First Wednesdays at Brooks Library: Canterbury Tales, Still Funny after All These Years

Dartmouth professor Peter Travis will discuss the genius, comic wisdom, and enduring humanity of Geoffrey Chaucer, the fourteenth-century “Father of English Poetry,” in a talk at Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main St., in Brattleboro on January 4 at 7:00 pm.

His talk, “Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales: Still Funny After All These Years,” is part of the Vermont Humanities Council’s First Wednesdays lecture series and is free and open to the public.


Scrabble! At Brooks Memorial Library

Interested in joining others in a lively game of Scrabble? Weekly drop-in Scrabble at Brooks Memorial Library begins on Wednesday 14 December 2016 at 6 pm. Drop-in Scrabble will continue weekly on Wednesdays at 6 pm in the Local History Room, except on First Wednesdays. 

Brooks Memorial Library
224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301
Contact us at info@brookslibraryvt.org or 802-254-5290


First Wednesdays at Brooks Library: How William Carlos Williams Changed Poetry

UVM professor Huck Gutman will look at the work and legacy of poet William Carlos Williams in a talk at Brooks Memorial Library in Brattleboro on December 7 at 7 pm. His talk, “William Carlos Williams: America’s Most Revolutionary Twentieth Century Poet,” is part of the Vermont Humanities Council’s First Wednesdays lecture series and is free and open to the public. Gutman’s talk will consider how Williams changed American and world poetry forever by creating a new poetic language and new poetic forms.

Huck Gutman is Professor of English at the University of Vermont, where he teaches courses in nineteenth- and twentieth-century American poetry, and in modern poetry in translation. A former Chair of the English Department, he has twice taught abroad as a Fulbright Fellow. He has written or edited four books, and has been a regular political columnist for major newspapers abroad.  He has returned to teaching at UVM after six years in Washington, where he served as Chief of Staff to Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.


Brooks Memorial Library Like-New Holiday Book Sale

Don’t miss the 11th Annual Friends of Brooks Memorial Library Like-New Holiday Book Sale! It will be held Thursday and Friday, December 1st & 2nd, from 10am-6pm, and Saturday, December 3rd from 10 am-2 pm. What better place to find a gift for the holidays?


The Value of Old and Rare Books: Lecture & Appraisals by Ken Gloss of Boston’s Brattle Books

     Kenneth Gloss, proprietor of the internationally known Brattle Book Shop in Boston’s Downtown Crossing section, will give a free and open talk, and will give free verbal appraisals of books, on Wednesday, November 16 at 6:30 pm at Brooks Memorial Library, 224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT. Ken will discuss the value of old and rare books. 

Ken, who is also a frequent guest appraiser on PBS’ Antiques Roadshow, will talk in part about the history of his historic bookshop (www.brattlebookshop.com), which goes back to around 1825.


Brooks Library – Under Construction and Survey!

Please forgive the dust and occasional noise in the library in the next couple of months. We’re building an even better Brooks Memorial Library!

If you missed the email about the library survey… Don’t worry; there’s a link right here. What do you love? What do you wish for? Please tell us what you think! They survey takes about 7-10 minutes, or longer if you want to share details. It’s your choice. Thanks for being part of the conversation! 


Lightning-Round Interview with Matthew Wojcik, Electronic Services Support Specialist at Brooks Library

To book an appointment with Matt on Monday evenings, send him an email (http://www.brookslibraryvt.org/matthew-wojcik), or call him at (802) 254-5290 x109.

Matt arrived at Brooks in September, bringing extensive technical experience in a variety of challenging environments. You’ll see him at the front desk and out on the floor, helping visitors with technology questions.  

Q:What do you like best about helping people with technology?

A: Helping people past the confusion and frustration technology makes us all feel at times, to get to the fun and useful things.

Q: Tell us an interesting fact about you outside your library tech life.


