Brooks Memorial Library Director Starr LaTronica to Retire in Spring 2026
The Town of Brattleboro and the Board of Trustees of Brooks Memorial Library today announced the retirement of Brooks Memorial Library Director Starr LaTronica following a decade of transformative service to Brattleboro. LaTronica plans to step down from her position on April 25, 2026.
"Starr’s commitment to community connection and innovation in Brattleboro has firmly established the library as a centerpiece of our town,” said Brattleboro Town Manager John Potter. “We are immensely grateful for her leadership and wish her a wonderful, book-filled retirement."
LaTronica has had a distinguished career in library service. After graduating from UC Berkeley in 1980, she worked as a children’s librarian at the Berkeley Public Library before relocating to upstate New York, where she held a prominent role as the Youth Services and Outreach Coordinator for the Four County Library System. She was also president of the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, and has served as a member of numerous book award committees.
“Human connection is what it all comes back to,” said LaTronica. “And that's what made this job so rewarding. I can see the impact of just having a conversation with somebody. I’m always so amazed by Brooks – it’s not like you go there just to get a book.”
Under her leadership, Brooks Memorial Library has become a central location for community engagement, adopting the tagline "we contain multitudes" to reflect its status as a cornerstone of cultural and intellectual life in Brattleboro. Across a decade of LaTronica’s networking, the library has collaborated with countless individuals and agencies, resulting in a packed events calendar that features a wide range of presenters and perspectives.
LaTronica was instrumental in aligning Brooks with a national trend of eliminating late fees in an effort to remove a significant barrier to use for some community members. She collaborated with the Town’s Sustainability Coordinator to create the Field to Fork Tool Cottage where patrons can borrow garden equipment for free. She also expressed her gratitude to Ronald Read, whose $1.2 million endowment bequeathed to Brooks in 2015 led to more community meeting spaces, a bathroom downstairs and a dedicated teen space.
"What I’m really proud of is that the people here appreciate the library, even if they're not directly engaged in using it," said LaTronica. "I love that we’ve been able to permeate the town with the library’s presence – it's really the pulse of the community." She stresses that “all advances, achievements and accomplishments are the result of the tremendous teamwork between the staff, trustees, Town colleagues and this incredible community.”
Most recently, LaTronica, along with library staff, trustees and her colleagues in Town government, secured a $1.6 million grant through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) for capital improvements. The project, which will be ongoing throughout 2026, aims to modernize and reinvigorate the exterior of the building. The accessibility of the walkway on the north side of the building will be improved to meet current standards, and exterior seating with Wi-Fi and exterior outlets will be installed along the rear wall. The front entrance along Main Street will also receive an upgrade to make the approach ADA-compliant and add accessible parking spaces.
LaTronica said the idea for the project stemmed from the library’s strategic plan, which was published in 2023 and will guide the future of Brooks through 2027. A key finding from focus groups that participated in the plan’s development was a need for more space.
“We know we're bursting at the seams, and we talked to some engineers who said it would be massively expensive to build another story, which was really our first thought,” LaTronica explained. “We talked to landscape architects, and then people got really excited about the possibility of more seating in the back, side and front of the library.”
Looking ahead, LaTronica plans to remain involved with libraries. She looks forward to catching up on personal reading and volunteering at her daughter Ramona’s school library in Massachusetts, where she can return to her passion for working with children.
She expressed confidence in the Brooks Memorial Library's future, particularly its “fabulous staff,” who have been instrumental in carrying out its mission. “I can’t wait to see what happens next!”
“The Board of Trustees extends its sincerest appreciation for Starr's dedication, enthusiasm and vision,” said Ann Varilly, President of the Board of Trustees of Brooks Memorial Library. “Through her innovative leadership and indomitable spirit, she has greatly enhanced the role of the library as the vibrant center of the community.”
The search for a new Library Director will begin in the new year.
