The Brewster Ladies’ Library Confidential Corner is a collection of books and resources on difficult topics that library patrons can borrow anonymously without being officially checked out. The collection is intended to eliminate stigma attached to certain subjects, this initiative gives patrons the opportunity to more easily and privately access information on sensitive topics such as divorce, addiction, gender identity, suicide, mental health, financial concerns, and more. Patrons are encouraged to keep the books as long as they need, which means they are welcome to return these items in the Library’s book drop when done, but they are also welcome to keep them indefinitely. All of these offerings are not cataloged, and therefore do not circulate and cannot be tracked like other typical library materials.
The library also offers the free Libby and Hoopla apps, with your Brewster Ladies’ Library card, which provide eBooks, audiobooks, and other e-materials which can be checked out confidentially on your phone or tablet.
Below please find a curated list of free local support resources. You can also search the Barnstable County Department of Human Services Directory for local health and wellness resources. The directory contains comprehensive resources on aging and disability; behavioral health; crisis services; disease prevention and treatment; housing and homelessness; public health; substance use; and basic needs.
FREE Monthly Webinars on Mental Health through Mindspring
Barnstable County Department of Human Services Directory
FREE Local Resources
Cape & Islands Veteran’s Outreach Center – Connecting veterans, their families, and the Cape and Islands community through comprehensive, life-sustaining services and support since 1983.
Independence House – Independence House is the only comprehensive community-based organization on Cape Cod providing free and confidential specialized services and widespread programs for children (ages 5+), teens, adults and the later-in-life community who are survivors of, or impacted by domestic or sexual violence.
The Pause – Pause A While, “The Pause”, is a Community Center for Recovery that is located on Cape Cod Massachusetts, in the town of Brewster. Its sole purpose is to provide a dedicated and warm environment to host 12-step recovery meetings.
PFLAG Cape Cod – PFLAG Cape Cod’s support meetings, whether in-person or virtual, provide much-needed support to LGBTQ+ people and their families, right here on Cape Cod.
WE CAN – WE CAN has supported and empowered women going through life transitions and challenges. We serve women of all ages providing unique, free services, referrals and resources to help foster independence and create lasting positive change.
Mass Resources
Findhelp – a community portal that provides residents of Cape Cod online access to available resources such as housing, healthcare, early education, and more.
MassLegalHelp – a comprehensive legal self-help resource that helps Massachusetts residents learn about their legal rights. MassLegalHelp.org is a legal information website that is a collaborative effort of the Massachusetts civil legal aid community, run by a team at MLRI.
Paid Family Medical Leave – Paid family and medical leave (PFML) is a program designed to help people in Massachusetts take paid time off of work for family or medical reasons. If you are looking to apply for paid time off, you can learn how to begin an application online.
NeuroLaw – the nation’s first information resource dedicated to fairer, more effective science-informed judicial outcomes. The NeuroLaw Library is a free, open access repository for those involved in the juvenile and adult criminal justice system in need of accurate and applicable neuroscience resources.
While requests and conversations about information, reading materials, and reading history between Library staff and patrons are always confidential at the Library, the “Confidential Corner” adds another layer of privacy to further connect people with the information they need. By allowing patrons to simply take the information and materials they need without having to interact with anyone else, the Brewster Ladies’ Library hopes to remove the fear of judgment or other obstacles that checking out items about such topics may cause patrons. The collection, purchased with the support of the Brewster Ladies’ Library Association.
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