Brooks Memorial Library - Brattleboro VT

Brattleboro Great Books Group
2026-03-02 19:00 - 21:00 (America/New_York) | Meeting Room D – Quiet Reading Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
The Brattleboro Great Books Group will be discussing Fyodor Doyevsky’s novel “The Devils” (a.k.a. “the Daemons” and “The Possessed”) on Monday, March 2nd, from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. in the Mezzanine Quiet Room of the Brooks Memorial Library.

“The Devils” (approx. 668 pp., any edition) is an emotionally harrowing, structurally messy story of a group of mostly upper-class provincial intellectuals in 1860’s and 1870’s Russia. Its characters are striking, multi-faceted and memorable. Although I am reading the Penguin Classic Edition translated by David Marshack, due to failing eyesight, I am relying on a YouTube, 3-part narrated edition (the one with a sinister illustration of three ominous characters). Each one, narrated by an excellent actor, is approximately 10+ hours, or requiring a 30+ hour commitment, but well worth your time.

April 6th discussion will be Volume I, “Swann’s Way,” of Marcel Proust’s 7-volume opus “Remembrance of Times Past” (A la recherche du gems perdu”)

For further information, email Michael N. LANDIS, at emagicmtman@gmail.com, or call him at (802) 257-1851).
In case of inclement weather, the discussion will be again deferred.

Art & Exploration at the Library
2026-03-03 13:30 - 15:00, 2026-03-10 13:30 - 15:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
We are pleased to offer the second iteration of this free 6-week book exploration and art-making course for learners ages 60+, after last year’s successful pilot-program with River Gallery School teaching artist, Kate Milliken.
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 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.

Read to a Dog
2026-03-03 15:30 - 16:30 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
This week’s Read to a Dog has been postponed due to the weather
Please join us for more Read to a Dog fun next week!

Mineralogical Society
2026-03-03 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!

Rhyme Time
2026-03-04 10:30 - 11:00, 2026-03-11 10:30 - 11:00, 2026-03-18 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
2026-03-04 12:30 - 18:30 | 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.

“Come See Me in the Good Light” - The Taking Solace Series, March Event
2026-03-04 18:00 - 20:30 | Main Reading Room
A Lifeline for Difficult Times: The Taking Solace Series on Wednesday, March 4th at 6 pm: “Come See Me in the Good Light”. This is a poignant and unexpectedly funny love story about poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley facing an incurable cancer diagnosis with joy, wit and an unshakable partnership. Through laughter and unwavering love, they transform pain into purpose, and mortality into a loving celebration of resilience.

This will be held on the Main Floor of Brooks Memorial Library.

Center for Solace (formerly Brattleboro Area Hospice) & Brooks Memorial Library began an 8-month collaboration in November 2025 that takes place on the first Wednesday of each month from 6-8 pm.

To find out about upcoming topics, please follow Center for Solace or Brooks Memorial Library on Facebook, or email centerforsolace.org, or brookslibraryvt.org.

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Please Note: Come See Me in the Good Light is rated TV-MA on Apple TV+ for strong language and mature themes. The rating reflects frequent frank conversation, adult themes, and candid moments of intimacy. This designation is meant to warn viewers about emotional and linguistic intensity. Apple’s press materials and major reviews note the mature, unflinching approach.

Game Cafe!
2026-03-04 18:00 - 20:45, 2026-03-11 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!

POSTPONED-Sing & Dance With Robin
2026-03-05 10:30 - 11:30 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Sing & Dance With Robin is POSTPONED until further notice.

LEGO-Palooza Winter Session!
2026-03-05 15:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-12 15:00 - 17:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join us on Thursdays 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
2026-03-07 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.)

Brattleboro in Stitches
2026-03-07 13:00 - 16:00, 2026-03-14 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.

