An A-Z Guide to Services
and Resources at
Brooks Memorial Library

AIR CONDITIONED READING ROOM : Comfortable chairs and tables and floor to ceiling windows provide a pleasant atmosphere to leisurely read newspapers, magazines or any material from the collection.

ART DISPLAYS are changed monthly and should be booked by the artist or display group several months to a year in advance.

AUDIO-VISUAL EQUIPMENT RENTAL : A slide projector, overhead projector, and tape recorder are available for $5.00 per day and screens are available for $2.50 per day.

BARN : BROOKS AUTOMATED RESOURCE NETWORK is the online card catalog. It can be searched by Author, Title, Subject and Keywords. Several classes are offered in the Fall and Spring to instruct patrons in finding the material they need. A librarian is available to assist with a search if necessary. The database may be accessed from home, office or school by visiting our website at www.brooks.lib.vt.us

BOOK DISPLAYS are changed monthly and are coordinated with dedicated months like Black History, Women's History, Poetry, Health Awareness and seasonal themes such as holidays, gardening and book sale month

BUSINESS RESOURCES : Valueline , a stock and investment service, and Morningstar , a mutual fund investment service, are available in the library. Reference USA is a web based database with information on national companies. It can be searched by company name, type of business, and geographical location. Is a valuable resource for businesses and job-seekers. The library subscribes to this service and it can only be accessed at the library.

CHILDREN'S ROOM has a current fiction, non-fiction and picture book selection as well as classics and old favorites, videos, music cassettes, books on tape, CD ROM games, encyclopedias and other reference material for toddlers to teens.
Storytime: Wednesday at 10:00 a.m., parents with children ages 3-5 gather for stories and activities on a selected theme.
Special programs during school vacations and Summer Reading Program

COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD : Advertising for community events, music, art, dance. health, education or community interest. Business cards are welcome but no for sale or rent items. The Bulletin Board is maintained weekly by a volunteer

COMPUTER : Microsoft Works is available for word processing. It is connected to a printer for $.15 a page or patrons can save to disk that can be purchased for $1.00 at the main desk.

ELECTRONIC SOURCES :
Library From Home : Use the library from home to search the Vermont Online Library, which includes a variety of full-text magazine databases of general information, as well as literary,health and medical information. Other databases include genealogy and local history databases, a news database, as well as a business information database. All databases are accessible with a valid Brooks Memorial Library card, or they may be accessed from computers within the library.
INTERNET AND CD-ROM ACCESS : The Gates Foundation has provided thelibrary with six (6) computers with Microsoft applications. The computers on the Main floor access the Internet. Please refer to the library's Internet Use Policy. Patrons under 16 years of age need parental permission. Six BARN terminals can access the internet with the Lynx browser.
INTERNET CLASSES : Basic and advanced classes are offered in the Fall and Spring on using the internet as a reference tool. Call the library for dates and times.

GENEALOGY AND LOCAL HISTORY ROOM : Volunteers are available on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons to assist patrons with this resource. The Genealogical Interest Group (GIG) meets on the third Wednesday of the month in the room. For more information on this group, please contact Joann Nichols at 802-254-9554, or email her
The collection houses Brattleboro high school yearbooks, scrapbooks, Family bibles, Town directories and histories, newspaper clipping files, genealogical information for Vermont and New England is available. Newspapers and census information from the early 1800's to present is available on microfilm along with two microfilm reader printers. 2593 volumes are presently held in the local history collection. In addition, queries may be sent electronically to AncestorAsk

HANDICAPPED ACCESSIBILITY : The library is handicapped accessible and staff are always willing to help with special needs. A TTY phone is also available.

HOURS : Monday, Tuesday , Wednesday 9am-9pm, Thursday, Friday 9am-6pm, Saturday 9am-5pm (Summer Saturdays 9am-Noon)

INTERLIBRARY LOAN : Items that are not available at Brooks can be requested from other libraries. There is no charge but a suggested donation to defray postage.

LIBRARY COLLECTION
Large Print Collection : approximately 600 titles in every genre are located on the main floor.
Periodicals Collection : over 350 subscriptions which includes14 daily newspapers, hundreds of magazine titles, journals and newsletters. Six magazines may be borrowed at a time.
Non-Print Materials : 1262 phonograph records, 937 videos, 158 compact discs, and 1318 cassettes including music and audio books are available.
Fiction : Approximately 14,500 titles are in the adult collection and 3,000 in the Children's Room.
Non-fiction : Approximately 29,000 titles are in the adult collection and 6,300 in the Children's Room.
New books : Over 700 new books circulate in the adult library. Due to high demand, the lending period is 14 days. Over 200 new books are located in the Children's Room and the lending period is 28 days.
Non-print Collection : Approximately 4,000 titles include phonograph records, compact discs, audio books, music cassetts, and videos.

LOW VISION MAGNIFIER : This machine can magnify print up to 60X and is located in the quiet study area.

MEETING ROOM : This space may be reserved free of charge for groups that charge no fee and are open to the public. The space is limited to 50 people and is available during regularly scheduled hours.
A TV and VCR as well as other AV equipment is available for use in that room.

OUTREACH : Presently four volunteers serve area nursing homes. Hopefully the service will expand to include shut-ins.

PHOTOCOPY MACHINE : Located on the main floor and copies are $.10 each.

RECORD, TAPE AND CD PLAYER : Earphones are available to listen or record audio material. There is also capability for recording material.

READING DISCUSSION AND LECTURE SERIES : Programs are held throughout the year in conjunction with the Vermont Council on the Arts and Humanities, the Brattleboro Museum and Art Center and the Vermont Center for the Book. Programs are advertised in the Reformer, Friends Newsletter and postings.

REFERENCE DEPARTMENT: A reference librarian is available to answer questions, find information and help with research topics. Over 3,000 volumes are held in the reference collection.The Reference Department may be reached by calling 802-254-5290 Ext 109, or by completing an Ask-A-Librariain request form.

RESERVES : Patrons may be put on a waiting list for books that are currently charged out. They will be notified when the book has arrived for them.To place a hold on a book, please go to the Request Form to send a request electronically.

SMALL MEETING AND STUDY ROOM: Located on the main floor, this area can accommodate 4-6 people at a table. A typewriter is available as well as outlets for laptops.

STUDY SPACE : Twelve carrels are located on the mezzanine for individual study space.

TAX FORMS : January through April tax forms and instruction books are available for both state and federal returns. Reproducible forms are available to photocopy for $.10 and other forms can be located on the internet and printed for $.15 a page.

TEEN CORNER: The teen corner is located on the main floor. It is designed to help with the young adult transition from the Children's Room to the Adult Room. Titles of interest both fiction and non-fiction, classics, graphic classics, comic books, and magazines are on display. Many other young adult titles are shelved in the stacks.

WALKING TOUR BROCHURE OF FINE ARTS COLLECTION : Twenty-seven works are on display on all three levels of the library. Each location on the tour has a placard describing the piece.

E-MAIL address BRATTLIB@BROOKS.LIB.VT.US

VISIT OUR WEBSITE at WWW.BROOKS.LIB.VT.US .