Margaret Dunn Valleywood

Flag Raised in Celebration of Caledon Public Library

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Caledon, ON – In tribute to the invaluable role of Caledon Public Library (CPL), the Town of Caledon raised a flag in recognition of the proclaimed Love Your Library Month and Ontario Public Library Week. The celebration highlighted how the Library serves as the heart of the community, providing essential resources and welcoming spaces for all.

Acting Mayor for the event, Regional Councillor Mario Russo shared the impressive impact of the library on the community. The Library offers free programs for all ages promoting social connection and supporting mental health, fosters a love of reading that contributes to academic success and emotional development particularly among children, and CPL’s team of supportive staff are ready to help each person who walks through the doors. Demonstrating its commitment to enhancing the quality of life for all Caledon residents, the Library is more than just a place to borrow books; it is a vital community hub where individuals can gather, learn, and connect.

Continuing to evolve to meet the community’s needs, Caledon Public Library has taken its offerings to a new level. You can visit the Library’s two makerspaces and create using equipment like the garment printer or Glowforge laser, or record a demo in the recording studio at Margaret Dunn Valleywood; access free Wi-Fi and hotspots, online courses, and language programs from the comfort of home; borrow from the Library of Things collection featuring GoPro cameras, guitars, board games, park passes, and so much more.

CPL is a dynamic resource for exploration and creativity. For more information on your library and what it has to offer, visit https://caledon.library.on.ca/

Make It Happen at CPL

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Caledon, ON – Caledon Public Library (CPL) released a video which highlights new spaces and expanded collections, and features Library champions and staff, Make it Happen at Caledon Public Library.

“2023 was a year of immense growth at Caledon Public Library as we expanded our reach with the opening of new spaces, ensuring greater access to library resources across the Town” said Colleen Lipp, CEO and Chief Librarian of Caledon Public Library. “We also welcomed a dynamic new Board of Directors and released a long-term, comprehensive growth plan to guide the library’s vision through an upcoming period of rapid growth and change in Caledon.”

Highlights include celebrating two new makerspaces, the relocation of the Caledon East Branch which saw a 626% increase in visits in its first full quarter of operations, and the expansion of the Library’s multilingual collection. The Library hosted 898 programs which saw more than 14,500 attendees. Social media fostered connections with content reaching more than 99,000 individuals and generating over 6,000 interactions. Colleen announced future plans for Caledon Public Library’s next branch in Mayfield West.

CPL’s 2023 Annual Report features brilliant videography and editing by local Brightpixl Studios. CPL’s Manager, Information Technology, recorded the voiceover narration in the Library’s recording studio at its reimagined seventh branch, the Margaret Dunn Valleywood (MDV) Collaboration Studio which opened last April.

“Caledon Public Library’s Board of Directors is incredibly thankful for the dedicated staff, volunteers, and stakeholders, as well as the support of our funders and residents of the Town of Caledon,” added Tony Maxwell, Library Board Chair. “Our successes in 2023 were made possible by you, this great community.”

The 2023 Annual Report video will be shared on all of CPL’s social media channels and can be permanently found on CPL’s YouTube channel. For information on what CPL has to offer you and your family, please visit caledon.library.on.ca.

CPL Celebrates the Opening of the Margaret Dunn Valleywood Collaboration Studio

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Caledon, ON – Caledon Public Library (CPL) is excited to announce the opening of the new Margaret Dunn Valleywood Collaboration Studio. The official opening and ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place on Saturday, April 29th at 11am with dignitaries and special guests. An open house for the community will take place from 12 noon to 3 pm.

Thanks to federal and provincial support through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), along with the Town of Caledon Public Library, the Margaret Dunn Valleywood Branch has been reimagined into a space offering new innovative services and technologies not yet available anywhere else in Caledon. The modernized branch houses a makerspace and recording studio as well as spaces for working, learning, and meeting… and of course books which focus on supporting these new services with special collections for local businesses and entrepreneurs and an emphasis on technology, making, and creativity. The renovated branch will also continue to act as a pickup and return location for all CPL materials.

“The grand opening of the Margaret Dunn Valleywood Branch at the Caledon Public Library marks the next step in creating a stronger community and improving the well-being of the residents in the Town of Caledon,” said Ruby Sahota, Member of Parliament for Brampton North, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. “We will keep working collaboratively with our partners to support meaningful investments in infrastructure to build strong and healthy communities for Canadians.”

“Local infrastructure and public libraries are essential for the quality of life and well-being of every community,” said Kinga Surma, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure. “The Margaret Dunn Valleywood Collaboration Studio will connect residents to new services and technologies and empower them to learn, innovate and create. Our government will continue to work with our federal and municipal partners to build key infrastructure in communities across the province.”

“We are excited that these new services will be delivered in the heart of Valleywood and expect that neighborhood residents will take full advantage of all that will be available on their doorstep,” says Colleen Lipp, CPL CEO and Chief Librarian. “With its easy access to Hwy 10 and the 410, we also see this branch as a destination for all of Caledon.”

Not tech savvy, no worries. There is no need to be an expert. Makerspaces are one of the best ways to learn the skills that are essential today and for the future. Equipped with resources such as computers, 3-D printers, audio, and video capture and editing tools, and traditional arts and crafts supplies, they provide a place where people create, invent, learn together, and build skills for life. Libraries around the world are home to these vibrant learning and innovation hubs for co-creation.

The Collaboration Studio will host many maker, technology, and craft workshops facilitated by both CPL staff and experts from the community. Partnerships with the Town’s Economic Development and Recreation Teams and other stakeholders to offer programs and events for local businesses and residents are also planned for the future.

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Construction to Begin on CPL’s Margaret Dunn Valleywood Collaboration Studio

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Caledon, ON – Caledon Public Library (CPL) is excited to announce that construction will soon begin on the Margaret Dunn Valleywood Collaboration Studio. Thanks to federal and provincial support through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), along with the Town of Caledon, the space in the Margaret Dunn Valleywood Branch will soon be reimagined into a space offering innovative new services and technologies not yet available anywhere else in Caledon. The modernized branch will house a maker space and recording studio as well as spaces for working, learning, and meeting… and of course books. Our collections will focus on supporting these new services with special collections for local businesses and entrepreneurs and an emphasis on technology, making, and creativity. The renovated branch will also continue to act as a pickup and return location for all CPL materials.

The branch will host many maker, technology, and craft workshops facilitated by both CPL staff and experts from the community. We look forward to collaborating with the Town’s Economic Development and Recreation Teams to offer programs and events for local businesses and residents.

Construction is tentatively scheduled to begin in early November which will require the temporary closure of the branch for a minimum of 3 months. The exterior drop box for the return of library materials will remain accessible. The use of the adjacent community room will not be impacted by the construction and rentals and programs will continue to be managed by the Community Services Department of the Town of Caledon. During the closure, library staff will be reassigned to serve patrons at other branch locations until such time that we can again open the doors in Valleywood.