While we are all staying home as much as possible to prevent the spread of COVID-19, our digital library remains open and offers many options to stay active, engaged and entertained during this time.
Whether you are looking for community information, entertaining escapes, or your next great read, these free #StayAtHome Resources have you covered.
As always, all of our resources are free with your Brampton Library card. To register for a library card, click here.
For assistance, please contact us.
COVID-19 information and support
Community services and programs
COVID-19 information and support
Canada's COVID-19 economic response plan
Learn more about economic support available to individuals, businesses, and industries in response to COVID-19 from the Government of Canada.
City of Brampton — Let's Connect Brampton
Find community updates, resources, and available support for residents and businesses during COVID-19.
CLEO — Steps to Justice (COVID-19)
A FAQ guide providing updates on Ontario law and legal services during COVID-19, developed by Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO).
Coronavirus Research Database (ProQuest)
This growing authoritative resource curates openly available content and provides comprehensive coverage of the COVID-19 outbreak and related infectious diseases. Access information you can trust with thousands of open-access articles from the world’s leading publishers.
Your Brampton Library card is required to log in.
COVID-19 Health Literacy Project — Fact Sheets
This website provides free and accessible COVID-19 information fact sheets, currently available in 35 different languages, to help all patients know when, and how, to seek care. All fact sheets are reviewed and vetted by physicians and medical school faculty members at Harvard hospitals.
iPolitics COVID-19 Policy Portal
Stay informed with curated content focused on the political and policy angles of the pandemic from Canadian perspectives.
Lotus STEMM — COVID-19 Explainer Video Series
The explainer video series developed by Lotus STEMM aims to address the spread of misinformation in communities and share reliable information on COVID-19 in 12 different languages.
New Recovery Benefits (Government of Canada)
Learn more about EI benefits and financial assistance available to you from the Government of Canada, including the Canada Recovery Benefit (CRB), Canada Recovery Caregiving Benefit (CRCB), and Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit (CRSB).
Peel Region — Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Stay up to date with information, resources, services, and programs to support residents during COVID-19 in Peel Region.
Province of Ontario (COVID-19)
Discover provincial updates, resources and available support to all residents and businesses during COVID-19.
Community Services & Programs
BridgeWay Family Centre (online programs)
Bridgeway connects families with prenatal, early learning and parent education programs and partnerships across Peel. While Bridgeway remains closed for in-person visits, online programs continue to be offered. See schedules to learn more about upcoming events.
Indus Community Services is a leader in the provision of culturally-appropriate services to newcomers, families, women, and seniors. They are currently offering a series of free online webinars for the community.
Maggie's Virtual Indigenous Art Program, Peel Region.
Sharing circles and art workshops via Zoom for Peel-based women that are Indigenous or allies of Indigenous Women and have an interest in participating in the programming. Contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to register.
Peel Art Gallery Museum & Archives offers class tours for school groups and students. Teachers and parents can use Lesson Resource Kits and Learning Resources to supplement learning, linking PAMA archival material and virtual exhibitions to the Ontario curriculum. Explore family-friendly activities, attend virtual events, and more with PAMA@Home.
Learn
Homework help and learning
Google Learn At Home (YouTube Learning)
Explore free learning channels and playlists that offer a breadth of learning content for all different ages.
Toronto and Region Conservation Authority’s (TRCA) At Home With Nature e-learning videos, activities, lesson plans, and additional resources are designed to help families, as well as teachers and their classes, deepen their knowledge of nature, ecology, the environment and their place in it. Check out upcoming events, too!
Provides seamless school-to-home math learning with an interactive classroom tool and live, one-on-one online tutoring to foster understanding of foundational math concepts and build overall confidence in math for grades 7-10.
Free creative online games that support the development of foundational K-6 math and STEM skills.
Job and career skills
Access Employment - online workshop series
A monthly online workshop series to help with your career development and job search, free of charge and open to anyone.
Job Skills offers Virtual Program services, over 40 monthly workshops for career development, job search and youth-specific while also partnering with great employers for virtual hiring events at no cost to clients.
Computer and digital literacy resources
If you are new to computers, haven't used them for a while, are a little unsure and uncomfortable, or just need a bit of a refresher, these courses will help you tackle technology at your own pace and gain the confidence you need to succeed.
Microsoft digital literacy course
Learn the basics of how to use devices, software, and the internet to collaborate with others and discover, use, and create information. Complete all 6 modules in the Course to get a certificate of completion from Microsoft.
