Brooks Memorial Library - Brattleboro VT

SilverCircus - by NECCA
2026-03-28 11:00 - 12:00, 2026-04-11 11:00 - 12:00 (America/New_York) | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Strengthen balance and build social connection, all while playing and connecting to your inner child with SilverCircus by the New England Center for Circus Arts (NECCA). These circus classes are designed for older adults and are welcome to all mobility and cognitive levels. We will work with each student where they are at, while fostering a supportive and playful group dynamic. Activities will challenge the brain and the body, and will be scaled up and down to be the perfect challenge for each participant.
It is not too late to join the circus! Join us at Brattleboro Memorial Library at 11am on the 2nd and 4th Saturdays in January through May (01/10, 01/24, 02/14, 02/28, 03/14, 03/28, 04/11, 04/25, 05/09, and 05/23).

Brattleboro in Stitches
2026-03-28 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-04-04 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-04-11 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.

Farewell Party for Brattleboro Police Chief Norma Hardy
2026-03-28 14:00 - 16:00 | Main Reading Room
Brooks Memorial Library is hosting a farewell party for Brattleboro Police Chief Norma Hardy to celebrate her retirement and express appreciation for her dedicated service. This gathering mirrors the welcome event Brooks held for her when she first arrived in town, giving the community another opportunity to connect with the Chief and wish her well in her future endeavors! Light refreshments will be served.

Switch Hitters Softball Team
2026-03-30 17:00 - 18:30 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
This is intended to be an open invitation for Folx wanting to join the Switch Hitters softball team within the Brattleboro Area Women’s Softball league. Softball season begins in May and we are gathering to discuss logistics for games, practices, and team roles. Interested players welcomed.

Mud Season Speaker Series - Salamander Crossing Brigades
2026-03-30 19:00 - 20:30 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Mud Season Speaker Series
The Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center and the Brooks Memorial Library invite you to a series of programs based upon the Vermont Reads 2025-26 selection, The Light Pirate, with the themes of climate resilience through community and the unstoppable power of the natural world.
The Light Pirate
Named after a catastrophic storm, Wanda is born into a world that’s rapidly changing. Rising sea levels and devastating weather patterns transform her coastal Florida town. As she moves from childhood to adulthood, Wanda adapts to this remade landscape, finding adventure, love, and purpose in a place largely abandoned by civilization.
Told in four parts—power, water, light, and time—The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton is a meditation on the beauty and violence of an untamable wilderness. It considers the dissolution of the human-made world, and helps us see how human connection, adaptability, and a little bit of magic might guide us to a new future.
Get a copy at the library!

Monday, February 9, 2026 from 6:30-8
Pumpkin and Pye: How Beavers Keep Us Cool
Pumpkin was born in a stone culvert under Upper Dummerston Road and orphaned when his mother was hit by a car. Pye was attacked and badly injured by a dog as a yearling. BEEC naturalist Patti Smith will tell how these young beavers came together and into her care. Photos and videos will illustrate the adventures that ensued.
Patti maintains that beavers are not just lovable, they are important. She will also talk about their crucial role in holding water on a warming planet and mitigating floods. Find out how communities are solving beaver conflicts in ways that allow beavers to keep us cool.

Monday, March 9, 2026 from 6:30-8
Thirty-Eight: The Hurricane That Transformed New England
A hurricane will never surprise us again. But that’s what happened to the people of New England on September 21, 1938. Without any warning, the most destructive weather event ever to hit the Northeast pummeled the coast and blasted its way to Vermont and New Hampshire with torrential rain, flooding, and sustained winds over 100 miles per hour.
Stephen Long tells the story of New England’s Katrina, focusing on the devastation to the region’s forests and the daunting challenge facing New Englanders still in the throes of the Great Depression. His presentation is richly illustrated with archival photos of storm damage and the unprecedented recovery operation, making the storm and its aftermath come alive. A journalist and co-founder of Northern Woodlands magazine, Stephen Long is the author of Thirty-Eight: The Hurricane that Transformed New England.

