In 2017, Brampton Library proudly launched the Local Authors Showcase, passionately championing new and emerging authors in Peel Region and facilitating a meaningful connection between them and avid readers. As the showcase enters its sixth year, it continues to flourish, providing authors with an exclusive presence in both our physical and digital collections.
The Showcase encompasses a wide range of genres, reflecting our commitment to celebrating our community's cultural heritage and the power of storytelling. From local history to poetry, mystery to romance, and children's books to personal narratives, this diverse collection showcases the richness of our literary landscape.
Join us on June 17th at Gage Park during the Brampton Farmers' Market from 8 a.m. until 1 p.m. for the unveiling of the 2023-24 Local Authors Showcase. Discover the works of 55 unique authors, with over 70 new titles to explore. It's an exceptional event that promises a remarkable lineup of talented authors and captivating stories.
We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all the authors who have contributed to this year's showcase. Your creativity and dedication to the craft of writing continue to inspire us. We also express gratitude to our Selection Librarian, Julia Huang, and the entire Collections and Marketing team for their diligent efforts in curating and promoting the Local Authors Showcase.
Brampton Library takes immense pride in fostering and highlighting the incredible talent within our community. Together, let's champion the power of literature and support the vibrant literary community in Brampton.
Brampton Library is proud to launch its 2023-2027 Strategic Plan to guide us through the next five years. Since the spring of 2022, we have been talking to you --- stakeholders, members, residents, as well as our staff, about the challenges and opportunities facing Brampton. How can the Library best support our community’s growth and sustainability?
One thing that has come through loud and clear is that the Library is an essential part of our social infrastructure, connecting people to learning, literacy, and technology; but we have work to do, to truly be the community hub that we envision, in our diverse city.
Our Vision of inspiring connections continues to represent what we are striving for. Our new Mission is To build an inclusive community by inspiring learning, literacy, and social cohesion. Inclusion is a key part of the plan, reflected in our efforts to narrow the digital divide, to provide no-cost learning, to partner with social service agencies, and to build diversity among our staff. We have new shared Values, too, including the one that resonates most with me, which is Curiosity. I’m curious to know what concrete actions you want us to take in the years to come to make our Strategic Plan real. Contact me anytime at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and let me know what you think!
This one goes out to YOU, Brampton! Here’s a review of our time together in 2022.
You read all sorts of things, big books, short stories, poetry, educational reads, and more.
If you lined up all the books you borrowed over 2022, it would stretch a distance over 449 km long. That’s equivalent to the distance from Gage Park in downtown Brampton to Ottawa, Ontario. Wow!
Let’s take a closer look at some of the books you enjoyed this year.
This year you explored so many new authors and these were among your faves:
You explored our Local Authors Showcase of books by authors living in Peel region more than any other year.
Cinephile, movie buff, potato, potato! In 2022 you watched hundreds of hours of films on Kanopy. You deserve a pat on the back for that one!
You are cultured, educated and passionate. It’s no wonder that you turn to PressReader to read up-to-the-minute journals, periodicals, newspapers, and magazines from many countries around the world. Over 2022, You read these magazines over and over again, click any link to read one more time!
You downloaded more than 438,506 books this year. Just for reference, the average person usually reads 33 books in any given year. You blew that stat out of the water. Here’s a look at your top choices.
You didn’t just read, you also listened. These were your top audio picks.
You had books in your hand, audiobooks playing on your speaker and titles downloaded to your device. (Honestly, we’re blushing). Here are the books you downloaded most often.
We can’t imagine spending our time with anyone else, so thank you.
You were a social butterfly! You met up with friends and saw new faces at so many of our weekly programs. We can’t wait to see you at even more in 2023!
You just knew when and where to reach out to us. A big THANK YOU from everyone here at BL.
Just like you are doing right now, you read all of our blogs (sometimes twice!) Here are the topics that inspired you the most -
In recognition of Black History Month, Brampton Library will be hosting a market featuring the work and art of Black artisans. Attend the market to purchase items, observe for free, and celebrate these local business owners who are devoted to skincare, drawing, sewing, digital art, and so much more.
The Amazing Tea Company specializes in superior loose-leaf teas at budget-friendly prices. They continue to grow their offerings of tea by including traditional Jamaican tea bushes such as sour sop leaves infused with black tea and green tea. They are family owned and operated with a vision to be the brand of choice when reaching for a delightful selection of loose-leaf tea.
Blossom Garments features one-of-a-kind clothing styles with African influence. Owner and master seamstress, Modupe Adara constructs handbags, headdresses, and various clothing garments. She has also worked on custom projects and continues to enhance her stylistic approach by exploring other art forms, such as Batik.
Centrepeace
Centrepeace is an online Canadian store that handcrafts natural products that use aromatherapy to promote rejuvenating self-care experiences with eco-conscious packaging. Their product list consists of organic soap bars, decorated and customizable soy wax candles, herbal bath salt soaks, and organic herbs.
