Brampton Library
| Brampton Library | |
|---|---|
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| 43°43′7″N 79°43′12″W / 43.71861°N 79.72000°W | |
| Type | System of public libraries in Brampton, Ontario |
| Established | 1858 |
| Branches | 8 branches[1] |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | Business directories, phone books, maps, government publications, books, periodicals, genealogy, local history |
| Size | 562,000 |
| Other information | |
| Director | Kyle Todd[2] |
| Employees | 160 |
| Website | www |
The Brampton Library is a system of public libraries in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
In the 2003 Ontario Public Library Week (October 20 to 26), the library was rebranded with a new logo, and a change in name from the Brampton Public Library to the simpler and more direct Brampton Library had taken place.
The library currently has eight branches, with a collection of more than 562,000 books, magazines, large print materials, audio books, and DVDs.[3] It has a staff of 160 full-time and part-time employees.[3] Brampton Library services a population of just under 600,000 people spanning over more than 200 distinct ethnicities.[4]
Todd Kyle[5] is the chief executive officer of the Brampton Library, a position that replaces that of executive director.
History[edit]
As early as 1858, a library was founded in the Mechanic's Institute, serving 50 people in what was then classified as Brampton. These 360 volumes, plus a federal grant of $160, were the starting blocks for the first actual public library in Brampton, founded in 1887 in the Golding Building on Queen Street. As printing presses were still relatively expensive to operate, and thus book prices high, the village-owned facility had full written contracts with patrons to check out books. Only the librarian and the library board were allowed to take books off the closely watched shelves.
In 1907, the library successfully received a grant from US steel magnate Andrew Carnegie to build a new library. Carnegie was a self-made millionaire with "very little formal education", and a well known drive to bring "learning to the masses". Records show donations to 1700 libraries, and the hundreds of facilities across the continent still bearing his name are living proof.
Despite being a supporter of culture in general, Carnegie was opposed to the multipurpose facility the village intended to build, as it exceeded his default start-up donation of $10,000. After a meeting with the Brampton Board of Trade's R.J. Copeland, and a promise from Brampton itself to up its funding from $1000 to $1250 a year, Carnegie provided another $12,500 for the town's long-time showpiece facility.
In 1946, the Brampton library took on a relatively novel concept for the era, in letting residents under the age of 16 sign out books from the collection.
During the 1960s and 1970s, the system expanded to fit the needs of a growing population. The expansion included the Northwood Park Branch (Flowertown and McLaughlin), South Branch (at Brampton Mall on Main Street at Nanwood), and Heart Lake Branch. The Heart Lake branch would later become known as "Cyril Clark", after a Chinguacousy reeve.
In 1972, developer Bramalea Consolidated Developments Ltd constructed the Civic Centre facility for the town of Bramalea, the cornerstone of which was officially laid as part of the finished building during Brampton's Centennial celebrations in 1973. Along with government offices and a theatre, this facility included a large space for a central library branch. When Brampton and Bramalea merged in 1974, their library systems became one. Bramalea's Chinguacousy Branch joined Brampton's Main Branch (which had replaced the Carnegie library with a larger building next door, and which was later renamed to "Four Corners Branch" due to its location near downtown Brampton's Four Corners) and others, becoming the system's resource library. As the reference branch, Chinguacousy was host to an extensive collection of microfilm, local history materials, and genealogy resources. In 2008 the majority of these materials were moved to the Four Corners location in the newly renovated Local History section on the second floor.
Books-by-mail services ended in 1975.[6]
A neighbourhood branch was eventually created in a mall at Ray Lawson Blvd. and Hurontario St., and renamed the County Court Branch when it was moved to an office building nearby (later renamed again to Fletcher's Creek Branch). When the South Fletchers Sportsplex was built, Fletcher's Creek moved from private to public property, and was renamed South Fletchers Branch.
In 2011, the Brampton Library system opened the new Mount Pleasant branch in the north-west area of the city. This replaced the North-West interim branch which had been located approximately 1.7 kilometres (1.1 mi) north-west of the new regular branch.
The Gore Meadows branch was built in the north-east of the city on Castlemore Road at The Gore Road and opened in 2013. This location is part of a city recreation centre located in parkland that is planned to provide multiple services, similar to Chinguacousy Park.
