Reproduction of the Witness Blanket on display at Harbourfront branch in downtown Nanaimo
July 2, 2021
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Friday, July 2, 2021, Nanaimo, BC – A reproduction of the Witness Blanket, a powerful art installation …
News and Stories
Black Snake: Standing Rock, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and Environmental Justice
July 2, 2021
Black Snake: Standing Rock, the Dakota Access Pipeline, and Environmental Justice, by Katherine Wiltenburg Todrys, June 2021 From the …
A new podcast for bookish people launches
June 17, 2021
Vancouver Island, BC – Summer road trip season is here and thanks to a new podcast from staff at Vancouver …
A summer of reading and adventure for kids and teens
June 16, 2021
Vancouver Island, BC – Summer’s just around the corner and that means another exciting season of Summer Reading Club (SRC) …
VIRL Connects Initiative Wins American Library Association Award
June 14, 2021
Vancouver Island, BC – For the second year in a row, Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) has been awarded an …
National Indigenous History Month
June 4, 2021
National Indigenous History Month at Vancouver Island Regional Library Friday, June 4, 2021, Vancouver Island, BC – There’s a lot …
Every Child Matters
June 1, 2021
After the tragic discovery of the remains of 215 children found buried on the site of the former residential school …
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 …
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 …
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)
