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News and Stories

NEW Houseplant Storytime

April 1, 2023

With the wild success of the Virtual Gardening Series and seed libraries, Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) is launching its …

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Service Disruption Notice

March 19, 2023

The library’s catalogue will undergo an upgrade on Monday, April 3. Customers may experience a service disruption between 9 pm …

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Sooke Anniversary Giveaway

February 24, 2023

The new Sooke branch opened one-year ago today! To celebrate its anniversary, we’re giving away Vancouver Island Regional Library swag …

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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)

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