News and Stories

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

The library is the gift that keeps on giving and giving and giving. This year, Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL) is partnering with businesses from Bella Coola to Sooke to Give Library this holiday season. Visit any participating business and grab some beautifully packaged library cards — they’re the perfect stocking stuffer for the book lover, film fanatic, gamer, music fan, newshound, language lover, or lifelong learner on your holiday gift list.

VIRL library branches are stocked with Give Library bookmarks which would also make a great stocking stuffer, or addition to a new book. The bookmarks include a QR code so people can sign up on the spot using VIRL’s online registration system.

“We decided to try something a little different this year to help attract more people into local businesses,” says Natasha Bartlett, VIRL’s Divisional Manager of Marketing and Communications. “Businesses everywhere have been struggling for months as a result of the pandemic — we’re hoping to help bring people in to these businesses and increase awareness and interest in the library with this campaign. We’re thrilled to have so many businesses taking part.”

The perfect stocking stuffer, a library card can be used at any of our 39 branches and gives cardholders instant access to:

• Millions of books
• Thousands of ebooks and audiobooks
• Streaming movies
• Downloadable and streaming mp3 music
• Magazines and newspapers from around the world
• Free access to Lynda.com to learn photography, graphic design, and more
• Learning a new language online with Mango Languages

Participating businesses:

Bella Coola
Townsite Ace Hardware
635 Cliff Street
(250) 799-5353

Cowichan Lake
Fields
33 South Shore Road
(250)749-7795

Sword Fern Boutique
89 South Shore Road
(250)932-2220

Campbell River
French Creek Collective
990 Shoppers Row
(250)914-0355

Berwick by the Sea
1353 16 Ave
(250) 850-1353

Banners Restaurant
1319 Shoppers Row
(250)286-6711

The Island Grind
801 Hilchey Road
(250)418-4401

Cumberland
Cumberland Bakery
2747 Dunsmuir Avenue
(250)336-2411

Masset
The Ground Gallery & Coffee House
1599 Main Street
(250)626-5251

Nanaimo
Country Club Mall
3200 N Island Hwy,
(250)758-5544

Lucid
35 Commercial Street
(250)753-3571

North Town Mall – London Drugs
4750 Rutherford Road Suite 175,
(250)760-2030

Woodgrove Mall
North, 6631 Island Hwy,
(250) 390-2721

Port Hardy
Fields
8950 Granville Street
(250)949-9222

The Book Nook at Café Guido
7135 Market Street
(250)949-9808

Port McNeill
Fields
43-1705 Campbell Way
(250)956-4465

Queen Charlotte City
Queen B’s Café
3208 Wharf Street
(250)559-4463

Sidney
Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea
9811 Seaport Place
(250)665-7511

Sooke
Sooke Region Chamber of Commerce
6631 Sooke Road #1A
(250)642-6112

The Stick in the Mud
6715 Eustace Road
778-352-0077

Tofino
Clarity Integrated Health Studio
922 Tree Frog Lane

Mark Hobson Gallery
366 Campbell Street
(250)725-3120

Picnic Charcuterie
700 Industrial Way
(250)889-5738

The Factory
102-551 Campbell Street
(250)266-1052

Local chambers of commerce were instrumental in getting the word out about this campaign to local businesses in VIRL’s service area.

More information about Give Library is available at https://virl.bc.ca/give/.

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Media Contact
David Carson, Director, Corporate Communications and Strategic Initiatives
250.327.3651
dcarson@virl.bc.ca