Monday, March 30 at 7 pm
Salamander Crossing Brigades: help save salamanders
As our planet heats up amphibians are vulnerable. A group of important amphibians in our region depend upon temporary ponds—vernal pools—for egg-laying. These pools can dry much too fast in drought years. They are also vulnerable when they must cross roads to reach their breeding habitat. You can help! Join a Salamander Crossing Brigade. Getting adult amphibians safely across roads is a big way we can make their populations resilient.
The Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center has been organizing crossing brigades at known crossing sites for decades. Come to the library to learn more about the amazing amphibians that head for vernal pools in the spring and what you can do to help them.

Saturday, April 4, 10:30-12pm
Salamander Tea Party with BEEC
Enjoy salamander story books read by our salamander mascot, snack on salamander cookies, and learn all about salamander season in Vermont!
Naturalists will be on hand to answer questions about how and where you can take a peek at amphibian eggs or help out with amphibian conservation and community science projects including BEEC’s Salamander Crossing Brigade.

Monday, April 13 from 6:30-8
Vermont Reads Book Discussion: The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Join us for a thoughtful, guided conversation centered on The Light Pirate, a novel that follows one girl’s life as climate change reshapes Florida’s coast—and the meaning of home, resilience, and community. Rachael Cohen, environmental writer and editor, will facilitate this 90-minute discussion, creating space to reflect together on the book’s themes, characters, and emotional impact.
Participants will explore themes such as climate adaptation and how people respond—individually and collectively—to environmental change. All readers are welcome, whether the book moved you deeply or left you with lingering questions. Come prepared to listen, reflect, and engage in a meaningful exchange inspired by this powerful and timely novel.

Brattleboro District 9 Forum
2026-03-31 18:30 - 20:45 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Residents of District 9 will continue their discussion of Town matters in advance of Open Town Meeting in another of our periodic get-togethers. The District 9 forum will occur at 6:30 pm on Tuesday 31 March in the Community Room of the Brooks Memorial Library (3rd floor).
At the suggestion of a participant from the last forum, we invite suggestions as to matters that should be scheduled for the agenda. Send your preferred topics to convenors Robert Oeser (robt.oeser@gmail.com) 518.505.9031 or David Levenbach (fideladelphia@gmail.com; 413.559.1533)
Save these dates::

An Informational Session will be held on April 8, 2026, starting at 7 p.m. in the Brattleboro Area Middle School Multipurpose Room.
Open Town Meeting will be held on April 11, 2026, starting at 8:30 a.m. in the Brattleboro Union High School gymnasium.

View the complete warning for Town Meeting here (corrected March 13). Visit the Town’s website for a roundup of relevant documents, including links to the Annual Report, the Finance Committee Report and more to help prepare for Open Town Meeting.

Rhyme Time
2026-04-01 10:30 - 11:00, 2026-04-08 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.

SEVCA's Volunteer Tax Prep Assistance (VITA) Program
2026-04-01 13:30 - 19:30 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
The IRS’s Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free basic tax return preparation to qualified individuals.
The VITA program has operated for over 50 years. VITA sites offer free tax help to people who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns, including:
-People who generally make $67,000 or less
-Persons with disabilities, and
-Limited English-speaking taxpayers
SEVCA’s VITA program also assists Vermont homeowners and renters with Homestead Declarations, Property Tax Credit Claims, and Renter Rebate Claims, even if they are not required to file a tax return.
VITA services are not only free, they are also a reliable and trusted source for preparing tax returns.
Services are by appointment only. Information to request an appointment, COMING SOON.
If you would like more information, visit sevca.org/tax services, email estrasser@sevca.org, or call or text 802-428-3032.

Game Cafe!
2026-04-01 18:00 - 20:45, 2026-04-08 18:00 - 20:45 | Meeting Room D – Quiet Reading Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Come join game enthusiasts in playing Magic the Gathering in various formats (including Commander/EDH) as well as other fun and creative board & card games.
Bring your favorite games- All Ages Welcome!

Sing & Dance With Robin
2026-04-02 10:30 - 11:30, 2026-04-09 10:30 - 11:30 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Designed for ages under 6- all ages welcome! Free and open to the public.
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.
Sponsored by the Friends of Brooks Memorial Library.

