It's Library Month!

October is Library Month and this year, we're welcoming newcomers - those new to the country, new to our province and new to Vancouver Island Regional Library. 

Libraries can be the first point of contact for many newcomers and we want to ensure they know we're an inclusive space that serves all ages, genders, ethnicities, languages and religions.

Most of all, we want them to feel welcome.

Join us in celebrating the library by picking up a free love library pin at your local branch and help us spread the word about VIRL to newcomers! 

Learn more

New 2020 Annual Report 

2020 was a hard year with the pandemic, but it was also a time of innovation and new direction for us at Vancouver Island Regional Library.

Thanks to the resiliency and hard work of staff we accomplished a lot. We celebrated the opening of our Chemainus branch, launched online library card registration and started virtual Storytimes for families (to name just a few highlights!).

We are thrilled to share our 2020 Annual Report so you can see all of the stories and highlights from the past year.

Read it here

Spooky design challenge

Create a boo-tiful cell phone holder during our Halloween Tinkercad Challenge.

Design a cell phone holder on www.tinkercad.com and submit it to the Creativity Commons for the chance to have your protoype 'come to life' on our 3D printer.

Challenge runs until Oct.25, 2021. 

Get the details

Do you know about KnowBC?

KnowBC has something for everyone interested in learning more about our province.

History buffs will enjoy Crawford Killian’s Do Some Great Thing, the fascinating story of the first Black pioneers in BC, while ocean-lovers will relish the phenomenal photography in Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest. Ever wondered how your hometown or favourite beach got its name? The Encyclopedia of Raincoast Place Names covers names all along the coast.

Keep reading

Hey book lover, what's your sign?

Every month we share book picks based on your horoscope! This October, it's all about Libras. 

Read it now

Indigenous Collection

What was said to me : the life of Sti'tum'atul'wut, a Cowichan Woman, by Ruby Peter, in collaboration with Helene Demers, June 2021

A narrative of resistance and resilience spanning seven decades in the life of a tireless advocate for Indigenous language preservation. This first-person oral history—the first of its kind ever published by the Royal BC Museum—documents a period of profound social change through the lens of Sti’tum’atul’wut—also known as Mrs. Ruby Peter—a Cowichan elder who made it her life’s work to share and safeguard the ancient language of her people: Hul’q’umi’num’. 

In 1997 Vancouver Island University anthropologist Helene Demers recorded Sti’tum’atul’wut’s life stories over nine sessions. She prepared the transcripts for publication in close collaboration with Sti’tum’atul’wut’ and her family. The result is rich with family and cultural history—a compelling narrative of resistance and resilience that promises to help shape progressive social policy for generations to follow.

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