Brampton Library invites you to experience Techtober!
Techtober connects Bramptonians of all ages with Library programs, services, and resources that explore the opportunities and potential technology offers.
This page features a choose-your-own-adventure menu, connecting you to our TechTober programs and events. You’ll also find recommendations for books, courses, and more to borrow online. Everything featured is free with your Brampton Library card.
Let’s get started! Pick a category that interests you from the menu below.
Coding and Game Design
Brampton Coffee 'n' Code is an ongoing, in-person coding meetup that happens every other Saturday from 11 a.m.–4 p.m. at Springdale branch. Local programmers of all experience levels are invited to share ideas, work through problems, and casually connect over a cup of coffee.
- Register for Brampton Coffee ‘n’ Code on Saturday, October 14.
- Register for Brampton Coffee ‘n’ Code on Saturday, October 28.
Your Brampton Library card gives you free access to e-books, online courses, and other resources to keep you learning:
→ Master today’s top programming languages with on-demand online courses from LinkedIn Learning. If you’re looking for a place to start, learning paths offer curated playlists of courses that help you gain solid foundational knowledge or take a deep dive into a topic. Get familiarized with becoming a full-stack web developer, try hands-on Python practice, and more.
Video Game Development is an opportunity to learn how to make a video game! Join gaming experts to learn how to write gaming code, navigate a game development software, and execute your very own video game.
- Register for the Video Game Development program on Tuesday, October 10. This is a virtual program happening online from 7–8:30 p.m. The topic is coding for gaming.
- Register for the Video Game Development program on Tuesday, October 24. This is an in-person program happening from 7–8:30 p.m. at our Cyril Clark branch. The topic will be coding practice and intro to software.
Register for the Video Game Development program on Tuesday, November 7. This is a virtual program happening online from 7–8:30 p.m. The topic is software navigation and gaming together.
Your Brampton Library card gives you free access to e-books, online courses, and other resources to keep you learning:
→ Level up your experience with game engines and design software using online courses through LinkedIn Learning. Learn how to use industry leading game development engines like Unity, Unreal Engine and Blender.
→ For more advanced learners, you can instantly access specialized e-books on video game design with O’Reilly Learning, including: Mind-Melding Unity and Blender for 3D Game Development, Roblox Game Development in 24 Hours, Godot 4 Game Development Projects, and more.
Digital and Technology-Based Art
Cellphone and GoPro Photography is a three-session workshop about how to take expert-level photos using a cellphone or GoPro camera. Sessions begin in September and will carry through into TechTober.
- Register for Cellphone and GoPro Photography. This is an in-person program happening on Sunday, October 1 from 12:30–2 p.m. at Cyril Clark library.
Your Brampton Library card gives you free access to e-books, online courses, and other resources to keep you learning:
→ Take your photography to new heights with the GoPro HERO11, available to borrow with your Brampton Library card.
→ Try online, self-paced photography courses with LinkedIn Learning. Regardless of skill level, you can learn how to take better photos with your phone, advance your portrait photography skills, and learn to use Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator to enhance your work.
→ Explore your photography practice with e-books on O’Reilly Learning. Our picks include photography 101, street photography, the complete guide to food photography, the mindful photographer, and the photographer’s portfolio development workshop.
Digital Artist Talk will explore the children’s books of Leah Marie Dorion, an interdisciplinary Métis artist raised in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. Leah will discuss her experiences in publishing books for children, including the digitizing process of her art, and invite participants to engage in a sketching activity.
- Register for Digital Artist Talk. This is a virtual program happening online on Wednesday, October 18 from 7–8 p.m.
Your Brampton Library card gives you free access to e-books, online courses, and other resources to keep you learning:
→ For screen-free techniques, we recommend Creativebug drawing and illustration classes. If you’re interested in exploring a career in children’s book illustration and writing, borrow How to be a children’s book illustrator from our print book collection or take the Writing for children online class with Gale Courses.
Digital Paint Night is a chance for kids 8-12 years to learn how to make wonderful drawings and digital art on their own device. Local digital artist, Saphera Peters, will show participants how to draw and explore paint techniques on a cellphone, iPad or other device that participants have access to.
- Register for Digital Paint Night. This is an in-person program happening on Monday, October 23 from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at our South Fletcher’s branch.
Your Brampton Library card gives you free access to e-books, online courses, and other resources to keep you learning:
→ O’Reilly offers many e-books on digital illustration, and everything can be instantly accessed anytime. Tap into open source tools for digital illustration with e-books like draw and paint better with Krita and learn clip studio paint.
→ Creativebug also offers an online class where you can learn how to Illustrate in Procreate.
Woodburning Workshop makes use of woodburning pens to create beautiful designs, patterns, and images. Through the instruction of Myra, from Myra’s Art Studio, learn how to make beautiful wood art.
- Register for Woodburning Workshop. This is an in-person program happening on Tuesday, October 10 from 7–8:30 p.m. at our South West branch.
Your Brampton Library card gives you free access to e-books, online courses, and other resources to keep you learning:
→ Find books in our collection to help you explore your woodburning and pyrography creative practice, including Woodburning workshop: essential techniques & creative projects for beginners and Learn to burn: a step-by-step guide to getting started in pyrography.
Open Data and Data Analytics
Using Open Data for Good with Brampton’s GeoHub will explain Open Data, identify why sharing authoritative City of Brampton data with the public is important, and reveal how you can use Brampton's data to help solve problems, share community perspectives, or market your business.
- Register for Using Open Data for Good with Brampton's GeoHub. This is an in-person program happening on Tuesday, October 3 from 7–8:30 p.m. at our Four Corners branch.
