September 20 - 26 is Science Literacy Week, in partnership with hundreds of libraries and other organizations across Canada. Here at Brampton Library, we are excited to share this year’s theme, C is for Climate, with programs for all ages and wonderful resources recommended by our staff.
Avid gardeners, and those interested in becoming gardeners, are sure to be intrigued by Gardening in a Changing Climate presented by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) for participants aged 19+. This webinar examines how climate change is rapidly impacting natural spaces on a global and local scale, including our own gardens. Learn how to build resiliency, and your own understanding of our changing landscape, on September 23 from 2:00 -- 3:00 pm.
We are thrilled to welcome Indus Space to present their virtual program Marsbound: Mission to the Red Planet, a 3-part game and workshop. A team of space educators will lead tweens and teens on a simulated mission to Mars! They will be challenged to design a technical solution to a science question.
Your Brampton Library card gives you a free all-access pass to a wide range of eResources and video streaming options (sign up today!). Consider Gale OneFile: Gardening and Horticulture; Here you will find millions of articles focusing on the practical and scientific aspects of horticultural studies, aimed at gardening enthusiasts at all levels of experience. Or, watch some thought-provoking films for Science Literacy week from Kanopy’s wide selection on Science, Nature and Technology. Discover IMAX: Hubble, Intelligent Trees, 2040 and more!
To register for these programs and many others, head over to the Calendar of Events on our website and select the dates that interest you.
All Brampton Library Branches Open to Serve You on Tuesday, September 7, 2021
Written byTodd Kyle, Chief Executive Officer
In my last blog, I expressed hope that we would reopen our remaining branches by the end of summer, and I am thrilled to announce that it is possible to keep my promise, with all eight branch libraries open to serve you, beginning next Tuesday.
On behalf of our Library Board members, staff, and volunteers, thank you for your patience! We know that you have missed us and we have truly missed all of you. It’s been a long wait.
As libraries were permitted to reopen and to offer browsing and study with capacity limits, we chose to take a cautious approach, opening our stand-alone branches for limited hours, while offering Curbside Pickup where we share space with a school, recreation centre, or early childhood centre.
I am delighted to confirm that we have now made arrangements with our partners to safely open Gore Meadows, Mount Pleasant Village, and South Fletcher’s Branch Libraries. Starting on Tuesday, September 7th, these branches, plus Chinguacousy, Cyril Clark, Four Corners, and Springdale, will be open Monday through Thursday, from 10:00 am until 9:00 pm, and Friday through Sunday, from 10:00 am until 6:00 pm. Our South West Branch Library in the Lionhead Marketplace will be open when the EarlyON centre that shares our space is closed, as noted below.
As of this Tuesday, September 7, South West Branch Library will be open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm and Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm. This branch is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
All of our locations will be open for you to discover, borrow, browse, relax, study, and access our computers and Chromebooks, while observing masking and physical distancing guidelines. For the time being, in-person programming and group activities, including our MakerSpaces, remain unavailable. For more information about virtual programming, click Calendar of Events on our homepage.
While this is wonderful news to share, we still face uncertainty in this pandemic: vaccination rates are high, but case counts have risen with the spread of the Delta variant. The successful reopening of all our library branches and the community as a whole requires a high rate of vaccination. My message to you is to get vaccinated as soon as you can. To find out more, visit the Peel Public Health website, call the provincial booking line at 1 (833) 943-3900 (TTY: 1(866) 797-0007), click the link on the top of every page of our website, and follow our retweets on Twitter.
We can’t wait to welcome you back to your favourite branch on Tuesday, September 7th!
My name is Pooja Patel, and I am a Western University first-year business student. I started volunteering at the Brampton Library when I was in grade 10, so this will be my third year. I began volunteering here because of my love of reading, but it has since become a second home for me and a place where I see ideas come to life. In the past year, Rada has encouraged us to have meaningful conversions, and we have been able to discuss so many important topics such as personal empowerment and growth.
Thus, on March 27, I had the pleasure of being invited by Rada to conduct a presentation on starting university and easing the transition to post-secondary education. There was no hesitation in accepting the invite as it was a great opportunity to share my experience whilst assisting other volunteers - who are preparing to apply for post-secondary studies - in navigating this difficult period.
Looking back, I was a high school senior a year ago, nervous about embarking on a new chapter in my life, particularly given the circumstances, but now I am a month away from completing my freshman year of university. This year has been full of ups and downs, with many accomplishments. All worked out in the end, but going through it was a scary experience for me, and I wanted to support other students who were experiencing the same thing, especially as many of our other volunteers are in grade 11.
Over 25 volunteers attended the presentation and discussion, which was a fantastic turnout. It's something I'd gladly do again because I believe in the value of mentorship and the positive effect it can have on both the mentor and the mentee.
Overall, I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve as a mentor to these volunteers, and I hope they gain something from our interactions.
