Brooks Memorial Library - Brattleboro VT

LEGO-Palooza
2025-11-06 15:00 - 17:00 (America/New_York) | 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!

Introduction to Buddhist Mindfulness Meditation
2025-11-07 16:00 - 17:30, 2025-11-21 16:00 - 17:30 | VT
This offering will be led by Bhante Rathana, a Buddhist monk originally from Sri Lanka and currently residing at Serenity Central of New England in Jacksonville, Vermont. He has been dedicated to the path of Dhamma since the age of 13, and his journey includes over two decades of monastic training, study, and teaching in Sri Lanka and the United States.
At these sessions, Bhante will be offering practical guidance in breathing meditation (ānāpānasati), loving-kindness meditation (mettā bhāvanā), and walking meditation, rooted in the original teachings of the Buddha as preserved in the Pāli Canon. His approach draws directly from early Buddhist texts, focusing on mindfulness, compassion, and inner peace.
With gentle, step-by-step instruction, Bhante aims to help participants develop calm, clarity, and deeper awareness—whether you are new to meditation or wish to strengthen your practice.

Finding a Place in the Natural World as a Huntress - with Deborah Lee Luskin
2025-11-07 18:30 - 20:30 | Main Reading Room
Celebrate the launch of the new memoir, Reviving Artemis: The Making of a Huntress, with local author Deborah Lee Luskin in an inspiring discussion and book signing. Books will be available for purchase.
About Reviving Artemis: The Making of a Huntress:
Reviving Artemis is the unlikely story of a woman raised in mid-twentieth-century suburbia who lived in New York City as a young adult and moved to Vermont in 1984. For more than thirty years, she raised domestic livestock, kept bees, and cultivated fruits and vegetables while teaching literature and telling stories. But when she turned sixty, something shifted. Luskin was overtaken by a primal urge to step out of the garden, off the blazed trails, and into untracked forest by learning to hunt deer. Deeply personal, lyrically told, and funny, Reviving Artemis reveals Luskin’s ambivalence about guns and her fear of entering the forest alone in the dark.
She persisted, using her literary acumen to read the forest and, as thoughtfully as she hunts for words, to hunt for deer. With the stories of Artemis, goddess of the hunt, childbirth, and wild nature to inspire her, Luskin became a huntress, determined to age fiercely and compelled to tell this story of finding her place in the natural world.
About Deborah Lee Luskin:
Deborah Lee Luskin moved from New York City to Vermont in 1984 to write, keep bees, and raise daughters. She has been an editorial columnist, radio commentator, pen-for-hire, and blogger. Her first novel, Into the Wilderness, won the Independent Publishers Gold Medal for Regional Fiction. Luskin has also enjoyed a long career as an educator, teaching writing and literature-based humanities classes to gifted elementary writers, college students, new adult readers, life-long learners, healthcare workers, and prison inmates. She holds a PhD in English Literature and expected to become an academic, not a deer hunter. She lives in Vermont with her husband, their dog, usually a cat, and a variable number of chickens.

Brattleboro in Stitches
2025-11-08 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-15 13:00 - 16:00, 2025-11-22 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.