LEGO-Palooza
2026-04-02 15:00 - 17:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join us on the first Thursday of every month after school from 3-5pm to play with LEGOs!
We provide the LEGOs. You build. Do not bring your own LEGOs.
Children cannot keep LEGOs, but if there is enough room, we will display them in the window.
Free and open to the public!

Community Conversations with Brattleboro State Legislators
2026-04-04 10:30 - 12:00 | Main Reading Room
As the Brattleboro Legislative Delegation gears up for the start of a new legislative session in January, these monthly sessions are an opportunity to meet the Brattleboro Representatives and discuss issues that matter to you. Topics will include healthcare, education, climate change, and housing. All are welcome to join your Vermont Legislators, hear from experts, and share your experiences.
These conversations are scheduled monthly on the 1st Saturdays from 10:30 AM – 12 PM. (Scheduled dates: 2/7, 3/7, 4/4, 5/2, and 6/6.)

Mud Season Speaker Series - Salamander Tea Party with BEEC
2026-04-04 10:30 - 12:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States

District 8 Discussion
2026-04-04 14:00 - 16:00 | Meeting Room D – Quiet Reading Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
District 8 Residents are invited to join in on the final discussion on Saturday, April 4th, in Quiet Room D from 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm, and any suggestions from the last meeting and new ones on the Agenda, Town Budget, Human Service, etc., and before both meetings, please write dates and time below. Furthermore, you can email me, Gary Stroud, at garycs2004@gmail.com for additional information.
Important Dates

April 8: An Informational Session will be held on April 8, 2026, starting at 7 p.m. in the Brattleboro Area Middle School Multipurpose Room.

April 11: Open Town Meeting will be held on April 11, 2026, starting at 8:30 a.m. in the Brattleboro Union High School gymnasium.

Important Documents and Other Information

View the complete warning for this meeting here.

View the 2025-26 Annual Town Report here. Print editions of the report are available at the Brooks Memorial Library and Town Clerk’s Office during regular business hours. An addendum to the Town Report is in production and will be posted on the Town’s website prior to Open Town Meeting.

Learn more about the budget on the FY27 budget project page and view the Finance Committee’s FY27 Report here.

On Feb. 25, 2026, the Human Services Review Committee hosted an informational forum to discuss municipal human services funding. View it here.

Visit this page to learn more about Robert’s Rules of Order, which are rules of procedure that will guide the meeting.

Watch the Selectboard’s discussion about the Open Town Meeting warning here.

BookMarked: A Book Party for Children and Tweens!
2026-04-06 15:30 - 16:30 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join us on the first Monday of the month, 4-5 pm in the Community Meeting Room for a book lover’s party! This is a chance to meet other kids who love to read (you can bring your old friends too!) and swap recommendations in a zero-pressure environment. We will have craft supplies out for open-ended art making. Snacks will also be provided.
This event is for children ages 8+. Registration is NOT required.

Windham County Democratic Committee
2026-04-06 18:00 - 20:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Monthly Meeting of the Windham County Democratic Committee

Brattleboro Great Books Group
2026-04-06 19:00 - 21:00 | Meeting Room D – Quiet Reading Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Monthly discussion of “Great Books”

Read to a Dog
2026-04-07 15:30 - 16:30, 2026-04-14 15:30 - 16:30 | Children’s Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Read to a Dog is back! Read out loud to two sweet dogs, Kelso and Gussy! Both dogs are specially trained to read with kids and LOVE to be petted and cuddled!
Come to the Children’s Room to Read to a Dog–available on a first come first serve basis. Bring your own books or come early to pick some of ours! All Ages Welcome.

Mineralogical Society
2026-04-07 18:00 - 20:45 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join the Brattleboro Mineralogical Society to discuss Minerals and other Geological topics!

