Brampton Library Blog

Written by Todd Kyle, Chief Executive Officer

Category: Blog

Published: 15 January 2021

In response to the Province of Ontario’s second declaration of emergency this week, Brampton Library’s Curbside Pickup services remain the same. Materials returned through our 24-hour external dropboxes located at each branch are quarantined for 72 hours before they are checked in and put back on the shelves.

For details about our Curbside Pickup hours of operation, please click here to review our Holds Pickup page.

Our Digital Library offers many ways to enjoy our services from home for free with your Brampton Library card. 

To discover our many at-home services, click here to access our Digital Library.

To quickly and easily apply for your own Brampton Library card, click here to apply for a library card online.

Service Changes Support Reducing Community Spread of COVID-19

The Province of Ontario has announced that, “A provincewide shutdown will help interrupt or slow current community transmission, reduce mobility and allow our health care and public health systems that are reaching critical limits to recover briefly and catch-up.” During this period, libraries are able to offer Curbside Pickup. Brampton Library is pleased to confirm that all 8 branch libraries will offer this service, at varying times, each week.

Effective Monday, December 28, 2020, our in-person services will be limited to contactless Curbside Pickup services only, for the duration of the province-wide shutdown. Our services will be reevaluated when these restrictions are lifted.

While our branches are closed, there are still multiple ways to access our materials and use your Library:

• Place holds through our website and watch for notifications that your held items, including Book Bundles, are ready before stopping by your preferred branch during our curbside hours to pick them up. 
• Discover what’s new, scan ISBNs, and place holds using our new mobile app! It’s a free download from iOS and Google Play. Click here to learn more about the Brampton Library app.
• Stop by your preferred branch during curbside hours to discover our new Grab ‘n’ Go bags. Click here for information on Book Bundles and Grab ‘n’ Go.

Curbside Pickup is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here for our Curbside Pickup hours of operation and instructions on how to place holds.

When you arrive, watch for our bright green signs and prepare to provide the last 4 digits of your library card. Click here to apply for your own Brampton Library card.

Even when our branches are closed, our website is open. Members can borrow free of charge a wide range of digital items that entertain and support online learning. Click here to discover our digital collections.

As this very challenging year draws to a close and we look ahead to better in 2021, Brampton Library Board members and staff extend to you our warmest holiday wishes and a happier new year!

Susan Bartoletta

Interim CEO

Written by Susan Bartoletta, Interim CEO

Category: Blog

Published: 22 December 2020

The Province of Ontario has announced that, “A provincewide shutdown will help interrupt or slow current community transmission, reduce mobility and allow our health care and public health systems that are reaching critical limits to recover briefly and catch-up.” During this period, libraries are able to offer Curbside Pickup. Brampton Library is pleased to confirm that all 8 branch libraries will offer this service, at varying times, each week.

Effective Monday, December 28, 2020, our in-person services will be limited to contactless Curbside Pickup services only, for the duration of the province-wide shutdown. Our services will be reevaluated when these restrictions are lifted.

While our branches are closed, there are still multiple ways to access our materials and use your Library:

• Place holds through our website and watch for notifications that your held items, including Book Bundles, are ready before stopping by your preferred branch during our curbside hours to pick them up. 

• Discover what’s new, scan ISBNs, and place holds using our new mobile app! It’s a free download from iOS and Google Play. Click here to learn more about the Brampton Library app.

• Stop by your preferred branch during curbside hours to discover our new Grab ‘n’ Go bags. Click here for information on Book Bundles and Grab ‘n’ Go.

Curbside Pickup is provided on a first-come, first-served basis. Click Here for our Curbside Pickup hours of operation and instructions on how to place holds.

When you arrive, watch for our bright green signs and prepare to provide the last 4 digits of your library card. Click here to apply for your own Brampton Library card.

Even when our branches are closed, our website is open. Members can borrow free of charge a wide range of digital items that entertain and support online learning. Click here to discover our digital collections.

As this very challenging year draws to a close and we look ahead to better in 2021, Brampton Library Board members and staff extend to you our warmest holiday wishes and a happier new year!

Susan Bartoletta

Interim CEO

Written by June Dickenson, Manager Marketing & Communications

Category: Blog

Published: 06 January 2021

We have great news to share! 

The Brampton Public Library Board recently approved the motion that overdue fines on borrowable items will continue to be waived until December 31, 2021. The Library removed overdue fines from most children’s materials in 2018 and from its materials for all ages earlier this year.

“In this challenging year, Brampton Library has continued to safely support its customers to the fullest possible extent. Waiving overdue fines is an important way to remove barriers to access to our materials for all residents,” said Susan Bartoletta, Brampton Library’s Interim CEO. 

When you are finished with your items, please return them to the Brampton Library branch that is most convenient for you, regardless of which branch you borrowed them from. All of our branches have 24-hour external dropboxes and all items are quarantined for 72 hours when returned. Thank you for your patience as these safety protocols will impact the timing of updates to your account.

Happy New Year, Brampton! Stay safe and stay involved with your Library. We are here to support you.

Written by Kate Alatsas, Manager, Children & Youth Services

Category: Blog

Published: 09 December 2020

Happy Family Literacy Day! In case you didn’t know, every year on January 27th families across Canada come together to read and play to promote literacy. On this, the 30th anniversary of Family Literacy Day, our theme is: Travel the World Together.

After spending almost a year at home due to the pandemic, I can say there’s nothing I would love more than to plan a fabulous trip around the world. Meeting new people, learning about other cultures, or even learning a new language. Use this theme to help you plan a fun activity with your family. Where would you like to go together? Write an itinerary, or spend some time researching new places to go. You can ask your neighbourhood Librarian for some book recommendations to help plan your trip.

Aside from that, there are a number of ways you can help improve literacy at home - here are 5 quick and easy tips:

1. Read a recipe together, and work on transforming the words into a sweet or savory treat. Use a family recipe, or find one in a book from the library. Here are a few suggestions to get you started:

Kids Cook! 100 Super-easy Delicious Recipes

Kids cooking : students prepare and eat foods from around the world 

Kids can cook

1. Learn how to say “Hello” in a new language together. Once you’ve mastered “Hello” try adding a few more words to your vocabulary. Need some help getting started? Try these titles:

Say hello! by Rachel Isadora

The book of languages : talk your way around the world

1. Build your own story as a family by sitting in a circle and having each person add a new word or sentence to the story. What kind of crazy tale will you create together? Start with “Once upon a time” and end with “the end.”

1. Take a drive or walk around your neighbourhood and work together to spot things along your route for every letter of the alphabet. 

1. Make a scrapbook of places you’ve been together and add extra pages for places you hope to go. On those pages, you can include a drawing of what you’d like to see when you arrive, what you’d like to do together as a family, or things you hope to learn more about.

Still looking for an activity to do together? Celebrated children’s author, Barbara Reid, will be hosting a special virtual event where she will teach you how to use clay to create a picture, like she does in many of her picture books.  You can register by clicking HERE

We hope you have a fantastic Family Literacy Day, and hope to see you and your family at the library very soon.