Brownell Library

The library will be loud and celebratory this morning
2026-04-04 09:00 - 13:00 (America/New_York) | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
We are hosting a Repair Cafe and the library will be more active and louder than usual this morning. Most activity will occur on the first floor, but some noise may be heard on lower levels, including a loud cowbell noise – which means that we successfully repaired something and kept it out of a landfill – YAY!
We understand that this level of activity and noise is different from what people often expect of a library, and that the effort to protect our planet, save our community money, and build community connections is totally worth celebrating! Please plan accordingly.

TAG
2026-04-03 16:00 - 17:00 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Teens and tweens in grades 6-12 can join our Teen Advisory Group! We’ll be creating a new TAG poster to hang up in the YA room. Snacks will be provided!

Music Time
2026-04-03 10:30 - 11:00 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Come sing and dance in the Main Reading Room with Linda Bassick!

Mah Jongg
2026-04-03 10:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-27 10:00 - 12:00 | Kolvoord Community Room
Mah Jongg takes place every Friday from 10am-12pm and it’s FREE!
If you know how to play, drop by and enjoy the great game of (American) Mah Jongg!
This is an EJRP/Essex Senior Center program. Questions? Please contact Julie: jshorter@ejrp.org or 802-878-1375 EXT 1553

AARP Tax Appointments
2026-04-03 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-27 09:00 - 12:00 | Kolvoord Community Room
AARP Foundation provides in-person assistance free of charge with a special focus on taxpayers who are over 50 or have low-to-moderate income. Tax-Aide volunteers are located nationwide and are trained and IRS-certified every year. Taxpayers must bring all information and documents that have been received that apply to their 2025 income taxes, as well as a copy of their 2024 returns. Appointments required. Please call 802-878-6955, in advance, to book a 60 minute appointment. The schedule fills up quickly!

Guardian ad Litem Information Session
2026-04-02 16:00 - 18:00 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
GUARDIAN AD LITEM LIBRARY SESSIONS Spring 2026
C H I T T E N D E N C O U N T Y
P U B L I C
L I B R A R I E S

Come to your local library and discover how someone like you can support children in your community. Current Guardians ad Litem and the Regional Coordinator will explain how you can give abused and neglected children a voice by becoming a court appointed Guardian ad Litem.
As a Guardian ad Litem, you get to work with the courts, DCF, attorneys, NFI, schools, and other community resources to help children through a very challenging time in their lives. It’s among the most challenging, impactful, and rewarding volunteer opportunities.
For those who can, it’s among the most important things you will ever do.

Story Time
2026-04-02 10:00 - 10:30, 2026-03-26 10:00 - 10:30 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Picture books, songs, rhymes, crafts and early literacy tips. In the picture book area.

AARP Tax Aide Appointments
2026-04-02 09:00 - 12:00, 2026-03-30 08:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-26 09:00 - 12:00 | Kolvoord Community Room

Grief Group
2026-04-01 18:30 - 19:30 | Kolvoord Community Room
Join a compassionate community of others who are grieving. In this safe and supportive space, we come together to share, validate, and navigate the complexities of grief. Guided by certified death doula Karen Hergesheimer, our conversations offer understanding, education, and valuable resources to help you through this journey. Hot tea is provided.

Whimsical Wednesday: Watershed model with Lake Champlain Basin Program
2026-04-01 15:30 - 16:30 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Every Wednesday we will do a fun activity, ranging from crafts to engineering and more! This time: Watershed model with Lake Champlain Basin Program. This hands-on, tabletop model helps students understand how polluted runoff impairs lakes and rivers. Topics covered include point and nonpoint pollution sources (urban, industrial, forested, and agricultural), toxic substances, phosphorus, pollution prevention, and watershed planning.

Play Time!
2026-04-01 10:00 - 10:45, 2026-03-25 10:00 - 10:45 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Read one story together and play! We have giant blocks and other creative play materials. Best for ages 0-5.

