On Thursday, May 14th Brookline Village and Coolidge Corner locations will be open ONLY from 6pm - 9pm. Putterham will be CLOSED. (Staff Development Day)

Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing Room Companion

Posted on by Jessica Steytler

The Special Collections continues to find tidbits in the image collection, including items from the 19th Century periodical, Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing Room Companion. This Boston publication was established 1851 by Frederick Gleason and future Boston Daily Globe editor Maturin Murray Ballou. Inspired by The Illustrated London News, Gleason’s sought to combine local and national journalism with high quality illustrations rather than letting the text stand on its own. Gleason’s regularly featured work by artists such as Winslow Homer and John Andrew, as well as many anonymous and semi-anonymous artists. In a world before cameras, Gleason’s is a fascinating time capsule of what mid 19th century America looked like.

Come to the library to see the examples in our photograph and image collection. Talk to one of our archivists if you have questions about this or any other part of the local history collections.

Artwork of Dorothy Clemens

Posted on by Lily Weitzman

The Public Library of Brookline houses a collection of paintings by local artist Dorothy Clemens in our Special Collections. We are pleased to display a selection of Clemens’s work. Focusing primarily on abstract expressionism, Clemens was most active in the 1950s and 1960s.

Kids April Vacation Week Programs

Posted on by Macy Davis

School is out for the week and we’ve got exciting children’s programs at all three Public Library of Brookline locations. We hope you’ll join us to learn, create, and explore!

Monday, April 17

The Library is closed for Patriot’s Day

Tuesday, April 18

Join us at the Putterham Library at 10:30 AM to learn All About Alpacas from the Harvard Alpaca Ranch! You’ll learn why Alpacas were domesticated by the Incan people and what makes their wool and personalities so special! You’ll even be able to meet and pet an Alpaca! This program is intended for age 5-9, though all are welcome!

Wednesday, April 19

It’s time for Horses 101 at the Brookline Village Library at 6:30 PM on the lawn between Brookline Village and Town Hall! Meet Katie, the miniature horse, and Lindsay from Winterberry Homestead to learn how horses think, what taking care of horses involves, and how to be safe around horses. You may even get the chance to brush Katie! This program is intended for age 5-9, though all are welcome!

This program may be moved indoors to Hunneman Hall if the weather does not permit an indoor program. Free tickets will be required if the program moves indoors.

Thursday, April 20

Leigh Baltzer from Through Me to You Puppetry brings her Puppet Storytime to the Putterham Library at 10:30 AM. this program is intended for kids ages 0-5.

Learn how to tell stories with papercutting at Coolidge Corner in our Papercutting Workshop! Artist Zhonghe (Elena) Li will teach you about paper cutting and ignite your creativity! This program is limited to children in third and fourth grade and will be held in the Coolidge Corner Meeting Room at 6:30 PM

Friday, April 21

Friday’s are always fun, and this one is no different! We’ll have bubbles, sidewalk chalk, jump ropes, and an art project for you to enjoy at our Fun Friday event in the Children’s Garden at the Brookline Village Library! This program is for ages 2+ and you can drop in anytime between 2:30 and 4 PM. this program will be canceled in the event of inclement weather.

Saturday, April 22

Join us at the Brookline Village Library for a music-filled afternoon with special musical guests, Ants on a Log! They perform music for children and other childlike people, “songfully” advocating for positivity, social justice, and silliness. Full of humor and harmony, Ants concerts are energetic, interactive, and a delight for children and adults. The concert is at 3PM on the lawn between Brookline Village and Town Hall.

This program may be moved indoors to Hunneman Hall if the weather does not permit an indoor program. Free tickets will be required if the program moves indoors.

Oia’s Painted Rocks and Edward’s LEGO Collection

Posted on by Elissa Martel

Check out the collections on display in the Children’s Room!

In our flat case, Oia shares her collection of painted rocks. Oia made these rocks when she was sick and looking for something to do. Her favorite part are the beautiful gems!

Painted rocks with gems and googly eyes, with a hand-written artist statement.

In our wall case, Edward shares his LEGO collection. His collection features a Harry Potter set, militiamen marching in the countryside, and a rocket ship! Edward is nine years old.

Harry Potter LEGO set.   LEGO rocket ship.

Stop by the Brookline Village Children’s Room to see these amazing collections! And sign up for a slot in our display cases here!

Jacob’s Coin Collection and Josephine’s Pottery Creations

Posted on by Elissa Martel

Check out the collections on display in the Children’s Room!

In our wall case, Josephine shares her collection of pottery creations. Josephine’s pottery collection includes containers, tiles, and figurines. Josephine is in 3rd grade.

