Current Library Services
May 10, 2021
Masks are required for anyone visiting the library. This is in addition to physical distancing, occupancy limits, and other safety …
News and Stories
Seed Library at Nanaimo library expands access to local agriculture
April 28, 2021
Spring is here and that means it’s time to hit the garden. The Creativity Commons branch — located on the …
Hey Book Lover, What’s Your Sign?
April 21, 2021
Every month we share picks based on your Horoscope! Thanks to the amazing team at the Sooke branch for researching …
Accountable Cataloguing: VIRL staff replace subject headings to accurately represent everyday library users
April 20, 2021
For the past several years, staff at the Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) have been meticulously removing colonial bias and …
Legit Librarian Hacks
April 20, 2021
PressReader PressReader includes international newspapers and magazines in 65 different languages, from Afrikaans to Zulu. This makes it an incomparable …
Campbell River Council affirms support of new downtown library
April 14, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Campbell River Council has confirmed support for building a new two-storey, 20,000 square foot library on the …
Renowned author Eden Robinson online conversation and reading
April 7, 2021
Renowned Trickster trilogy author, Eden Robinson joins VIRL for an online conversation and reading Vancouver Island, BC — April 23 …
Lynda.com is Now LinkedIN Learning
March 23, 2021
Starting March 24, Lynda.com will be upgraded to LinkedIn Learning! Questions? Read below for answers.
Scratch Coding Contest for Young Women
March 10, 2021
From now until the end of March, any self-identified woman, aged 19 or under, can sign up for VIRL’s STEAM …
Fast Facts about Vancouver Island Regional Library
- Vancouver Island Regional Library is the fifth largest library system in British Columbia.
- Holdings at Vancouver Island Regional Library number almost one million and include books, magazines, CD’s and DVD’s. Card holders can borrow materials from any of our 39 locations.
- In 2012 there were 2.6 million visits to our branches and our customers borrowed 4.6 million items.
- Vancouver Island Regional Library opened its doors in 1936 as the Vancouver Island Union Library. We were the second regional library in North America.
- With 39 branch libraries across the island, Vancouver Island Regional Library serves over 430,000 people on Vancouver Island, Haida Gwaii and the Central Coast (Bella Coola)
