Public Libraries in Essex Junction, Vermont
Vermont — United States
Public Libraries in Essex Junction, Vermont
Brownell Library and the Essex Free Library serve the Essex Junction area — with free cards, eBooks, and Vermont's statewide online resources.
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Libraries
Libraries in Essex Junction
Brownell Library
📍 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT 05452
📞 802-878-6955 · 🕑 Mon/Wed/Fri 9–8, Tue/Thu 9–6:30, Sat 9–5 (Sep–Jun), Sun closed
Essex Free Library
📍 1 Browns River Road, Essex, VT 05452
📞 802-879-0313 · 🕑 Mon/Wed/Fri 9–5, Tue/Thu 9–8, Sat 9–2, Sun closed
The Story of the Library in Essex Junction
Brownell Library's landmark building was built and donated by local banker and businessman Samuel Brownell, opening in July 1926 (dedicated July 20, 1926). Brownell reportedly wrote to hundreds of libraries and directors across New England and the Northeast to learn what made an ideal library, then worked with local architects and planners to design it entirely from local materials — the front main reading room is faced with brick from the Drury Brickyard, and the foundation stones came from Lake Champlain. Two major additions expanded the building in 1970 and 2001, and the library marked its 100th anniversary in 2026.
About Public Libraries in Essex Junction
The Essex Junction area is served by two free public libraries: Brownell Library in the heart of Essex Junction and the Essex Free Library in Essex Town. Both are open to the general public, and a free library card is available to Vermont residents, giving access to books, downloadable eBooks and audiobooks, computers, Wi‑Fi, and the state's shared digital collections. A single card also unlocks Vermont's statewide online resources described below.
With a local library card, Vermont residents get free access to the Vermont Online Library (VOL) — a suite of Gale/Cengage research databases funded by the Vermont Department of Libraries, available 24/7 from anywhere with internet. Residents can also borrow eBooks and audiobooks statewide through the Palace app and the Green Mountain Library Consortium (Libby/OverDrive).
📚 What You Can Access
- 📚 Books, DVDs and materials for all ages
- 📱 eBooks & audiobooks via the Palace app and Libby (Green Mountain Library Consortium)
- 🔎 Vermont Online Library research databases (Gale/Cengage), free 24/7
- 🖨️ Public computers, printing and copying
- 📶 Free Wi‑Fi and study space
- 🧒 Children’s and teen programs, story times and events
🏛️ Quick Facts
| Libraries | 2 (Brownell Library, Essex Free Library) |
| System | Town of Essex / Essex Junction public libraries |
| Brownell Library | 6 Lincoln St, Essex Junction, VT 05452 |
| Essex Free Library | 1 Browns River Road, Essex, VT 05452 |
| Phone | 802-878-6955 (Brownell) · 802-879-0313 (Essex Free) |
| Brownell opened | July 1926 |
| Library card | Free for Vermont residents |
| State resource | Vermont Online Library (VOL) & Palace / Libby |
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Frequently Asked Questions