What’s happening…
Masking in the library is optional but welcome. Thank you.
Stop in our entry and browse our Seed Catalog! We have vegs, herbs, & flower seeds.
Choose a packet to plant.
If you have some to share please drop them at the Circulation desk to be filed in the catalog.
Thank you!
Brainerd Memorial Library Association
Serving the community since 1908
We’ve just earned our 2023 Gold Seal with Guidestar. We are excited to share the work our nonprofit does through our Profile. Learn how you can support us and make a difference.
BML Celebrates Women’s History Month!
We hope you enjoy these excellent articles from Smithsonian:
9 Women Whose Remarkable Lives Deserve the Biopic Treatment
Why Did Women Stop Dominating the Beer Industry?
Stretch it all out with Total Body Yoga
Stretching is more than just warming up your muscles. It can also help you to strengthen your back and hips, to train your legs, improve your poses in the long run and (re-)connect with your body and mind. Here is a 45-minute YouTube Deep Stretch video and link to additional yoga videos. Enjoy!
Culinary Club
2nd Wednesdays at 6:30 pm
April 12th
(May 10, June 14)
Apr. 12th Spring Tonic (non- alcoholic)- as Spring arrives, prepare a dish to give us a feeling of well-being.
May 10th Thinking of Mom: Recipe that reminds you of Mom or a loved one.
June 14th From Crook to Cook- BML will provide cookbooks for celebrity chefs that have been in prison; eg. Snoop Dog. If you have any questions, contact Laurie at lgardner@brainerdlibrary.org. We will meet in the History Room. Please register here.
Gardening is Murder! Wednesday, April 12 1:00 PM
Fire House 439 Saybrook Rd, Higganum
Enjoy a funny and very different program with our community partner, The Haddam Garden Club. They are pleased to present Neal Sanders, a noted mystery writer and speaker, sharing his observations about gardening from a husband’s point of view. Neal’s talk is filled with humor and insight from someone who gardens less from a love of horticulture than for the love of a spouse.
Space is limited, so please RSVP to Donna at donnabr@comcast.net no later than April 7. Coffee and dessert are included. A donation of $5 is requested for non-HGC members.
Blithewold Mansion & Garden Tour
Thursday, June 8th
Our community partner, The Haddam Garden Club, is sponsoring a bus trip to Blithewold Mansion & Gardens in Bristol, Rhode Island on Thursday, June 8.
Price is $100. pp. Includes bus, admission, docents and lunch. Email Lorraine for more info at: lcfriess@att.net.
Brainerd Library’s “Nature’s Inspiration” Book List
The theme is “the natural world” and includes: backyard habitats & gardening, climate change, outdoor adventures, rainforests, coral reefs, trees, survival, sustainability and wildlife. Represented are: novels, poetry, children’s, teen’s, illustrated, scientific, and graphic novels. They provide entertainment & insight as well as information & education. We hope you’ll enjoy the beautiful illustrations, the lyrical prose, and exciting plots –
And be inspired by them! A short list of resources is included.
Book Lists links below & copies at the library, with a display of books available for checkout near the Adult Non-Fiction Section. Extended list with descriptions Book list with titles and locations
Brainerd Book Club
Meets the 4th Wednesday of each month at 6:30pm
The book choices are rather eclectic; selected from a diversity of genres. Discussion is always friendly and expansive. All are welcome to join. The library orders books in advance which can be checked out as needed.
For more info visit our Bookclub page.
Click on the image to access Workforce Solutions through ResearchIT CT!
Whether you’re looking to find a new job in your field or career in a different industry, Job & Career Accelerator™ has the powerful tools and expert guidance to help you through the process. Job & Career Accelerator™ puts everything you need to land a job in one place. For more Job Related Resources [Search Sites, Webinars, Resume help] visit our Job Search page!
BML is pleased to announce that we offer a pass to the:
Mashantucket Pequot Museum & Research Center!
Ask at the Children’s Desk, where all museum passes are held.
The Friends of the Library welcome new babies to the community and introduce them & their families to the library with a free baby gift bag!
If you or someone you know has a new baby, please stop in, or tell them to pick up a free baby gift bag!
Gift bags are at the Circulation desk & the Children’s Department desk.
We hope new patrons will take a little time to explore what BML has to offer!
Please visit our website & Facebook Pages to sign up for our E-newsletters and discover Children’s activities and events.
Bringing the Outside In
Thanks to the Friends, BML has birdfeeders! They are outside the windows in the Children’s Department with guides & binoculars to identify the birds. We also installed a bluebird house! Link to Free Audubon Bird App
Get to Know These 20 Common Birds
New to birding? Right outside your window is a great place to start. Here is a list of some of the most common backyard birds found around the country.
Even if you’re an experienced birder, the list includes some fun facts about our most common—and beloved—feathered friends. Learn More These goldfinches showed up in April at our window feeder and are now regulars.
BML magazines include: Birds & Blooms, National Geographic & Smithsonian to check out. Complete list in our Reading Room.
BML’s Game Collection!
Brainerd Library has a collection of board games for all ages and Nintendo Switch games for checkout! Call or check the catalog to see what’s available. When it’s too cold to play outside, stop in and grab one of these games!

Open Library and Internet Archive
Non-profit library of millions of free books, movies, software, music, websites, and more.