Our Collections
The Trustees of the Public Library of Brookline approved a new Collection Development Policy in April 2007. This policy governs how staff select materials, including online subscriptions, for the benefit of the residents of the Town of Brookline.
2007 Collection Development Policy (91KB, PDF - requires Adobe Acrobat Reader)
If you wish to recommend an item for purchase, please use our Request for Purchase form, which is linked at the top of every page in our web site.
If you wish to challenge an item in our collection and request its removal, please use the form on page 13 of the Collection Development Policy. Complete it and mail to:
Collection Development Dept.
Public Library of Brookline
361 Washington St.
Brookline, MA 02445
You may also use this form as a template for an email, which can be addressed to (JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
Note that nearly all of our materials are cataloged in the Minuteman Library Network Catalog, which is the primary tool you should use to find and request them. In the event you cannot find an item in the catalog, please check the Virtual Catalog, which includes the collections of several Massachusetts library consortia as well as those of a number of academic libraries. You may place requests yourself through this system. (Note that the Virtual Catalog will not allow you to request items held in Minuteman.) If you still haven't found the item you're looking for, fill out this form. As always, please feel free to call or ask us in person.
In addition, the links on the right may help you use our foreign language, local history, and special collections, or help you to become familiar with what we have. Please give them a try.