Vancouver Public Library
Encyclopedia
The Vancouver Public Library is the third largest public library
system in Canada
, with more than 2.5 million items in its collections, 22 branches, approximately 375,000 cardholders, and nearly nine million item borrowings annually. The administration centre, and also the largest branch, known as the Central Branch, is located at Library Square in downtown Vancouver (pictured).
Following the Great Fire of Vancouver on June 13, 1886, 400 books from the now-defunct Hastings Literary Institute were donated to the newly-established Vancouver Reading Room. In December 1887, the Reading Room opened at 144 West Cordova Street, above the Thomas Dunn and Company hardware store. It was also known as the Vancouver Free Library and the Vancouver Free Reading Room and Library.
By the late 1890s, the Free Reading Room and Library in the YMCA Building on West Hastings had become overcrowded. During this period, the American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was giving money to cities and towns to build libraries. In 1901, the City of Vancouver approached Carnegie about donating money for a new library to replace the space in the YMCA Building.
In 1901, American steel magnate, Andrew Carnegie agreed to donate $50,000 to build a city library if Vancouver would provide free land and $5,000 annually to support its operation. A fight immediately developed between East and West side Vancouver as to who would get the new cultural institution. A public plebiscite fixed the site at Hastings and Westminster (now Main) Streets, next door to the first City Hall. The cornerstone was laid by the Grand Lodge of the Masonic Order On March 29, 1902 and under it were placed Masonic documents, a copy of the City’s Act of Incorporation, lists of various officials and examples of the postage stamps and coins then in use. The building was designed by Vancouver architect George Grant and is in the style of Romanesque Renaissance, with a domed Ionic portico and French mansard roof. Granite for the foundation came from Indian Arm and sandstone for the 10" thick walls came from Gabriola Island. A fantastic marble, spiral staircase was built by Albion Iron Works of Victoria. It cost $2,279,000 and 9,888 pounds of steel and iron were used. A large multi-panel stained glass window with 3 smaller windows below was designed and crafted by N.T. Lyon of Toronto. Depicted in the windows are Milton, Shakespeare, Spencer, Burns, Scott and Moore. The 3 small windows were removed in 1958 when the library was converted into the museum. They were missing for many years but were located intact and returned to the building in 1985. Inside was hardwood panelled walls and ceilings and oak floors. The rooms were heated by eight fireplaces. There were special reading rooms for ladies and for children, a chess room, newspaper reading room, picture gallery, lecture hall, and on the third floor the Art, Historical and Scientific Association (now called the Vancouver Museum). The library opened in November 1903. This branch is now primarily used as a community centre for residents of the Downtown East Side neighbourhood.
The Vancouver Public Library continued to occupy the Hastings and Main site until the opening of the new central library at 750 Burrard Street in 1957. The move from the Carnegie site to the new location at 750 Burrard began in mid-October, 1957, and the official opening of the new library was held on November 1, 1957. The library remained at the Burrard building until April 22, 1995, when it closed in preparation for the move to a new location at Library Square (350 West Georgia Street). The central branch opened in Downtown Vancouver on May 26, 1995 and cost 106.8 million CAD
to build.
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Consolidating Vancouver Public Library's Central Branch, Federal Office Tower, and retail and service facilities, the Library Square occupies a city block in Downtown Vancouver. Centred on the block, the library is a nine-story rectangular box containing book stacks and services, surrounded by a free-standing, elliptical, colonnaded wall featuring reading and study areas that are accessed by bridges spanning skylit light wells. The library's internal glass facade overlooks an enclosed concourse formed by a second elliptical wall that defines the east side of the site. This glass-roofed concourse serves as an entry foyer to the library and the more lively pedestrian activities at ground level. Public spaces surrounding the library form a continuous piazza with parking located below grade. The building's exterior resembles the Flavian Amphitheatre in Rome (better known by its later name of the Colosseum
) although in fact the resemblance is to the present rather than original state of the building.
The Library Square Project was the largest capital project ever undertaken by the City of Vancouver. The decision to build the project came after a favourable public referendum
in November 1990. The City then held a design competition to choose a design for the new building. The design by Moshe Safdie
was by far the most radical design and yet was the public favourite. The inclusion of the 21 story office tower in the design was required in order to pay for it and as part of a deal with the federal government to obtain the land; the federal government has a long term lease on the high rise office tower portion of the project. Construction began in early 1993 and was completed in 1995.
In addition to its function as the central branch of the city's public library
system, the one square block project also includes an attached office high-rise, retail shops, restaurants, and underground public parking. The Library building has a rooftop garden designed by Vancouver landscape architect Cornelia Oberlander
. The roof garden is not accessible to the public.