Vermont Pastel Society
2026-04-08 15:00 - 16:30 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
pastel painting

A Lifeline for Difficult Times: The Taking Solace Series
2026-04-08 18:00 - 20:00 | Main Reading Room
Starting last November, Center for Solace (formerly Brattleboro Area Hospice) & Brooks Memorial Library
were inspired to begin an 8-month collaboration on the first Wednesday of each month, from 6-8 pm.
Come join us for a wide range of conversations
on tender topics, from Death Cafes, to film & discussion nights,
speaker panels, a climate-grief dialogue, and more.
Together we’ll explore some of the challenges of being alive in our time.
For instance, how might we navigate illness, caregiving, or loss?
Or beyond that, face a much broader anguish for our fragile planet itself?
Because we know that at least one form of solace
stems from staying connected.
To quote poet David Whyte, “Solace is not meant to be
an answer, but an invitation, through the door of pain and difficulty,
to the depth of suffering and simultaneous beauty in the world
that the strategic mind by itself cannot grasp or make sense of.”
Continuing our monthly Taking Solace series at Brooks Memorial Library, join us on April 8 from 6-8 pm to watch the award-winning 2022 documentary Living in the Time of Dying: Meeting the Truth of the Climate Crisis, by Australian filmmaker Michael Shaw. After the film there will be an hour for facilitated discussion on how we are feeling and how we can stay connected, with Michael Shaw attending remotely.
And to find out about further topics, please follow
Center for Solace or Brooks Memorial Library on Facebook:
centerforsolace.org, or brookslibraryvt.org.

TESTED - Book Launch with Author Anna Monders
2026-04-12 13:00 - 14:30 | Main Reading Room
Brooks Memorial Library will host a book launch party with debut author—and library employee—Anna Monders at 1 p.m. on Sunday, April 12 in the main reading room of 224 Main St., Brattleboro.

Set in a world ruthlessly divided by genetic class, Tested is a high-stakes novel for ages ten and up. Tested follows fourteen-year-old Mikayla, a genetic Elite, in the days before the exam that will secure her privileged life. When Mikayla discovers a secret in her DNA, she starts questioning her rigid society for the first time in her life.

Monders will demonstrate a DNA extraction experiment, engage in dialogue with Max Newirth, Teen Services Specialist and convener of the monthly Sci-Fi Readers meet-up, and answer questions about the novel, the writing life, and the publishing process.

The Friends of the Brooks Memorial Library will provide twenty-five free copies of the book to kids and teens who attend the event. Books will also be available for purchase. All ages are welcome. There will be high-grade chocolate!

Mud Season Speaker Series - Vermont Reads Book Discussion: THE LIGHT PIRATE
2026-04-13 18:30 - 20:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Mud Season Speaker Series
The Bonnyvale Environmental Education Center and the Brooks Memorial Library invite you to a series of programs based upon the Vermont Reads 2025-26 selection, The Light Pirate, with the themes of climate resilience through community and the unstoppable power of the natural world.
Monday, April 13, 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Vermont Reads Book Discussion: The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Join us for a thoughtful, guided conversation centered on The Light Pirate, a novel that follows one girl’s life as climate change reshapes Florida’s coast—and the meaning of home, resilience, and community. Rachael Cohen, environmental writer and editor, will facilitate this 90-minute discussion, creating space to reflect together on the book’s themes, characters, and emotional impact.
Participants will explore themes such as climate adaptation and how people respond—individually and collectively—to environmental change. All readers are welcome, whether the book moved you deeply or left you with lingering questions. Come prepared to listen, reflect, and engage in a meaningful exchange inspired by this powerful and timely novel.
About The Light Pirate:
Named after a catastrophic storm, Wanda is born into a world that’s rapidly changing. Rising sea levels and devastating weather patterns transform her coastal Florida town. As she moves from childhood to adulthood, Wanda adapts to this remade landscape, finding adventure, love, and purpose in a place largely abandoned by civilization.
Told in four parts—power, water, light, and time—The Light Pirate by Lily Brooks-Dalton is a meditation on the beauty and violence of an untamable wilderness. It considers the dissolution of the human-made world, and helps us see how human connection, adaptability, and a little bit of magic might guide us to a new future.
Thanks to Vermont Humantites, a limited amount of copies are available at the Circulation Desk.

Vermont Reads Speaker Bureau BIO:
Rachael Cohen has been a freelance editor specializing in environmental and regional studies, a teacher of writing, literature, and natural history, a caller of contra dances, and a farm hand. She has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Cornell University and a Master of Science in Environmental Education from the Audubon Expedition Institute/Lesley University. When she’s not teaching for the University of Michigan’s New England Literature Program, held each spring at a camp in New Hampshire, she’s a caretaker in southern Vermont.