Designed with seniors in mind, Tech Boomers specializes in offering online courses that will help you learn how to use computers, social media and video chat platforms. Learn the basics of the internet or learn how to set up your Facebook account so you can follow your friends and family and share your own photos and posts.*
An excellent resource for seniors and beginners, lessons on Meganga cover basic computer training, the internet and email, social media, Microsoft Office software, and technology topics like cloud storage.*
A reputable service offering free online lessons to help people gain access to new skills. Learn everything there is to know about the internet and all the browsers available in comprehensive lessons explaining how to download and use each one. Learn all about your Mac computer or your Microsoft Windows computer through the basic operating system lessons that they offer.*
*Thanks to SixtyandMe for sharing information about some great free computer literacy resources with our community.
Entertain
Hot Docs collection on CBC Gem
Enjoy some of the hottest documentaries from one of the biggest documentary film festivals in the world - now streaming from the comfort of your couch. Available on the free CBC Gem streaming service.
National Arts Centre - Canada Performs series
A weekly entertainment series with live by Canadian musicians, dancers, comedians, and theatre artists, brought to you by the National Arts Centre and Facebook Canada.
Discover a collection of over 4,000 films, documentaries, and short pieces available to stream for free, including a rich library of Indigenous content.
The Rose Brampton - This is Brampton: Live Online
The Rose Theatre is hosting free weekly live concerts via Facebook Live or Instagram Live, giving artists a platform to perform and connect with the community during this difficult time. Check the website and social media for artist performance announcements.
Make
A website that makes learning music more accessible through fun, hands-on experiments. Check out the Song Maker experiment, which lets you make and share your own songs.
Try out fun computer science tutorials, watch videos about computer science concepts, and even build your own projects! You can sign-up for a free account to save your projects and progress, though an account is not required.
Geek Squad Academy Online Learning
A set of free, self-directed educational challenges, brought to you by Best Buy’s Geek Squad. All challenges use freely available apps or open source software. Find learning challenges for youth aged 10 to 16 for a variety of STEM topics.
Develop your coding and computational thinking skills with free online activities for all ages.
Kids Code Jeunesse - virtual events
Due to the developing COVID-19 situation, KCJ programs are now online so kids, teachers, parents, and caregivers can keep learning. All sessions introduce coding projects using Scratch, a drag-and-drop block-code program – perfect for beginners.
A collection of online tools that help people all over the world think, create and make. Learn 3D design, electronics programming, and coding.
Read
Bibliovideo is a YouTube channel all about Canadian books for young people, brought to you by the Canadian Children's Book Centre and with support of the Canada Council for the Arts. Listen to author book readings, learn how to draw with book illustrators, and experience some great learning moments with videos ‘For Educators’. We recommend checking out Stay Home, Read Together for storytime fun!
Storyline Online — Stream videos featuring celebrated actors reading children’s books alongside creatively produced illustrations. Readers include Viola Davis, Chris Pine, Lily Tomlin, Kevin Costner, Annette Bening, James Earl Jones, Betty White, and dozens more.
Explore
Black Creek's Experience the Village at Home
Bring the experience of Black Creek Pioneer Village to your home! Tour the virtual village, try some hands-on activities, discover online exhibits, "meet" the animals, explore heritage buildings online, and learn with the History at Home series.
Canada’s Wonderland - virtual roller coaster experience
You and your family can take a virtual roller coaster ride, experiencing the rides and attractions of Canada's favourite theme park. Try out over 16 coasters, 11 thrill rides, and 6 family rides from a first-person point of view.
Engage in virtual tours to experience artworks, collections, and stories from over 1,200 leading museums, art galleries, and historic sights across the globe. You can go on an international tour and explore places across the globe, experience 360 videos, and discover collections from renowned institutions of history, culture and art (including the ROM and AGO).
Explore the great outdoors, from coast to coast! Experience the snow-capped peaks of Banff, the sandy dunes of Prince Edward Island, and more from the comfort of your home
Ripley’s Aquarium of Canada at Home
Tune in for daily live events of underwater creature feedings and educational spotlights, and check out live streams of sharks and penguins.
Experience the Royal Ontario Museum online with engaging activities, virtual gallery tours, collections highlights, and live events. You can also access activities and learning resources.
Toronto Zoo - Zoo School to You
Tune in live for daily events and learn about animals with the Toronto Zoo. The zoo also provides virtual worksheets to guide learning for students and families tuning in to watch live tours.
An entirely digital museum managed by the Canadian Museum of History, featuring virtual exhibits from Canadian museums and heritage organizations. Find diverse stories and unique experiences in Canadian history.
Health and Wellness
Enjoy this curation of content hand-picked to support your mental and emotional wellness through this time.
Help your kids get moving, engaged, and motivated throughout the day with short, interactive videos. Designed for kids grades K-5.
At a time when you can’t go outside, go inside and experience live-streamed guided meditations. Whether you have 5, 10, or 15 minutes to spare, you can also access a library of online meditations for free.
Check out free online video classes, no membership required. Take a break with a number of online health tutorials, be it moving mindfully along with a yoga instructor, or firing up your body with an intense bootcamp workout.
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