The Square is bordered by Robson Street
, Homer Street, West Georgia Street, and Hamilton Street. Across West Georgia Street is Canada Post
. Across Hamilton Street is the CBC Regional Broadcast Centre Vancouver
. Across Homer street is The Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts, (formerly The Ford Centre for the Performing Arts) also designed by Moshe Safdie as a complementary building to library square.
The three nearest SkyTrain
stations are Granville Station
, Vancouver City Centre Station
and Stadium–Chinatown Station and are each within a few blocks of Library Square.
The South Plaza station is the better-used and visible spot. It is also the largest and will accommodate more bicycles than the other two stations.
High-rise
The Vancouver Public Library system now consists of 22 branches situated throughout the city. All branches are at least open Tuesday through Saturday. The Britannia, Carnegie, Central, Dunbar, Joe Fortes, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Oakridge, and Renfrew branches are also open on Sundays. The administration centre, and also the largest branch, known as the Central Branch, is located at Library Square in downtown Vancouver.
The largest non-Central branch in terms of volumes held, is the Kitsilano Branch, with 110,000 volumes. The Kitsilano branch is the regional reference library for the North Area division of the Libraries. The Renfrew Branch is listed as having the largest square footage, at 16,000 square feet.
about assisted suicide
. The cancellation came despite months of negotiation between Exit and library administration. The library stated that it had received a legal opinion stating the workshop as described could contravene Canada's Criminal Code, but would not make the opinion public. The workshop was held at Vancouver's Unitarian Church
. "Whatever the reasons of the library were, it's obviously not effecting the decision by the unitarian church," Dr Nitschke said. David Eby, executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association, which tried unsuccessfully to get the ban lifted, said "Usually, librarians are our closest allies in this free-speech debate."
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
system in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, with more than 2.5 million items in its collections, 22 branches, approximately 375,000 cardholders, and nearly nine million item borrowings annually. The administration centre, and also the largest branch, known as the Central Branch, is located at Library Square in downtown Vancouver (pictured).
History
In January 1869, the manager of the Hastings Mill, J.A. Raymur, started the New London Mechanics Institute, a meeting room and library for mill employees. In March 1869, it was renamed the Hastings Literary Institute, in honour of Rear Admiral the Honourable George Fowler Hastings. No official records of the Hastings Literary Institute have survived, but it is known that membership was by subscription. The Hastings Literary Institute continued to exist until the Granville area was incorporated as part of the new City of Vancouver on April 6, 1886.Following the Great Fire of Vancouver on June 13, 1886, 400 books from the now-defunct Hastings Literary Institute were donated to the newly-established Vancouver Reading Room. In December 1887, the Reading Room opened at 144 West Cordova Street, above the Thomas Dunn and Company hardware store. It was also known as the Vancouver Free Library and the Vancouver Free Reading Room and Library.
By the late 1890s, the Free Reading Room and Library in the YMCA Building on West Hastings had become overcrowded. During this period, the American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie was giving money to cities and towns to build libraries. In 1901, the City of Vancouver approached Carnegie about donating money for a new library to replace the space in the YMCA Building.
In 1901, American steel magnate, Andrew Carnegie agreed to donate $50,000 to build a city library if Vancouver would provide free land and $5,000 annually to support its operation. A fight immediately developed between East and West side Vancouver as to who would get the new cultural institution. A public plebiscite fixed the site at Hastings and Westminster (now Main) Streets, next door to the first City Hall. The cornerstone was laid by the Grand Lodge of the Masonic Order On March 29, 1902 and under it were placed Masonic documents, a copy of the City’s Act of Incorporation, lists of various officials and examples of the postage stamps and coins then in use. The building was designed by Vancouver architect George Grant and is in the style of Romanesque Renaissance, with a domed Ionic portico and French mansard roof. Granite for the foundation came from Indian Arm and sandstone for the 10" thick walls came from Gabriola Island. A fantastic marble, spiral staircase was built by Albion Iron Works of Victoria. It cost $2,279,000 and 9,888 pounds of steel and iron were used. A large multi-panel stained glass window with 3 smaller windows below was designed and crafted by N.T. Lyon of Toronto. Depicted in the windows are Milton, Shakespeare, Spencer, Burns, Scott and Moore. The 3 small windows were removed in 1958 when the library was converted into the museum. They were missing for many years but were located intact and returned to the building in 1985. Inside was hardwood panelled walls and ceilings and oak floors. The rooms were heated by eight fireplaces. There were special reading rooms for ladies and for children, a chess room, newspaper reading room, picture gallery, lecture hall, and on the third floor the Art, Historical and Scientific Association (now called the Vancouver Museum). The library opened in November 1903. This branch is now primarily used as a community centre for residents of the Downtown East Side neighbourhood.
