The protests against anti-Black racism that we have seen globally over the past weeks are a reminder of the racist acts experienced daily by Black people in our society. Like many of you we are disheartened by its persistence but also reminded that we cannot be complacent and allow it to continue. 

Brampton Library is committed to offering opportunities to inspire connections that support our community in this moment and beyond. We value our role as a respected leader and take very seriously our responsibility to share library resources and provide access to accurate information that promotes understanding.

Systemic racism threatens our community and way of life. As always Brampton Library is committed to promoting access and awareness, and we are reviewing our collections, programming, and policies to ensure we’re doing our utmost to promote inclusivity. We are also working with our staff and community partners to better educate ourselves, as well as sharing an anti-racist reading list and other resources online. We can and must learn from each other. 

On a North American scale, Brampton Library stands with 164 other public libraries as a member of the Urban Libraries Council. We have signed the Council’s Statement on Race and Social Equity, which highlights our collective role and responsibility to advance equity and promote inclusion in our library system and the wider community. To read the statement and learn more about the Council’s work, please visit https://www.urbanlibraries.org/initiatives/statement-on-race-and-social-equity. 

We all may struggle to find the right words and ask the right questions as we try to support one another, but through respectful dialogue and introspection, reflecting on our actions and listening, always listening, we can do more to promote real diversity and true inclusion.

Brampton is a wonderful city and your library is a safe space for all. In these challenging times, we want to be there for you.

Sincerely,

Jaipaul Massey-Singh, Chair,

Brampton Public Library Board

John Simone, Interim CEO