The Brillion Public Library was organized by the Brillion Women's Club in 1928. January 5, 1929 was the first official day of business in the Village Council Chamber. The library was open twice a week.Aided by a donation from Johanna Schwartz, the library expanded and moved into the new city hall in 1952. The Woman's Club discontinued its sponsorship in 1959 when the library was incorporated as a Municipal Library.In 1971, the Henry Ariens family donated the family homestead to the City of Brillion. In October 1972, R.D. and Linda Peters financed the construction and furnishing of the new library. The building was officially presented to the city on August 27, 1974. An addition was built onto the library in 1991. In 1993, thanks to the assistance from NSC, the Brillion Library collection became automated.Today, the Brillion Library is a progressive institution that is open many more hours than the original library and provides many services to the public as well as a growing collection of materials and information that meets the needs of the community. As the Library moves into the next century, we remember our past and look forward to a bright future.

Pamphlet File

Pamphlet file with information on a variety of topics including careers and colleges

Health and Wellness Collection

Special Collections

To assist library patrons in finding materials fast, the Library has developed a number of special collections of materials. In 2002, the Consumer, Repair, Health and Wellness, and Literacy collections were updated with a variety of helpful materials. Stop in and view these areas of the library!

The Consumer Section contains information on consumer issues, help on selecting products and services, as well as help on legal and financial issues.

The Travel Section contains both videos and travel guides on a variety of places around the world and the United States.

The Literacy Section contains materials to help learn, including videos on taking the GED test and guides for passing the CDL tests.

The Parenting Section contains a variety of materials for parents to help in raising their children to become adults. This section includes videos as well as study aids for school, and was created with a grant received by the Brillion Public Schools.

The Wisconsin Section contains a variety of information related to the state, and includes local genealogy information.

The Repair Section contains manuals and guides on a variety of reparis and maintenance areas from automobiles to snow blowers to appliances to houses.

The Career Section contains materials on selecting a career, finding a job and going to school. It includes resume guides and guides on taking tests from ACT to SAT to GRE and more!

The Health and Wellness Section contains materials on a variety of issues. It was developed as part of a CACHF grant and now includes a variety of videos through a second CACHF grant. Videos include a wide variety of fitness and exercise routines plus materials on relaxation and stress reduction.

Reference

Periodicals

Over 160 different current magazines on a variety of topics.

Newspapers

6 daily newspapers:

• Green Bay Press-Gazette
• Manitowoc Herald-times
• Post-Crescent
• Wall Street Journal
• Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel
• USA Today

2 weekly newspapers:

• Brillion News (1894-1996 on microfilm and 1996-present in bound form)
• Chilton Times-Journal

Books on Tape

Video Cassettes

Music Collections

Children's Activities

The Library features a special corner just for children - complete with puppet stage with lots of puppets, a rocking chair, cushions and other comfortable seating including tables and chairs. The corner allows children to enjoy the library as their parents browse the materials available for children. The corner also allows children the opportunity to listen to a book on tape, watch a video, or listen to a compact disc.

Business/Administrative

• Telephone reference and referral services during library hours.

• Public access computers for personal use 7 public access Internet terminals

• Photocopier for public use at a cost

• Fax service available for public use at a cost

• Plastic laminating services for items up to 24 inches wide at a cost
  
  

Interlibrary Loan

The Brillion Public Library participates in Interlibrary Loan with libraries from around the country. If an item is not available at the Brillion library, or a patron needs more information on a particular topic, the item or information can be ordered from another library via an online system. Items are shipped through a state-wide van delivery system from the supplying library to the Brillion library. The Brillion Public Library currently receives materials five days a week from the Manitowoc-Calumet Library System.

Elderly Services

The Brillion Public Library recognizes that the elderly population are an extremely important part of the community. Because of that, special services are available to the elderly to meet all their library needs. Services include:

• Deposit collection of books, audio books and audiocassette players in Heritage, Garrow Villa and Parkview housing units in Brillion
• Large print books of all types
• Books on tape in both abridged and unabridged format
• Tape recorders to listen to books on tape
• Videocassettes for programs
• Video projection unit to show videos to a group
• Telephone reference and referral during library hours
• Demonstration cart from the Regional Library for the Blind and Physically Handicapped
• Voyager XL Reading and writing magnification unit
• Home delivery of materials to homebound patrons
• Program Assistance-Library staff will assist you in arranging programs for upcoming meetings
  

Audio Visual Equipment

• Electric typewriter for public use
• Video camera with tripod available on a reservation basis at a cost.
• Two Polaroid Sun cameras for use at no cost
• Overhead projector and slide projector and screen available for rent
• Video projection unit available for rent
• Broadcast capabilities on the local cable network
• VCR unit available for use in the library
• Audiocassette players for use
• Print Magnification Unit for visually impaired patrons
• Microfilm Reader-Printer to view microfilms and print copies
  
  

Business and Administrative (see Services)

Internet Access