News and Stories
Port Hardy Branch Expanded Hours
August 9, 2021
Port Hardy Community to Enjoy Library’s Expanded Hours, Storytime, and More Port Hardy, BC – The Port Hardy branch of Vancouver …
Nanaimo North and South Cowichan libraries open for Walkthrough service
September 8, 2020
Vancouver Island Regional Library’s (VIRL) Nanaimo North and South Cowichan branches have joined Nanaimo Harbourfront in offering Walkthrough library services …
VIRL’s Bella Coola branch first to pilot Sit Down Service
August 19, 2020
The time has come for Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) customers on the Central Coast to experience the simple pleasure …
Safety First with Walkthrough Service
August 18, 2020
Vancouver Island Regional Library serves 3,171 customers safely for Walkthrough Service pilot in Nanaimo. In the first 22 days of …
First Steps to a New Normal
July 23, 2020
Vancouver Island Regional Library opens full physical collection, restores BBM service, opens all branches with Takeout service, and pilots Walkthrough …
VIRL to offer “takeout” service for customers
June 5, 2020
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Exciting things are happening at Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL). From “takeout” style library services to online …
Upcoming Library Services
May 20, 2020
We are getting closer to the resumption of some in-branch services at VIRL and are very hopeful that physical items …
Charting a path forward
May 15, 2020
The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges and disruptions across industries, organizations, and individuals. We have all been affected and libraries …
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)