A treehouse, bird, and gnome made of clay in a display case

In our flat case, Jacob shares his coin collection from around the world. Jacob has collected coins from Mexico, Malaysia, Taiwan, and more! Jacob is 10 years old.

Collection of coins from around the world in a display case  Collection of coins from around the world in a display case

Stop by the Brookline Village Children’s Room to see these amazing collections! And sign up for a slot in our display cases here!

Brookline Turkeys

Posted on by Lily Weitzman

Brookline Turkeys celebrates the Town of Brookline, Massachusetts and its freewheeling fearless feathered friends: our wild turkeys. Viewed by many as an invasive species, turkeys are actually native to this area and are simply returning home.

When local artist Caroline Barnes decided to create a series of travel posters portraying her home town, it only seemed natural to feature our newest star residents. Would it be a serious project, with grandiosity and gravity? Of course not. Although turkeys are gracefully geometric and beautifully colored (in the right light), they’re still utterly absurd. And so, ultimately, the posters carry that same silliness.

Caroline Barnes was training to become a biological illustrator before stepping into the wondrous world of web design. After 20 years, she is returning to her illustration roots. Rather than using pencils, pens, paints, and paper, she develops her concepts in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop using an Apple Pencil and a Wacom Tablet. You may follow her story on Instagram @bklineturkeys.

Cloisonné Enamel Jewelry by Toni Strassler

Posted on by Lily Weitzman

During the months of March and April, colorful enameled jewelry by Toni Strassler will be on display at the Brookline Village Library. Using the ancient technique of cloisonné, Toni, a long-time Brookline resident, fires vitreous grains of enamel that are enclosed in fine gold or silver metal wires to produce pictorial images of scenes and other designs. After building up many layers, the images are polished and then placed into the handmade setting such as a brooch or pendant. Many pieces will be on exhibit along with an explanation of this challenging technique.

Spring Kids Club Registration Opens March 13

Posted on by Macy Davis

Registration opens Monday, March 13 at 6 PM for our Spring 2023 Kids Clubs! These clubs will run from April through June on Tuesdays afternoons. Please view event listings for specific dates. All clubs meet in the Rabbit Hole on the ground floor of the Brookline Village Library. Registration for all spring kids clubs is on Eventbrite

Book Clubs

We have three book clubs for kids grades 1-4. Please read each book club description carefully and be sure to register your child for the correct book club. At this time, book club registration is limited to one club per child. 

  • Pollywogs: 1st and 2nd Grade Book Club meets every other Tuesday from 3 to 3:30 PM starting on April 11. Each book club meeting includes a discussion of the book and an activity. THIS CLUB IS NOW FULL. You may join the waiting list on Eventbrite. 
  • Leapfrogs: 3rd and 4th Grade Book Club meets every other Tuesday from 3:45 to 4:30 PM starting on April 11. Each book club meeting includes a discussion of the book and an activity. 
  • Bullfrogs: Graphic Novel Book Club. This book club is open to all kids in 1st through 4th grade and meets every other Tuesday from 4:00 to 4:45 PM starting on April 4. Each book club includes a discussion of the book, a chance to share mini comics, and an activity. 

 

Kids RPG Club

Our Kids RPG club explores a variety of role playing game systems to encourage creativity and social emotional skills. This club is open to kids ages 5-9 and meets every other Tuesday from 3 to 3:45 PM starting on April 4. Over the course of 5 weeks we’ll test multiple role playing games ranging from sock puppets and superheroes to bears, cats, and dinosaurs. THIS CLUB IS NOW FULL. You may join the waiting list on Eventbrite. 

Registering for one of our Kids Clubs indicates a commitment to regularly attend club meetings. Please do not register for one of our clubs if you know your child will miss more than one meeting. If your child misses a second club meeting, their spot may be given to the next person on the waiting list. We understand that illness and emergencies occur – if an absence due to unforeseen circumstances is communicated to staff, it will not be considered a no-show. 

Infinite Gestures: A Printmaking Exploration of Visual Evolution

Posted on by Admin Test

Local artist Joshua Brennan explores the idea of expansion and self-reference through printmaking. Beginning with a hand-made image, he experiments with different iterations, both digitally and on paper. The resulting prints reflect the ebb and flow of the creative process, celebrate the growth cycle through experimentation and transformation, and explore the possibilities of printmaking and gestural abstraction.

Brennan teaches printmaking at Boston University, where he is also the Technical Associate in Printmaking. He has given numerous demonstrations and workshops at schools and universities. Brennan’s work has been exhibited nationally and internationally, including seven solo/two-person shows and over 40 group exhibitions. For more information, please visit his website.

Library Hours


  • 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Currently closed


  • 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
    Currently closed


  • 9:30 am - 5:00 pm
    Currently closed

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