On Exhibit at Brooks Library: Jim Arnosky

Famous children’s author and illustrator Jim Arnosky is featured as October and November’s illustrator in the top floor display cases. Arnosky has written and illustrated over 140 picture and nature books for kids. He has also written many Vermont nature guides for adults. He has won several awards for his work including the ALA Gordon Award, the Chirstopher Medal, and the Outstanding Science Book Award.

See lots more at http://www.jimarnosky.com/

Brooks Memorial Library224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301
Contact us at info@brookslibraryvt.org or 802-254-5290


Job Hunt Help at Brooks Library

Meet the library’s new Job Hunt Helper, Danielle Braverman! Danielle will help library visitors use computer technology for job and career-related tasks like preparing resumes, exploring careers, and completing online job applications. Contact the Reference Desk to make an appointment with Danielle, or just drop by during her regular library hours: Tuesdays 10:00-1:00 and Thursdays 1:00-4:00.

Danielle’s services are provided through a partnership between the Community College of Vermont and the Vermont Department of Libraries, with funding from the J. Warren and Lois McClure Foundation and the federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), Institute of Museum and Library Services.


Learn a New Skill with Lynda.com (via Brooks Library)

Have you heard? Learn a new skill online, on your time. Over 4000 courses in Business, Technology and Creative Skills taught by industry experts. Spreadsheet skills, animation techniques, happiness tips, salary negotiation strategies…there’s something in Lynda for everybody! Thanks to generous support from the Friends of Brooks Memorial Library, Lynda.com, from LinkedIn, is FREE to library cardholders.

Brooks Memorial Library224 Main Street, Brattleboro, VT 05301

Contact us at info@brookslibraryvt.org or 802-254-5290


Samirah Evans: How the Heck Did I Get to VT? A Musical Memoir

Samirah Evans: How the heck did I get to VT? A musical memoir to benefit Brooks Memorial Library. Please join us on Friday, Nov 4, 2016 at 7 pm to hear a spectacular voice and celebrate a Vermont – and world – treasure.

Samirah’s live performance repertoire runs the gamut from raunchy blues to jazz smooth as silk. She has often been compared to Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald, Nancy Wilson, and Etta James. Like many jazz and blues artists, Samirah dedicates time to perpetuating indigenous American music. She was a long time participant in the Blues Schoolhouse program sponsored by the International House of Blues Foundation. She also served as a volunteer show host on the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage radio station, WWOZ, for over ten years.


Brooks Memorial Library Wants To Hear From You

This year is a big one for Brooks Memorial Library. We hired a new Library Director, Starr LaTronica; we are using some of the recent generous Ronald Read bequest for internal upgrades and renovations. In addition, this is the year we have the opportunity to revise and rewrite our five year Strategic Plan.

Brooks Memorial Library is well-loved and well used by its customers and continues to be. But the world of libraries is changing. Libraries are expanding beyond their collections of books and media by providing new kinds of programs, services and opportunities. Some libraries offer classes, some loan out tools and gear, some connect patrons with community resources and some provide space for business incubators, conversation salons or makerspaces. At BML, we can do many of these things, and in fact, already do some of them. Now, we need to know what our patrons and cardholders want and need?


A Playground for Empire: Historical Perspectives on Cuba and the USA

The Friends of Brooks Memorial Library invite the public to attend a free presentation by Tim Weed on Sunday, May 8 at 3:30 in the Library. The presentation is titled, “A Playground for Empire: Historical Perspectives on Cuba and the USA. Tim Weed has made many trips to Cuba, and will discuss past and current changes in Cuba and US relations.  

Weed is an award-winning author, outdoorsman, independent explorer and a founding director of the National Geographic Student Expeditions. This program is made possible through the Vermont Humanities Speakers Bureau.