The Vancouver Public Library continued to occupy the Hastings and Main site until the opening of the new central library at 750 Burrard Street in 1957. The move from the Carnegie site to the new location at 750 Burrard began in mid-October, 1957, and the official opening of the new library was held on November 1, 1957. The library remained at the Burrard building until April 22, 1995, when it closed in preparation for the move to a new location at Library Square (350 West Georgia Street). The central branch opened in Downtown Vancouver on May 26, 1995 and cost 106.8 million CAD
Canadian dollar
The Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
to build.
Central Branch and Library Square
Colosseum
The Colosseum, or the Coliseum, originally the Flavian Amphitheatre , is an elliptical amphitheatre in the centre of the city of Rome, Italy, the largest ever built in the Roman Empire...
) although in fact the resemblance is to the present rather than original state of the building.
The Library Square Project was the largest capital project ever undertaken by the City of Vancouver. The decision to build the project came after a favourable public referendum
Referendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
in November 1990. The City then held a design competition to choose a design for the new building. The design by Moshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie
Moshe Safdie, CC, FAIA is an architect, urban designer, educator, theorist, and author. Born in the city of Haifa, then Palestine and now Israel, he moved with his family to Montreal, Canada, when he was 15 years old.-Career:...
was by far the most radical design and yet was the public favourite. The inclusion of the 21 story office tower in the design was required in order to pay for it and as part of a deal with the federal government to obtain the land; the federal government has a long term lease on the high rise office tower portion of the project. Construction began in early 1993 and was completed in 1995.
In addition to its function as the central branch of the city's public library
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...
system, the one square block project also includes an attached office high-rise, retail shops, restaurants, and underground public parking. The Library building has a rooftop garden designed by Vancouver landscape architect Cornelia Oberlander
Cornelia Oberlander
Cornelia Hahn Oberlander, OC is a Canadian landscape architect based in Vancouver, British Columbia. During her career she has contributed to the designs of many high-profile buildings in both Canada and the United States, including the Robson Square and Law Courts Complex in Vancouver, the...
. The roof garden is not accessible to the public.
Location
The building is located in the eastern portion of the Vancouver Central Business District. The address of the library is 350 West Georgia Street, and the Federal office tower is addressed at 300 West Georgia Street. Levels 8 and 9 are leased to the Provincial government. Their address is 360 West Georgia Street.The Square is bordered by Robson Street
Robson Street
Robson Street is a major southeast-northwest thoroughfare in downtown and West End of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Its core commercial blocks from Burrard Street to Jervis are also known as Robsonstrasse. Its name honours John Robson, a major figure in British Columbia's entry into the...
, Homer Street, West Georgia Street, and Hamilton Street. Across West Georgia Street is Canada Post
Canada Post
Canada Post Corporation, known more simply as Canada Post , is the Canadian crown corporation which functions as the country's primary postal operator...
. Across Hamilton Street is the CBC Regional Broadcast Centre Vancouver
CBC Regional Broadcast Centre Vancouver
The CBC Regional Broadcast Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia, houses the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation's radio and television facilities in that city. It is the second largest CBC production facility in English Canada, and the third-largest overall, after Toronto's Canadian Broadcasting...
. Across Homer street is The Centre in Vancouver for the Performing Arts, (formerly The Ford Centre for the Performing Arts) also designed by Moshe Safdie as a complementary building to library square.
Bus and SkyTrain
There are many local bus routes that route past Library Square including the 5, 6, 8, 15, 17, and 20. (See the List of bus routes in Metro Vancouver)The three nearest SkyTrain
SkyTrain (Vancouver)
SkyTrain is a light rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. SkyTrain has of track and uses fully automated trains on grade-separated tracks, running mostly on elevated guideways, which helps SkyTrain to hold consistently high on-time reliability...
stations are Granville Station
Granville Station (TransLink)
Granville Station is an underground SkyTrain station in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, served by the Expo and Millennium Lines. The station is located in the Dunsmuir Tunnel located beneath Downtown Vancouver and opened in 1985....
, Vancouver City Centre Station
Vancouver City Centre Station
Vancouver City Centre Station is a SkyTrain station on the Canada Line in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.-Location:Vancouver City Centre Station is located on Granville Street, between West Georgia Street and Robson Street in Downtown Vancouver...
and Stadium–Chinatown Station and are each within a few blocks of Library Square.