In addition to the six regular branches, Brampton Library also operated an interim site in the north-east region of the city. This housed a very small collection, mostly DVDs and paperbacks, as well as allowing customers a location at which to pick up and return items. A new full-service location at Torbram and Sandlewood, one kilometre north of the former North-East Interim site, is planned to start providing services to residents in the surrounding area in 2017. This interim site closed October 1, 2016; the lease on the site was not renewed because at the time the nearby full-service branch was expected to begin operating in the summer of 2016.
Discussions are still ongoing regarding replacing the current downtown branch with a modern facility.
In 2020, the library stopped assessing late fees on children's material returned late, and in December 2021 the library board voted to eliminate fines for any material returned late and to cancel all outstanding fines on 31 January 2022.[7] It will still assess fines for materials not returned, for those returned in damaged condition, or for holds that are not picked up.[7]
Despite much criticism from local residents in February 2023, Brampton City Council voted to close the "flagship" Chingaucaosy Branch located in the Bramalea Civic Centre and relocate it to the Chingaucaosy Park Ski Chalet. This led to a gross reduction of thousands of square feet of library space. The Civic Centre located was permanently shuttered on August 1, 2023, after 50 years in operation. The location reopened in the Chingaucaosy Park Ski Chalet on August 22, 2023, on an interim basis until a new permanently location could be found.[8]
Branches[edit]
| Name | Location | Dates | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chinguacousy | Bramalea 9050 Bramalea Road |
2023-present | Formerly at 150 Central Park Drive from 1972 or 1973 and was located inside the Bramalea Civic Centre.
Brampton was the first public library system in Ontario to acquire federal and provincial case law records. The case law collection was opened in this branch in 1978, on the prompt of the Central Ontario Regional Library System.[9] This branch was renovated in late 2016 and early 2017, and was reopened in August 2017.[10][11] This branch removed to Chinguacousy Park in 2023 due to Toronto Metropolitan University's (TMU) new medical school after city council voted to gift the building. Services have been reduced at current location limited to 10,000 square feet versus the 30,000 at the Civic Centre. |
|
| Cyril Clark | Heart Lake 20 Loafer's Lake Lane |
Opened 1985 | Opened September 21, 1985, it was said to be the first public library in Canada to be fully computerized.[12] The 12,000 sq. ft. structure cost $1.5 million, and was to house 30,000 books and audio-visual items.[12]
It is named after the Township of Chinguacousy's last reeve, Cyril Clark.[12] |
|
| Four Corners | Downtown 65 Queen Street East |
Until 1979, this was known alternatively as the Main Branch and Central Services Branch.[6] It has had numerous renovations, including in 1991.[13] | ||
| Gore Meadows | Gore Meadows 10150 The Gore Road |
Opened 2013 | ||
| Mount Pleasant Village | Mount Pleasant 100 Commuter Dr. |
Opened 25 Nov 2011[14] | This replaced the North-West Interim Site after several years of operation. It is a multi-use facility attached to Mount Pleasant Village School and Community Centre. | |
| Springdale | Springdale 10705 Bramalea Road |
Opened 2018 | In 1991, it was announced for a 2006 opening.[13] | |
| South Fletcher's | Fletcher's Creek South 500 Ray Lawson Blvd |
Opened 1997 | ||
| South West Branch[15] | Huttonville 8405 Financial Dr. |
Opened 2020[16] |
Previous branches[edit]
| Name | Location | Dates | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bramalea | Bramalea 106 East Drive |
Closed around 1972 or 1973 | This branch was replaced by the Chinguacousy branch. It was located on East Drive, just east of Bramalea. | |
| Carnegie | Downtown 55 Queen Street East |
1907-1974 | It was funded by Andrew Carnegie; see Carnegie library. It was replaced by the Four Corners branch, in the building immediately to the east. The building is now home to the Brampton Concert Band and the Jazz Mechanics.
