how Medicare works, time frames to sign up, and explain the difference between supplemental plans with the separate PDP and Medicare Advantage products. This is not a sales presentation and we will not – nor cannot – go over any specific products we offer.