What the Buddhists Teach: Finding Clarity in Everyday Life

How do we develop mindfulness and a compassionate optimism about a highly imperfect world? Author Dr. Polly Young-Eisendrath discusses the Buddhist model for remaining fully engaged in the ups and downs of everyday life in her talk “What the Buddhists Teach: Finding Clarity in Everyday Life,” May 4th at 7pm in the library’s main room. Sponsored by the Vermont Humanities Council. Location Brooks Memorial Library Main Room. Contact Reference Desk (802) 254-5290 x109. For more information about Dr. Polly Young-Eisendrath, go to 


Brooks Memorial Library – Ongoing Programs and Services

Ongoing Programs and Services at Brooks Memorial Library – Reference, Technology, Fax Services and Wireless Printing.

Reference service
Need help finding books, movies, and other media in traditional and electronic formats? Engaged in a research project for school, work, or personal interest? Want help using the online catalog and finding your way through the library? Reference librarians can help with all of these questions and more. The desk is staffed Monday-Friday, 10-2 and 3-6, and most Saturdays 10-5, or email us at asklibrarian@brookslibraryvt.org. All reference is confidential.


Job Hunt Help at Brooks Library

Meet Job Hunt Helper Ben Howe! During March & April, CCV student intern Ben Howe will help library patrons use computer technology for job and career-related tasks. Stop by for help exploring online career and education tools, finding resume prep tools, and completing online applications. Make an appointment with Ben at the Reference Desk: (802) 254-5290 x109, or by emailing him at jobhuntbml@gmail.com.

He’ll also provide drop-in help on a first-come, first-served basis during his regular library hours: Tuesday evenings, 5:00-8:00 and Thursday afternoons, 1:00-4:00. Feel free to call ahead for info on his likely availability. 


Mexican-Americans: Experience & Identity-A Reading-Discussion Series: The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle

Brooks Memorial Library continues its Vermont Humanities Council reading/discussion series, Mexican Americans: Experience and Identity on Wednesday 16 March 2016, at 7 pm – 8:30 pm with The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle. This 4-Part series ‘Mexican Americans: Experience and Identity,’ deals with the experiences of Mexicans living in the United States, from the struggles of migrant farmworkers and day laborers in California to coming of age stories of Chicanos as U.S. citizens.

The third book in this series is The Tortilla Curtain by T.C. Boyle, which is story of illegal aliens in California, told through the eyes of two very different couples, one well-off Anglos, the other illegal Mexicans living in a canyon. The novel chronicles their relationship against the background of growing hostility between immigrants and natives. 


First Wednesday at Brooks Library: Celebrating E.B. White

Drawing on stories, essays, poems, and letters, Dartmouth professor Nancy Jay Crumbine celebrates E.B. White’s versatility and enormous legacy. From Charlotte’s Web to his exquisite essays in The New Yorker, E.B. White remains the master’s master of elegant prose, sophisticated wit, and graceful irreverence.

On Wednesday, March 2, at 7 PM, in the library’s main room, Dartmouth professor Nancy Jay Crumbine celebrates White’s versatility and enormous legacy by drawing on his stories, essays, poems, and letters.


Online Tax Filing Tools at Brooks Library

Online tax filing might be easier than you think! The library partners with MyFreeTaxes.com, a project of Windham County United Way, to make online tax filing easy and free for qualifying households. Or try FreeFile, another easy online option from the Vermont Department of Taxes. If you need a fast computer, visit the library; we’ll help you get started and give you all the online time you need. Click here for links & more info http://brookslibraryvt.org/search/subject-guides2/tax-prep

File Online: Prepare and file your state and federal taxes online. Both are free to qualifying households. If you don’t qualify for free filing, you can still use the services; you’ll simply be charged a filing fee.


Tech Help at Brooks Library

Tech Help is available at Brooks Memorial Library! Cal books half-hour appointments on Mondays between 3-5:00 and 5-6:00.

To book time, contact Cal at (802) 254-5290 x104 or cal@brookslibraryvt.org.

Tech Help with Cal is available every Monday when the library is open. Please note that Brooks Memorial Library is CLOSED for Presidents’ Day on Monday 15 February 2016.