The staff and board of the Brandon Free Public Library in Brandon are asking registered voters in the towns of Brandon and Forest Dale to please continue to support us by voting Yes for our budget appropriation on March 3.
Our budget totals $163,725. We raise almost half ($78,225) outside of town support, making our library one of the most self-sustaining libraries in Vermont. Our library is busy; we average over 200 users per day.
We are a true community center offering something for everyone. In addition to thousands of books, we offer DVDs, magazines, audiobooks and newspapers. We have a great selection of large-print books and we offer a homebound delivery service and free rides to the polls to enable people to vote.
We inter-library loan materials if we don’t have what you want. We offer a movie every Friday at 1:30 and a weekly story hour for preschool-aged kids. We have a lively children’s summer program in July and new this year, a DCF Award discussion group and a Magic: The Gathering drop-in gaming hour.
Our building is bustling. There are numerous community groups that use our space, from the Scouts to the Democratic/Republican caucuses to the farmers’ market and local writing group and many in between.
We have computers for use and offer free one-hour tech support appointments, in addition to subscriptions to ListenUpVermont, VermontOnlineLibrary, UniversalClass and HeritageQuest.
Some of our great non-traditional services include a seed library (www.bfplseedlibrary.org) and passes to museums and historical sites, free bread on Wednesdays and a place for people to complete community service requirements.
Compared to what we offer our community and surrounding towns, the cost to taxpayers is small.
Please support us with your Yes vote on March 3. We are the heart and mind of your community.
Molly Kennedy
Brandon