Brattleboro District 8 Post-Election Discussion
2026-03-09 18:00 - 20:00 | Meeting Room D – Quiet Reading Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
All are welcome to a post-election discussion about the budget and other Town matters at this gathering of “District 8” residents.
Prior to joining in this important conversation, it may be helpful to review the following:

FY27 Approved Selectboard Budget and Other Supporting Documents
2026 Report of the RTM Finance Committee to Town Meeting for FY 2027
March 3, 2026 Official Elections Results

For more information, contact: Gary Stroud (garycs2004@gmail.com)

Mud Season Speaker Series - Salamander Crossing Brigades
2026-03-09 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.
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.

Read to a Dog
2026-03-10 15:30 - 16:30 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Come start a new year of reading by reading to a dog! 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.

Library Board of Trustees
2026-03-10 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. Citizen attendance and commentary welcome!
Board of Trustees

Food, Ecosystems and Community: Lessons from Nature
2026-03-10 19:00 - 20:45 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join Edible Brattleboro for a winter workshop series exploring the living systems at the heart of a community food forest. Together, we’ll learn how to create regenerative, resilient landscapes-where soil, plants, and people work together in mutually supportive relationships.
The series features nationally recognized speakers Didi Pershouse and Dave Jacke. Didi is an author, educator, and policy strategist, whose work focuses on living soils, carbon cycles, and the role of soil health in resilient ecosystems and communities. Dave Jacke is co-author of Edible Food Forest Gardens and a leading voice in permaculture and ecological design. Jacke will present two talks exploring forest gardening as a model for home and community landscapes, and how ecosystem principles-such as diversity, cooperation, and interdependence-can inform resilient social structures. Together, these speakers bring deep ecological insight and practical wisdom rooted in nature based systems.
Whether you’re cultivating a backyard, tending a shared green space, or simply interested in how ecosystems sustain life, this series offers insight, inspiration, and actionable ideas for nurturing landscapes that grow, adapt, and nourish for generations.
Speaker Schedule:
– Tuesday, January 13 | 7:00 PM
Didi Pershouse — Author • Educator • Policy Strategist
Soil as a Living System: How Healthy Soil Supports Ecosystems and Communities
An exploration of soil biology and the critical role living soils play in climate resilience, food systems, and community health.
-Tuesday, February 10 | 7:00 PM
Dave Jacke — Co-author of Edible Forest Gardens
Gardening Like a Forest: Ecosystem Mimicry for Homes and Communities
Healthy forests maintain, fertilize, and renew themselves, naturally. Wouldn’t you like to grow an abundant food-producing ecosystem like this in your back yard or neighborhood? You can! Edible forest gardens mimic the structure and function of natural forests while growing food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizers, pharmaceuticals, and fun. We can meet our own needs and regenerate healthy landscapes, communities, and ecosystems at the same time. We will dive into the vision of forest gardening, a little history, some science, a few living examples, and a sampling of some useful perennial edibles you can use in your own gardens.
-Tuesday, March 10 | 7:00 PM
Dave Jacke
Ecosystem Social Structures
Functional social interactions between species lie at the core of healthy ecosystems. Understanding species and community niches, interspecies relationships, food webs, guilds, polycultures, and the principles that undergird these structures greatly improves our ability to design and manage healthy forest gardens—and healthy human societies!
-Tuesday, March 24th | 7:00 PM
Ricky Baruch and Deb Habib — Founders of Seeds of Solidarity in Orange MA, with over three decades of experience gardening, farming and teaching widely.
Grow Food Everywhere!
Celebrate spring with this engaging presentation and inspiration for abundant gardens to come. Appropriate for both beginning and experienced gardeners, you will gain ideas for building rich, living soil with local resources and regenerative no-till methods. Learn from presenter experience and interactive conversation as you gather practical ideas for low maintenance and climate resilient methods that grow healthy soil and nourishing food for home or community, and in all settings.