Your Brampton Library card gives you free access to e-books, online courses, and other resources to keep you learning:
→ Learn the fundamentals of data analysis and develop your competencies in high-demand analysis tools through the Become a Data Analyst learning path with LinkedIn Learning.
Robotics and Computer Science
Brampton Robotics: Girl Powered is a special event celebrating women in robotics and STEM during TechTober. Learn the fundamentals of robotics and participate in a robot build.
- Register for Brampton Robotics: Girl Powered. This is an in-person program happening on Sunday, October 15 from 1–3 p.m. at our Mount Pleasant Village branch.
Your Brampton Library card gives you free access to e-books, online courses, and other resources to keep you learning:
→ If you’re new to robotics, we recommend reading Make: Making Simple Robots, 2nd Edition and Homemade Robots. For those with some basic knowledge of Python, Learn Robotics Programming, 2nd Edition will guide you through building a fully functional robot with Raspberry Pi. All e-books are instantly available on O’Reilly.
3D Printing and gardening
Designing Hydroponics is a four-part program for youth interested in 3D printing and urban gardening. Learn how to design, print, and build this water-based gardening system. Sessions begin in September. This is an in-person program happening from 4:30–6 p.m. at our Four Corners branch.
- Register for Designing Hydroponics on Wednesday, October 11.
- Register for Designing Hydroponics on Wednesday, October 25.
Your Brampton Library card gives you free access to e-books, online courses, and other resources to keep you learning:
→ If you’re interested in creating your own hydroponic tower, or any other creation, get free access to 3D printers at one of our Makerspace locations.
→ Learn more about 3D printing technology and designing objects with ebooks like Simplifying 3D Printing with OpenSCAD on O’Reilly.
Technology & Sustainability
Repair Café is a volunteer-run initiative to help fix, refurbish and/or properly recycle household items. Come to our Repair Cafe to learn how to repair broken household goods for free with fixers from across Brampton.
- Register to bring your items for repair. This is an in-person event happening on Saturday, October 28 from 1– 4 p.m. at our Four Corners branch.
Tech Collect Drive is in partnership with Let’s Get Together, a local organization that safely recycles, refurbishes, and donates unwanted electronics. Help reduce the digital divide and drop off your unwanted items.
- Tech Collect is an in-person event. Join us on Saturday, October 21 from 10 a.m.–2 p.m. at Gore Meadows branch. Registration is not required. Learn more here.
Your Brampton Library card gives you free access to e-books, online courses, and other resources to keep you learning:
→ LinkedIn Learning offers online courses on practical skills for electronics and tech repair. Learn soldering for electronics, and look inside computer components and peripherals to learn how to build, perform maintenance, and diagnose issues with PC hardware.
→ Explore our print collection to discover DIY repair techniques. We offer something for everyone, with titles like:
♦ Family Handyman's big book of projects
♦ DK’s auto repair and maintenance for beginners
♦ 3D printing failures: how to diagnose and repair all desktop 3D printing issues
♦ Modern mending: how to minimize waste and maximize style
♦ How to fix anything: essential home repairs anyone can do
Technology & Accessibility
The Makers Making Change Meetup is a wonderful opportunity to learn more about 3D printing for a great cause. This monthly gathering involves 3D printing and designing assistive devices to be donated to local organizations in need.
- Register for the Makers Making Change Meetup. This is an in-person program happening on Wednesday, October 18 from 6–8 p.m. at our Springdale branch.
Right to Learn Community Expo celebrates the right to learn through access to various devices, services, and networks offered in our community. Join Brampton Library and its community partners to discover programs, resources, assistive technologies, and supports that are available in Brampton. Celebrate the right to learn!
This is an in-person event happening on Sunday, October 22 from 12–5 p.m. at our Springdale branch. Learn more here.
Your Brampton Library card gives you free access to accessible collections and resources:
→ Brampton Library provides access to accessible collections in partnership with the Centre for Equitable Library Access (CELA). The CELA collection includes award winners, best sellers, fiction and non-fiction with a special emphasis on Canadian authors and stories. The CELA collection is available to anyone with a print disability, as well as educators and professionals who work with people with print disabilities. Learn how to register and access CELA collections and services.
→ We also lend assistive technologies to support reading. Devices include the C-Pen ReaderPen, a portable, text-to-speech scanning device that help readers navigate unfamiliar words and improve literacy, as well as the Victor Reader Stratus audio player which is designed to help readers with a print disability navigate and listen to DAISY format audiobooks. Learn more about accessible collections at Brampton Library here.
Technology & Business
Panel of Entrepreneur Success Stories is an event focused on Brampton homegrown tech startups. Join us for an informative discussion on how Brampton resources best supported these tech-based startups.
- Register for Panel of Entrepreneur Success Stories. This is an in-person event happening on Monday, October 12 from 6:30–8:30 p.m. at our Springdale branch.
Startup Huddle is an opportunity for entrepreneurs to network and connect with other like-minded entrepreneurs focused on community. The group provides constructive criticism focused on finding solutions and increasing founder know-how.
- Register to attend on Tuesday October 24 from 6–8 p.m. at our Four Corners branch.
Your Brampton Library card gives you free access to e-books, online courses, and other resources to keep you learning:
→ Explore resources to help you build a successful, scalable, and profitable startup with O’Reilly Learning. Instantly access new e-books including:
♦ Startup CXO: a field guide to scaling up your company's critical functions and teams
→ LinkedIn Learning features thousands of courses covering business, technology, and creative skills. Leverage role guides to help your team understand, learn, and improve in-demand skills:
♦ Business role guides are available for business analysts, financial analysts, marketing specialists, product managers, sales managers, and more.
♦ Technology role guides are also available for positions including web developer, software engineer, full stack engineer, cyber security specialist, data analyst, and more.
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