Celebrating Community, Addressing Stereotypes: A Meal and Talk with VINE Sanctuary
2025-11-10 17:30 - 20:15 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join Compassionate Dining as we enjoy a delicious vegan potluck meal and welcome two wonderful speakers from VINE Sanctuary in Springfield, VT. Potluck begins at 5:30pm followed by speakers at 6pm. Come to the meal and stay for the speakers or just come for the speakers. All are invited!
From Cheryl Wylie, Animal Care Coordinator, hear about how residents of the sanctuary work together to create community. Learn all about the different species that coexist with one another and listen to unexpected and illuminating stories that show how animals–human and non-human–can build lives together.
From climate change to persistent social problems like discrimination, domestic violence, and genocide, the habits of human supremacy make it harder for people to analyze and solve the problems that people have created. The flip side of every stereotype about animals is a stereotype about humans. Those myths make it harder to diagnose and solve social problems. At this event, VINE Sanctuary cofounder pattrice jones will show how myths about roosters, turkeys, and cows contribute to sexism, ableism, and racism right here in Vermont.
pattrice jones is an ecofeminist scholar and activist as well as cofounder of VINE Sanctuary in Springfield. A winner of a 2024 “Spirit of the AD” Award from the Governor’s Committee on the Employment of People with Disabilities that was recently featured on Vermont Public for its work with former fighting roosters, VINE cares for more than 500 animals while also working for social and environmental justice. A recent VINE Press book, Bird’s-Eye Views, collects dozens of essays relevant to the subject of this event.
This event is sponsored by Compassionate Dining, a local grassroots group working to build demand for and availability of plant-based options in area restaurants so that people can eat healthfully, compassionately, and sustainably.

Voices of the People
2025-11-10 18:30 - 20:30 | Main Reading Room
WSESU and Spark Teacher Education
Presents Voices of the People
Making Connections to Stories of Resistance in The Past and Present
Performed readings from Howard Zinn and Beyond

Readings by Local Community Members, WSESU Students and Brattleboro Solidarity,
for more information email: Sparkteacheredvt@gmail.com

LIBRARY CLOSED
2025-11-11 10:00 - 21:00 | Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
The library will be closed on November 11th in observation of Veterans Day/Armistice Day.

Library Board of Trustees--POSTPONED
2025-11-11 16:30 - 18:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Monthly meeting of the Brooks Memorial Library Board of Trustees has been rescheduled for November 18 due to Veterans Day closure.
Board of Trustees

Rhyme Time
2025-11-12 10:30 - 11:00, 2025-11-19 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.

Brattleboro Selectboard - FY27 Budget Listening Session
2025-11-12 18:15 - 20:00 | Main Reading Room
The Brattleboro Selectboard will host a listening session on the FY27 budgeting process in the Main Reading Room. This is an opportunity for the public to share their ideas directly with the Selectboard outside the typical meeting format.
This is an in-person event only; there will not be a Zoom or livestream option for this meeting. The session will be recorded and available to view at a later date on BCTV and BCTV’s YouTube channel.
Background for the listening session:
A proposed FY27 General Fund Budget will be presented to the Selectboard during its regular meeting on Nov. 4. Then, on Wednesday, Nov. 12, the Selectboard will hold its second listening session of the budget season at Brooks Memorial Library at 6:15 p.m. You can view the first listening session here or check the FY27 project page for updates.
Continuation of the budget process:
The conversation will continue during Selectboard meetings throughout the remainder of 2025 and into early 2026. Future updates about the FY27 budget process will be available at Brattleboro.gov/fy27budget.

CANCELED - Sing & Dance With Robin
2025-11-13 10:30 - 11:30 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
SING AND DANCE WITH ROBIN WILL BE CANCELLED ON THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 13TH.

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.

Vermont Agency of Agriculture and VDOL H-2A Info Session
2025-11-14 16:00 - 18:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Postponed and Rescheduled to Thursday, December 11 from 4-6 PM.
The public is invited to this informational session provided by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture and the Vermont Department of Labor for farmers to attend who may be interested in learning more about the H-2A application/certification process.

Needle Felting Workshop
2025-11-15 14:00 - 16:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Learn the art of needle felting. In anticipation of the miniature worlds springing up along Main St., attendees will have the opportunity to make a simple shape, a cute critter or a fuzzy friend from a ball of wool.
The class will be held concurrently with the weekly Stitchers meet-up and is open to anyone 13 years old and up. Materials will be provided, but space is limited and advance registration is required. To sign up, email circulation@brookslibraryvt.org or call 802.254.5290 ext. 0, or come by the library in person.
The event is free, thanks to the generosity of the Friends of Brooks Memorial Library.