Brattleboro District 9 Forum
2026-03-11 19:00 - 20:45 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
The budget and other Town matters are up for discussion at the next “District 9” forum. We’ll meet at 6:45 pm on Wednesday, March 11, in the Community Room (3rd floor) of the Brooks Memorial Library. We had a lively discussion at our last forum and heard many happy and grateful comments from participants. Come join us on the 11th.
At the following link, please find a resource to help analyze the Fiscal Year 2027 Town Budget: 2026 Report of the RTM Finance Committee to Town Meeting for FY27
And here is a link to the March 3, 2026 Official Election Results
Thank you for your interest; see you on Wed., Mar 11!
For more information, contact:
Robert Oeser, robt.oeser@gmail.com (518.505.9031), or David Levenbach, fideladelphia@gmail.com (413.559.1533)

Sing & Dance With Robin
2026-03-12 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.

Enrolling for SNAP and Medicaid Benefits: Need Help?
2026-03-13 14:00 - 17:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Are you confused about the new SNAP requirements? Do you need help signing up for SNAP or Medicaid? Have you been cut off SNAP or Medicaid or had benefits reduced? Do you need help paying for Medicare premiums or co-pays? The Vermont Workers’ Center is holding open hours at the Brooks Memorial Library Community Room on March 13 and March 27 from 2-4:30 PM to help people understand and navigate these programs. We’ll have information about Medicaid, Medicare, and the SNAP work requirements and exemptions, and can work with people on submitting applications and other paperwork.
Brooks Memorial Library is located at 224 Main Street, Brattleboro. Community Room is on the second floor and is handicap accessible. For questions or more information, email windham@workerscenter.org or call (802) 257-4436.

SilverCircus - by NECCA
2026-03-14 11:00 - 12:00 | 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).

Sci-Fi Reading Group
2026-03-16 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 Only Harmless Great Thing by Brooke Bolander!
In the early years of the 20th century, a group of female factory workers in Newark, New Jersey slowly died of radiation poisoning. Around the same time, an Indian elephant was deliberately put to death by electricity in Coney Island. These are the facts.Now these two tragedies are intertwined in a dark alternate history of rage, radioactivity, and injustice crying out to be righted. Prepare yourself for a wrenching journey that crosses eras, chronicling histories of cruelty both grand and petty in search of meaning and justice.
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
2026-03-16 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!

SEVT Audubon Society
2026-03-17 19:00 - 21:00 | Meeting Room A – Community Meeting Room, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT, 05301, United States
Join South Eastern Vermont’s Audubon Society for a monthly program featuring nature and the environment.
March’s Talk: Feather Trails: A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds – with Sophie A. H. Osborn
Presentation Description: Birds are visible, vocal sentinels that alert us to environmental harms through their declining numbers or their failure to thrive. In her book Feather Trails—A Journey of Discovery Among Endangered Birds, Sophie Osborn shares her personal experiences reintroducing endangered Peregrine Falcons, Hawaiian Crows, and California Condors to the wild. While immersing readers in the triumphs and tribulations of being a wildlife biologist, Sophie explores the threats that imperiled these birds, and reveals that what harmed them threatens us, too. She will discuss what led to the endangerment of these three captivating species, recount the efforts of biologists to recover their populations, and read a few excerpts from her book that describe what it was like to work with these magnificent birds.
Biography: Sophie A. H. Osborn is an award-winning environmental writer and wildlife biologist whose work has included the study and conservation of more than a dozen bird species in the Americas. She contributed to reintroduction efforts for several endangered birds and served as the field manager for the California Condor Recovery Program in Arizona for four years. Her first book, Condors in Canyon Country, won the 2007 National Outdoor Book Award for Nature and the Environment. Reviewers for the American Birding Association (ABA) chose her second book, Feather Trails, as their favorite bird book of 2024. Sophie has written articles for BirdWatching, Wyoming Wildlife, and Sojourns magazines. Her writings are also available on her website and her “Words for Birds” Substack blog.