Château Neuf
Château Neuf is a sustainable and slow-wear brand creating luxurious and fashionable accessories. The brand is envisioned with the desire to harvest true beauty for every woman. Each of their designs encompasses creativity and passion, which they strive to take to the next level. Château Neuf is the gateway for women to redefine their own expression of beauty. BE BOLD, BE FREE, BE FIERCE AND BE YOU!! "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder". BE.YOU.TIFUL
Designer Pamela Dolphy creates masterful greeting cards and wall art that celebrate Black culture. For more information about Design Meets Desire art pieces, please direct message:@mydesignyourdesire on Instagram.
Di Vine Beauty
Di Vine Beauty is focused on using natural, authentic ingredients to create quality skincare products. Rooted in both Kingston, Jamaica and Brampton, Ontario, this company seeks to empower customers to feel confident in their own skin. Founder Shennae Steele began with a goal to create authentic Jamaican oils and body butters in Canada and is now working to bring about traditional healing through her products with a modernist twist. She hopes to inspire her customers to make conscious, sustainable choices for their health and well-being.
Chenelle Moseley created Naturalbychen after struggling to find an Afro hair product with natural ingredients that would help manage and repair her son’s hair. Through the study and implementation of Ayurvedic herbs, Chenelle has not only been able to create a wonderful line of hair products, she also works to inspire women and mothers to care and love natural hair.
Althea Fraser is a Holistic Practitioner with a background in nutrition, herb blending, and aromatherapy. She is the founder and formulator of Shea Essence Wholesome Food for Skin. She is passionate about providing a plant-based skincare brand that supports women, men, and children with various skin sensitivities. Althea is passionate about health and wellness and is an ambassador for providing holistic options, products, and services to various communities.
ShexArt
ShexArt is a black-woman-owned small business based in Brampton, selling handmade personalized resin pieces.
Tash began ShexArt (She is Art) as a means to create motivational pieces for those who need it. Together with her godsister Camille, they've been creating pieces which reflect their culture and promote positivity with affirmations and inspirational words. Items include bookmarks and journals as well as home decor and personalized gifts.
The Soulful Colour brand of colouring books provides an uncomplicated, creative, and fun way to support and deliver powerful messages of financial and mental well-being, representation, diversity, inclusion, self-care, community, legacy, and self-love, just to name a few areas. These books achieve this through positive illustrations partnered with powerful affirmations, quotes, and mantras.
Sugar Plum Scrubs is a skincare and self-care company that harnesses the healing properties of the earth.
Sugar Plum Scrubs’ variety of body care solutions are made with homegrown and sun-dried lavender, peppermint, lemongrass, and other herbs. These herbs are sprinkled and infused in our body scrubs, facial scrubs, and lip scrubs, alongside essential oils. This provides the nutrients to relieve common skin concerns such as dry skin, inflammation, eczema and ingrown hairs.
All of their natural products are fragrance-free and non-toxic. They promise a simple and straightforward body care experience that is refreshing, hydrating, and therapeutic.
T’S Blends is an online boutique for wellness teas, tea-infused bath & body products and gifts curated with self-care in mind. Our products are made from the earth’s natural ingredients that are clean, fresh, and safe.
We all have different ways of communicating. Some of us use our words, others use actions. Some turn to the arts to convey emotion, while others are more technologically savvy. There are those who prefer comedy to more serious forms of expression, and still others who are open to blending the different structures. To celebrate these various means of communication and pay tribute to those who employ non-traditional forms of expression, Brampton Library has introduced “Express Yourself”, a program for autistic youth to explore different outlets that transform self-expression. In partnership with Peel Art Gallery Museum and Archives (PAMA) and Autism Ontario (AO), we have worked to provide access to various expressive means such as maker technology, watercolour painting, stand-up comedy, memoir writing, and comic creation. We have carefully crafted these topics into workshops for autistic youth specifically, but the execution of this series holds something for all of us. The launch of this program can lead to a greater appreciation for non-traditional forms of expression. Together, we can take a different look at self-expression.
Join us at our Chinguacousy Branch on Saturday December 3 for International Day of Peoples with Disabilities to experience a unique showcase of the work produced within the Express Yourself program. We invite you to look within yourself for new means of expression.
Program Itinerary
Saturday October 29: MakerSpace at Four Corners Branch Library
Saturday November 5: Watercolour Workshop at PAMA
Saturday November 12: Spoken Word, Comedy, & Memoir at Four Corners Branch Library with special guest Autistic Comedian and Author Michael McCreary
Twenty-six-year-old Michael McCreary is an autistic comedian, actor, author and TEDX speaker who’s been performing stand-up comedy since age 13.
In the past eight years, he has performed stand-up shows and keynote addresses in every province in Canada, plus the Yukon, and across the United States. He is currently acting in the new series “Astrid & Lilly Save the World” (SYFY Network) and in “Ginny & Georgia” (Netflix). He has also consulted on the TV show “Ransom” to ensure the authenticity of a character with autism.
Michael's memoir, “Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic” (Annick Press), was the subject of our discussion for this Express Yourself session.
More events still to come:
Saturday November 19, 10:30-11:30: Comics Workshop at PAMA
Saturday December 3, 2 - 4 p.m.: International Day of Peoples with Disabilities Art Showcase at Chinguacousy Branch Library.
For more information please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
905-793-4636