Bicycle access
Library Square has three public use bike rack stations:- One on Hamilton by the Federal Office Tower (between Georgia and the Library's book drop)
- One on Georgia by the Library Square Public House (a street level restaurant/pub in the Federal Office Tower)
- One on the South Plaza (off Homer Street near Robson Street)
The South Plaza station is the better-used and visible spot. It is also the largest and will accommodate more bicycles than the other two stations.
Statistics
Library building (including retail, daycare, and parking)- 9 stories
- 37,000 square metres (398,000 square feet)
- the 1.3 million books, periodicals, and other reference materials are moved through the building by vertical and horizontal conveyors
- 51 km of cable are laid throughout the building, including a fibre opticOptical fiberAn optical fiber is a flexible, transparent fiber made of a pure glass not much wider than a human hair. It functions as a waveguide, or "light pipe", to transmit light between the two ends of the fiber. The field of applied science and engineering concerned with the design and application of...
backbone - seating capacitySeating capacitySeating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, both in terms of the physical space available, and in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that seats...
: 1200+ - 700+ parking stalls and many bicycle racks
- top 2 floors currently leased by the British ColumbiaBritish ColumbiaBritish Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
government until 2015 and scheduled for future library expansion - approximate cost: CADCanadian dollarThe Canadian dollar is the currency of Canada. As of 2007, the Canadian dollar is the 7th most traded currency in the world. It is abbreviated with the dollar sign $, or C$ to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies...
$107 million
High-rise
- currently occupied by the CanadianCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
government - approximate cost: CAD $50 million
Branches
In 1927 the first permanent branch was opened in Kitsilano (2375 West Fourth Avenue). Sixteen years later, in 1943, the second branch, Kerrisdale (Forty-second Avenue and West Boulevard), came into service. Other branches followed throughout the years, with the last branch, the Terry Salman Branch, opened in 2011.The Vancouver Public Library system now consists of 22 branches situated throughout the city. All branches are at least open Tuesday through Saturday. The Britannia, Carnegie, Central, Dunbar, Joe Fortes, Kitsilano, Mount Pleasant, Oakridge, and Renfrew branches are also open on Sundays. The administration centre, and also the largest branch, known as the Central Branch, is located at Library Square in downtown Vancouver.
The largest non-Central branch in terms of volumes held, is the Kitsilano Branch, with 110,000 volumes. The Kitsilano branch is the regional reference library for the North Area division of the Libraries. The Renfrew Branch is listed as having the largest square footage, at 16,000 square feet.
Branch Collections
Approximate number of volumes in each VPL BranchLibrary in the news
In September, 2009, the library cancelled a room booking made by the group Exit International to hold a workshop by Dr. Philip NitschkePhilip Nitschke
Dr. Philip Nitschke is an Australian medical doctor, humanist, author and founder and director of the pro-euthanasia group Exit International. He campaigned successfully to have a legal euthanasia law passed in Australia's Northern Territory and assisted four people in ending their lives before...
about assisted suicide
Assisted suicide
Assisted suicide is the common term for actions by which an individual helps another person voluntarily bring about his or her own death. "Assistance" may mean providing one with the means to end one's own life, but may extend to other actions. It differs to euthanasia where another person ends...
. The cancellation came despite months of negotiation between Exit and library administration. The library stated that it had received a legal opinion stating the workshop as described could contravene Canada's Criminal Code, but would not make the opinion public. The workshop was held at Vancouver's Unitarian Church
Unitarian Universalist Association
Unitarian Universalist Association , in full the Unitarian Universalist Association of Congregations in North America, is a liberal religious association of Unitarian Universalist congregations formed by the consolidation in 1961 of the American Unitarian Association and the Universalist Church of...
. "Whatever the reasons of the library were, it's obviously not effecting the decision by the unitarian church," Dr Nitschke said. David Eby, executive director of the BC Civil Liberties Association, which tried unsuccessfully to get the ban lifted, said "Usually, librarians are our closest allies in this free-speech debate."