April's Daily/Ongoing Programs for Adults
2026-04-01 - 2026-04-30 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Book Display: This month, check out books and films about, inspired by, and written by Shakespeare!Visit the KCR display! This month our display features art by Essex Art League!
Magazine Swap: Need some new reading material? Check out the magazine swap!
Community Puzzle: Spend some time working on a puzzle in the Main Reading Room. Puzzles rotate as they are completed.
Pattern Swap: Bring in sewing/cross stitch/knitting etc. patterns and take a few!
Puzzle Swap: Bring a puzzle, take a puzzle. Adult and kid friendly puzzles welcome! Only puzzles that have all the pieces. Drop your puzzle off on the table next to the main desk.
Pocket Constitutions are available by the main desk while supplies last.
Red Cards: Informational cards are available in several different languages.
Coupon Swap: Do you have extra coupons that aren’t useful to you? Bring them in and take a few!
Battery Recycling Station: Do you have old batteries? Drop them off at our recycling station (no exploded batteries please!)
Lion’s Club Eyeglasses Drop Off Station. Do you have old glasses you no longer need? Drop them off at our recycling station!
Seed Swap: Have extra seeds you don’t need? Drop them off at our seed swap and take home seeds you want for your garden!

Earth Month Scavenger Hunt
2026-04-01 - 2026-04-30 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Discover ways to help our planet in this scavenger hunt. Reduce, reuse and recycle!

ART LAB: Mystery Bag Challenge
2026-04-01 - 2026-04-15 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Grab a mystery bag from the youth desk and repurpose some of our creative scraps into your own creation! Show us what you come up with and we’ll take a picture to display on the Winnie Belle windows. This program is made possible with support from the Winnie Bell Learned Fund and it is open to all ages!

Current Events
2026-03-31 10:00 - 11:30, 2026-03-24 10:00 - 11:30 | Kolvoord Community Room
In an age of instant news reporting from every corner of our world, sometimes the sheer volume of information can feel overwhelming. This current events discussion group will attempt to quiet the noise and step back to reflect on what the news means, what is its context, and what the ramifications are. We will look at, reflect on, and analyze daily events and try to discern trends and understand the national picture and the larger world basing the discussion on factual information in a non-judgmental framework. This discussion group is free and open to all. Registration is not required.

Tech Help with Clif
2026-03-30 10:30 - 11:30 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Offering one on one technology help. Reservation required. Please call 802-878-6955 at least 48 hours in advance.

Read & Play
2026-03-28 10:00 - 10:45 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Looking for a weekend story time in a relaxed setting? Attend this program where we read picture books, free play with creative materials and end with a musical activity! Best for ages 0-5.

Dungeons & Dragons (FULL)
2026-03-27 18:00 - 20:00 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Players embark on imaginary adventures. The current campaign is full, if you are interested in joining, and able to commit to an ongoing collaborative story for at least 4 months, please email youth@brownelllibrary.org to add your name to the wait list. Open to 5th grade and up.

Snap and Code with Lego Robotics
2026-03-26 17:00 - 18:00 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Children ages 6-10 code with Legos and Scratch. Along the way they will grow more comfortable with the iterative nature of the design process, which involves experimenting, failing, and trying again. This program could be a good fit if you have a creative kid who loves solving puzzles. Registration is required (coming soon), and space is limited to 10 children, please sign up only if you can commit to coming to both sessions on 3/19 and 3/26. Lego Robotics programming is possible thanks to the support of the Brownell Library Foundation and the Al Bergendahl Fund.

Whimsical Wednesdays: Build a Fort & Read!
2026-03-25 15:30 - 16:30 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Build a Fort & Read! – Build a fort with blocks, furniture, mats and tablecloths and read.

Collage with Olivia
2026-03-24 15:30 - 16:30 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Drop in and experiment with collage materials. This program is led by teen volunteer Olivia. Recommended for youth ages 5-11

Must Read Mondays - "The Weight Of Ink," by Rachel Kadish
2026-03-23 18:30 - 19:30 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Set in London of the 1660s and of the early twenty-first century, The Weight of Ink is the interwoven tale of two women of remarkable intellect: Ester Velasquez, an emigrant from Amsterdam who is permitted to scribe for a blind rabbi, just before the plague hits the city; and Helen Watt, an ailing historian with a love of Jewish history.
When Helen is summoned by a former student to view a cache of newly discovered seventeenth-century Jewish documents, she enlists the help of Aaron Levy, an American graduate student as impatient as he is charming, and embarks on one last project: to determine the identity of the documents’ scribe, the elusive “Aleph.”
Electrifying and ambitious, The Weight of Ink is about women separated by centuries—and the choices and sacrifices they must make in order to reconcile the life of the heart and mind.
(description by publisher)

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Crazy 8s Club
2026-03-23 16:30 - 17:30 | Brownell Library, 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT, 05450, United States
Let’s make math fun! An 8 week long recreational, fun math club for grades K-2 of all abilities. This program will take place twice per month, from January through April. Materials provided by the Bedtime Math organization. Led by volunteer math coach Nina Donyaee. Registration is closed.