BookMarked: A Bookclub for Children and Tweens!: Ann Braden Author Visit
2025-11-17 16:00 - 17:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join us on Monday, November 17that 4 pm to to meet local author Ann Braden! We will talk with her about her latest novel, Into the Rapids. BookMarked is intended for ages 8 and up. Please register at the Children’s Room desk or contact us by phone or email:

(802) 254-5290 EXT 1210
cr@brookslibraryvt.org

Sci-Fi Reading Group
2025-11-17 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 A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr!
In the depths of the Utah desert, long after the Flame Deluge has scoured the earth clean, a monk of the Order of Saint Leibowitz has made a miraculous discovery: holy relics from the life of the great saint himself, including the blessed blueprint, the sacred shopping list, and the hallowed shrine of the Fallout Shelter.In a terrifying age of darkness and decay, these artifacts could be the keys to mankind’s salvation. But as the mystery at the core of this groundbreaking novel unfolds, it is the search itself—for meaning, for truth, for love—that offers hope for humanity’s rebirth from the ashes.
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.

Brattleboro Stamp Club
2025-11-17 19:00 - 20:45 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join the Brattleboro Stamp Club for all sorts of philatelic curios, conversation, and comradery!

Art & Exploration at the Library: Book Group and Art Making for Seniors
2025-11-18 13:30 - 15:00, 2025-11-25 13:30 - 15:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join River Gallery School teaching artist, Kate Milliken, for this free 5-week book exploration and art-making course for learners ages 65+.
Participants will have the opportunity to explore books on a variety of themes including history, food, nature, music, film, and classic novels, and create art in response to those themes through mixed media techniques.
This course is perfect for participants new to creating art and interested in a social book club experience. Supplies are provided. Registration is required. Sign up for one or all sessions in this exciting new offering, in collaboration with River Gallery School and Bradley House.
To register: stop by or call the circulation desk (802)254-5290; or, email: outreach@brookslibraryvt.org.

Library Board of Trustees--RESCHEDULED
2025-11-18 16:30 - 18:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Monthly meeting of the Brooks Memorial Library Board of Trustees public attendance is welcome.
Board of Trustees

SEVT Audubon Society
2025-11-18 19:00 - 21:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Please join Naeem Yusuff who will present virtually for a pelagic trip! In this trip he’ll cover pelagic birding in New England, including the opportunities for seeing pelagic birds on whale watches. There will be identification tips, and an overview of common birds that can be expected offshore, as well a couple of rarities. There may also be a shameless plug for you to join Brookline Bird Club (BBC) pelagic trips, which Naeem has been going on since moving to Massachusetts in 2004. He served as first mate on BBC’s pelagic trips for many years, before taking over organizing the trips in 2019.

Friends of the Library
2025-11-19 16:30 - 18:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Monthly meeting of the Friends of the Library. Community attendance and commentary is welcome!
Friends of the Library

Library Insider
2025-11-19 18:00 - 20:00 | VT
Sneak a peek behind the scenes of the library to get a glimpse of how this dynamic community resource works. There will food, fun, swag, and surprises. Become a library insider!
Drop in or stay the whole two hours for

Refreshments (thank you, Friends of Brooks Memorial Library!)
An update on the library’s plans and building project
A chance to tour behind-the-scenes activities while filling in your library score card to enter a special raffle

6:00 – 8:00, self-guided tours through library departments + refreshments in community meeting room
6:45 – 7:15, presentation on the first floor, and a chance to tell us what matters most to you at the library
See you there!

Sing & Dance With Robin
2025-11-20 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.

Teen Game Night!
2025-11-21 18:30 - 21:30 | Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join us from 6:30pm-9:30pm to play games with the Teen Advisory Board!
We will have a selection of board and card games to play with as well as a Jackbox 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.

Green Carnation Reading Group
2025-11-24 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.

Town Arts Committee
2025-11-25 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!
