Brampton Library Annual Report 2020

Brampton Library

Annual Report 2020

bramptonlibrary.ca 905.793.4636

The Year 2020 In a year of uncertainty, struggle, and loss, Brampton Library was there for you, providing engaging virtual programming, digital collections, reading recommendations, curbside pickup, safe in-branch services, and more, when and where possible. Even amid the Covid-19 pandemic, we kept on inspiring connections with you.

Here and on the following pages, we are pleased to share some highlights.

These customers are not real people, but they do reflect real Library members’ activity in 2020. Be sure to share yours on our social media pages!

As we navigate the year 2021, we are also updating our Facilities Master Plan, to guide the use of library space and design for the next 10 years, and beyond. We encourage you to visit bramptonlibrary.ca for updates and to provide your input anytime, by email to chieflib@bramlib.on.ca.

• We pivoted to virtual programming, with staff-led storytimes, virtual summer clubs, career advice, a global repair cafe, and more • We continued to partner with local organizations to amplify digital offerings and expand participation across Brampton • We implemented an easy online membership process for access to our digital products and collections • We launched customer-direct emails and added subscription options to complement our system-wide announcements • We held our first Story Walk in collaboration with the City of Brampton’s Community Events Team and Scholastic Canada • We launched our mobile app on iOS and Google Play

We’ve come through 2020 together Brampton, and we look forward to better days ahead. Thank you for being our customer and for using our Library services. We hope to see you soon!

Todd Kyle Chief Executive Officer

Jaipaul Massey-Singh Library Board Chair 2

Brampton Library Annual Report 2020

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Zoya has three kids, aged 3, 7 and 12.

As a family, they enjoy watching free movies on Kanopy Kids. Her 7 yearold looks forward to new Virtual STEM Challenges added to our website and Youtube channel and her 3 year-old loves Virtual Storytime.

Everyone benefits from homeschooling resources like TumbleMath, TumbleBooks, and Cantook Station.

The whole family participated in our first Story Walk, in celebration of Ontario Public Library Week. In partnership with the City of Brampton, we presented Say Something! By Canadian author Peter H. Reynolds.

His powerful message to stand up and use your voice, shared page by page on large poster boards through Chinguacousy Park, was a wonderful way to enjoy a great book outdoors.

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DID YOU KNOW? • 7,500 people signed up online for a new Brampton Library card in 2020 • Our summer clubs for all ages went virtual in 2020: • 1,000 kids aged 0 – 12 registered for the Brampton Brain Game summer club • Almost 500 teens registered for Teen Summer Reading Club • Almost 460 adults registered for Adult Summer Reading Club

Brampton Library Annual Report 2020

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Katrina is a teen who knows where it’s at.

During 2020, she was 1 of 445 teens who joined Brampton Library’s Teen Summer Reading Club.

“I mostly enjoyed doing the escape boxes online. Me and my family would have escape Friday where all of us would solve one escape box together," commented a teen in one of our surveys.

Katrina also volunteers with Brampton Library. It’s been a strong anchor for her and her friends who connected regularly throughout 2020 with Rada Micic, our Volunteer Supervisor.

Together they wrote about their reflections on COVID-19, Black Lives Matter, and regular book reviews in the Brampton Guardian and Desi News. They look forward to the day when they can volunteer at Library programs and events in person, but in 2020, they focused on ways to stay involved, from home.

DID YOU KNOW? • Tumblebooks usage for teens increased over 200% from 2019 to 2020 • Over 20,000 arts and crafts videos were viewed n Creativebug, a free online learning platform that teens enjoyed in 2020. These topics were the most popular: • Watercolour Lettering­—A Daily Practice • Galaxy Slime • Creative Doodling • Basic LIne Drawing • How to Crochet

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Brampton Library Annual Report 2020

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Rakesh is in his early 20s studying nursing.

In 2020, he accessed online learning courses for free with his Brampton Library membership to upgrade his computer skills and apply for jobs.

He studied in the Library when select branches reopened in the Fall and enjoyed our popular virtual program At Home Trivia and free movies on Kanopy for relaxation.

DID YOU KNOW? • In 2020, there was a 34% increase in usage of our online learning collections. The top course was Microsoft Excel/Office 365 • Our virtual At Home Trivia program attracted over 660 participants • Despite limited branch capacity and hours, we counted 60,000 visits last fall • You love the flexibility of watching a new movie anytime, on demand with Kanopy.

In 2020, our customers streamed over 38,000 movies with this service, a 46% increase over 2019

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Brampton Library Annual Report 2020

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Regular Brampton Library customer Vesna ... ... used to come in to our South West Branch Library weekly to pick up new book releases. When the pandemic hit, she switched to reading eBooks with the cloudLibrary app. She also chose to learn a new language for free and for fun with Mango Languages, an online learning collection available to library card holders. When Curbside Pickup was introduced last Summer, Vesna placed holds online to reserve print books and also discovered Book Bundles, a handy way to request a bag of books on a stated theme, selected

by Brampton Library staff. In fact, 650 people used our new Help Me Find a Good Book and Book Bundles services to explore new reads.

DID YOU KNOW? • There was a 53% increase in Mango Languages usage • In 2020 customers borrowed over 511,000 eBooks and eAudiobooks online through cloudLibrary, an increase of 65% over the previous year • Over 117,000 physical items (books, audiobooks, DVDs) were borrowed through our Curbside Pickup service in 2020

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Brampton Library Annual Report 2020

• We surveyed customers about the Help Me Find a Good Book service and 92% of respondents said they were introduced to new authors, 84% said they borrowed the staffrecommended books, and 68% enjoyed the books that were recommended

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Senior Brampton resident Nerio ... ... used to stop in to our Four Corners Branch Library daily to read the newspaper. When our branches closed on March 16, 2020, Nerio switched to PressReader, a digital newspaper and magazine collection in over 60 languages, and eAudiobooks on cloudLibrary. Nerio was able to make this work by watching Brampton Library video tutorials and connecting live with Library staff as well.

DID YOU KNOW? • Customers viewed over 197,000 newspapers and magazines on Pressreader in 2020, a 67% increase over 2019 • Almost 110,000 eAudiobooks were borrowed through cloudLibrary in 2020, a 40% increase in usage • Brampton Library Staff answered over 26,000 calls and emails helping customers figure out how to use their account to access our digital resources

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Brampton Library Annual Report 2020

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Discover

Brampton Library!

FREE membership, branch services, virtual programs, Digital Library and more!

Chinguacousy (Civic Centre) Cyril Clark (Loafer’s Lake) Four Corners (Downtown) Gore Meadows (Community Centre) Mount Pleasant Village South Fletcher’s (Sportsplex) South West (Lionhead Marketplace) Springdale

Find full details including hours of operation and enhanced safety measures on our website.

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