At the 1938 annual general meeting, it was announced that Wm. Perkins Bull's "pioneer and Indian relics" would be housed at the library on display.[17] When former Brampton High School principal William James Fenton died in 1952, it was decided that the proposed addition to the structure would be named in his honour.[18] |
 |
| County Court | Fletcher's Creek South 201 County Court Boulevard |
1988-1991 | This branch was replaced by the Fletcher's Creek branch. It was located in a commercial office building. | |
| Fletcher's Creek | Fletcher's Creek South 7700 Hurontario Street South |
1991-1997 | This branch replaced the County Court branch. It was housed in the City South Plaza in two floors of what is now professional office space. The second floor was renovated in 1991.[13] The branch was replaced by the South Fletcher's branch. | |
| Northeast Interim Site | Springdale 55 Mountainash Road, Unit 24 |
Closed Oct 1, 2016 | Located at the Springdale Square shopping centre. It was closed based on expected availability of a new near-by branch, which was not yet ready when the branch was closed. | |
| Northwest Interim | Mount Pleasant 10500 Creditview Road |
Closed 2011 | This branch was opened to serve the rapid population growth in the area. This branch was replaced by the Mount Pleasant branch. | |
| Northwood Park | Flowertown and Northwood Park 10 Flowertown Avenue |
Closed 28 June 1975 | With usage dropping in 1974, with people heading to the larger branch, the library distributed 3000 flyers to area households in February 1975.[6] The branch was closed due to budget cutbacks and staff relocated, at the same time as the South branch.[6] | |
| South | Eldomar Heights/Peel Village 160 Main Street South |
November 1966-28 June 1975 | Located at the Brampton Mall, the South branch was opened by Mayor Russell Prouse in an 18 November 1966 ceremony, with circulation starting the next day, a Saturday. It offered both adult and children's books.[19] The branch was closed due to budget cutbacks and staff relocated, at the same time as the Northwood Park branch.[6] The library system considered South branch too small, and asked council for new facilities west of Main Street South; the plan was turned down by council. A branch would be needed in the area within five years.[6] |
Services[edit]
- Information and reference services
- Access to full text databases
- Community information
- Internet access
- Readers' advisory services
- Programs for children, youth and adults
List of teen services[edit]
- Youth Leadership Program
- Teen Library Council
- Animation-Manga Club
- Toastmasters Program
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ "Branches".
- ^ "Library Board".
- ^ a b "About Brampton Public Library". www.bramptonlibrary.ca. Retrieved 2021-01-04.
- ^ "Brampton Community Profile (PDF)" (PDF). Brampton.ca. 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2018-01-20. Retrieved 2018-01-19.
- ^ "Brampton Library Contact List". Brampton Library. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f "Library Planning To Close Branches". The Daily Times. Brampton ON. 3 June 1975. p. 1.
- ^ a b Gamrot, Sabrina (13 January 2022). "Brampton libraries join Mississauga in cutting fines on overdue materials". Brampton Guardian. Retrieved 14 January 2022 – via Toronto Star.
- ^ "Brampton Library". www.bramptonlibrary.ca. Retrieved 2023-09-05.
- ^ Kashmeri, Zuhair (19 September 1978). "Brampton library has law records". The Globe and Mail. p. 9.
- ^ "Library Construction Notice" (PDF). Brampton Library. Retrieved February 3, 2017.
- ^ Brown, Nikita (1 August 2018). "Chinguacousy Library Branch Reopens After Major Revamp". Retrieved 31 January 2019.
- ^ a b c "New library named after colourful politician opens soon in Brampton". The Toronto Star. 10 September 1985. p. H2.
- ^ a b c Perkins, Alana (31 October 1991). "Brampton's libraries keeping pace with rapidly-growing communities". The Toronto Star. Toronto ON.
- ^ Goodfellow, Ashley (7 November 2011). "New library opens". The Brampton Guardian. Brampton ON. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
- ^ "Inspiring Connections |Brampton Library Program Guide September - December 2019".
- ^ Mazzucco, Lucy. "New library branch now open in Brampton". inbrampton. Quickbitenews.com. Retrieved 19 July 2021.
- ^ "Brampton Library Gets Collection of Relics". The Globe and Mail. 22 February 1938. p. 4.
- ^ "William James Fenton: School Principal For 36 Years, Active in Sport". The Globe and Mail. 9 July 1951. p. 4.
- ^ "Mall Branch Library", The Bramalea Guardian, 16 November 1966, page 3.
External links[edit]
| International | |
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| Other | |