With that said, I'd like to leave you with a quote from one of my favourite books: "If my life is going to mean something, I have to live it myself." - Percy Jackson, The Lightning Thief
Back to School is right around the corner, and Brampton Library is here to help, with new and tried-and-true online learning resources, all free with your Brampton Library card.
Here are our picks for elementary school students:
Brainfuse HelpNow - Available to Brampton Library cardholders starting September 1, Brainfuse is an online learning service that includes tutoring, homework and writing help, test preparation resources and more to support academic success for K-12 students and beyond.
One of the most exciting services available through Brainfuse HelpNow is Live Tutoring, which connects students with one-on-one help from a tutor, and is available everyday from 2:00pm to 11:00pm. Students work through homework problems with tutors using virtual chat and an interactive whiteboard. All tutors are trained in the Ontario curriculum and assistance is available in both English and French, making Brainfuse the perfect sidekick for learning.
As a parent, if you’re looking for ways to reinforce lessons and enhance learning outside the classroom, check out SkillSurfer in Brainfuse HelpNow. This online selection of lessons, tutorials and practice tests is a great place to find supplementary support for your child - there’s practice tests for every grade and subject, and even test prep materials for the EQAO.
TumbleMath - Reading is FUNdamental! Brought to you by the creators of Tumblebooks, TumbleMath delivers the best of reading and math in a collection of animated online storybooks.
This resource is designed for grades K-6, covering a wide range of math concepts including addition & subtraction, multiplication & division, fractions, geometry, probability, and more. Some of our favourites include How Many Jelly Beans, A Thousand Theos, and The Great Graph Contest.
The story books come with supplemental materials including lesson plans, videos, games, and quizzes. As a parent, you can use these to guide learning at home. You can also easily fit TumbleMath in with homework hour or as a bedtime story. Get the family together and just hit play to see how engaging, memorable and fun math lessons can be with a TumbleMath story.
Here are our picks for high school students
Gale General OneFile - Designed to support students and make the research experience uncomplicated, Gale General OneFile gives you access to millions of articles in one easy to search platform. We think it’s a must-try resource for high school research, and here are just a few perks:
You can create Highlights and Notes in articles to keep track of important information you need for later. You can also download or send articles directly to your email, Google Drive or Microsoft OneDrive - making it easy to keep your research and notes organized in one place!
Citing sources is time-consuming work that can be frustrating for students, but here’s where Gale General OneFile comes in. Click ‘Cite’ for any article, image, or video, and you’ll instantly get a citation in your choice of MLA, APA, or Chicago style. Simply copy and paste it right into your bibliography - all done!
Be it finding supporting evidence for your paper, researching for a presentation, or reading more about a topic, Gale General OneFile can help to find trustworthy information in a stress-free way.
LinkedIn Learning - A new school year marks a fresh start! Help the student(s) in your life kick off this year’s classes on the right note and stay motivated. Even when assignments and extra-curriculars start piling up, we have resources that can help. Let LinkedIn Learning help you to encourage building good habits to achieve the best possible school-life balance.
LinkedIn Learning is an excellent resource for business, tech and creative professionals, but did you know they also offer a wide range of free online courses that can benefit high school students? Courses are self-paced and available anytime, giving students the freedom to fit in a lesson or two in a way that works best for them.
For a place to start, check out these courses to learn valuable skills for school and life.
During my career as a librarian and now as a director, I’m proud of the support that Brampton Library offers new residents through its services and resources, and in partnership with community groups and government agencies.
We just announced a variation of our award-winning Newcomer Bus Tour, which for many years was shared with newcomers in partnership with the City of Brampton and Brampton Transit. New for 2021, we have prepared a self-directed tour, with a map and other information that you can place on hold and pick up anytime during our open hours, at any of our eight branches. I encourage you to learn more about Brampton, by visiting the points of interest that we have highlighted in the kit. You can find out more about the tour here.
Our website is the place to learn about our resources for newcomers, including test preparation with the Road to IELTS series and LearningExpress for secondary students and adult learners. Here you will also find an introduction to our partners, Achēv, the Brampton Multicultural Community Centre and Immigration Peel, as well as provincial and federal agencies who can help with your settlement success. To learn more about our newcomer resources, please click here.
Despite the challenges and tragedies wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic, Brampton Library is here to help you build your new life in Canada, with virtual support through the unique Library Settlement Partnerships program, in partnership with the Brampton Multicultural Community Centre and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. Currently, this support is available virtually and through weekly programs such as English Conversation Circle along with other newcomer programs. To join our weekly English Conversation Circle sessions, please call any of the following settlement workers, or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Jigna: 416-700-9299
Saman: 647-302-0370
Rumina: 647-302-0989
Newcomer services also offered remotely during this time include Commissioner of Oaths, the Cultural Access Pass, and more. For details, please visit this page.
Our virtual newcomer programs on many topics of interest are always popular. To search for programs that may be of interest to you, check Calendar of Events on our website home page; follow our updates on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram; and subscribe to our eMail newsletters at this link.
Let’s keep in touch! Feel free to contact me anytime at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
905-793-4636