In TV and film
- Scenes from The 6th DayThe 6th DayThe 6th Day is a 2000 American science fiction action thriller film directed by Roger Spottiswoode, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as family man Adam Gibson, who is cloned against his will in the future of 2015...
were filmed at the Central Branch, where it stood as the headquarters for the cloning company. - Scenes from the closing sequence of The Imaginarium of Doctor ParnassusThe Imaginarium of Doctor ParnassusThe Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus is a 2009 fantasy film directed by Terry Gilliam and written by Gilliam and Charles McKeown. The film follows a traveling theater troupe whose leader, having made a bet with the Devil, takes audience members through a magical mirror to explore their imaginations...
were filmed in the Central Branch entrance hall. - Scenes from the television series Battlestar GalacticaBattlestar GalacticaBattlestar Galactica is an American science fiction franchise created by Glen A. Larson. The franchise began with the Battlestar Galactica TV series in 1978, and was followed by a brief sequel TV series in 1980, a line of book adaptations, original novels, comic books, a board game, and video games...
and its spin-off CapricaCaprica (TV series)Caprica is a science fiction drama television series. It is a spin-off prequel of the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica, taking place about 58 years prior to the events of Battlestar Galactica. Caprica shows how humanity first created the robotic Cylons who would later plot to destroy humans in...
were filmed at the building. - A shootout scene in Ballistic: Ecks vs. SeverBallistic: Ecks vs. SeverBallistic: Ecks vs. Sever is a 2002 American action film starring Antonio Banderas and Lucy Liu. Liu and Banderas play opposing secret agents who are supposedly enemies, but team up during the movie. The film was universally panned by critics, who generally regarded it as having no redeeming...
was filmed inside and outside the building. - The museum scenes in Mr. MagooMr. Magoo (film)Mr. Magoo is a 1997 live-action comedy film based on the original cartoon of the same name. The film was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, and originally released to movie theaters in 1997. It starred Leslie Nielsen as the title character. It was produced by Ben Myron and was the first English...
were filmed in the Central Branch entrance hall. - The Fringe Division headquarters scenes in FringeFringe (TV series)Fringe is an American science fiction television series created by J. J. Abrams, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci. The series follows a Federal Bureau of Investigation "Fringe Division" team based in Boston, Massachusetts under the supervision of Homeland Security...
were filmed inside and outside of the building.
One Book, One Vancouver
One Book, One Vancouver is a city-wide book club sponsored by the Vancouver Public Library. Titles are selected by the library staff, who vote for one of four titles presented by the One Book, One Vancouver Organizing Committee.- 2002: The Jade PeonyThe Jade PeonyThe Jade Peony is a novel by Wayson Choy. It was first published in 1995 by Douglas and McIntyre.The novel features stories told by three siblings, Jook-Liang, Jung-Sum and Sek-Lung or Sekky...
- Wayson ChoyWayson ChoyWayson Choy, CM is a Canadian writer.-Early life:Choy was born in Vancouver in 1939. A Chinese Canadian, he spent his childhood in the city's Chinatown... - 2003: Stanley ParkStanley Park (novel)Stanley Park is a novel by Canadian writer Timothy Taylor, published in 2001.-Overview:Jeremy Papier is a Vancouver chef and restaurateur who owns a bistro called The Monkey's Paw. The novel uses a "Bloods vs...
- Timothy TaylorTimothy Taylor (writer)Timothy Taylor is a Canadian novelist and short story writer. The Blue Light Project, his most recent novel, was published in 2011.... - 2004: The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power - Joel BakanJoel BakanJoel Conrad Bakan is a Canadian writer and Associate Professor at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Law.Born in Lansing, Michigan and raised for most of his childhood in East Lansing, Michigan where his parents, Paul and Rita Bakan, were both long-time professors in psychology at...
- 2005: ObasanObasanObasan is a novel by the Japanese-Canadian author Joy Kogawa. First published by Lester and Orpen Dennys in 1981, it chronicles Canada's internment and persecution of its citizens of Japanese descent during World War II from the perspective of a young child...
- Joy KogawaJoy KogawaJoy Nozomi Kogawa, CM, OBC is a Canadian poet and novelist of Japanese descent.-Life:Born Joy Nozomi Nakayama in Vancouver, British Columbia, she was sent with her family to the internment camp for Japanese Canadians at Slocan during World War II... - 2006: There is a Season: A Memoir in a Garden - Patrick LanePatrick LanePatrick Lane is an award-winning Canadian poet. He has written in several other genres, including essays, short stories, and is the author of the novel Red Dog, Red Dog.-Biography:...
- 2007: My Year of MeatsMy Year of MeatsMy Year of Meats by Ruth L. Ozeki was written as somewhat of a documentary. The book takes advantage of the differences between Japanese and American culture to comment on both.- Overview :...
- Ruth OzekiRuth OzekiRuth Ozeki is a Canadian-American novelist, filmmaker and Zen Buddhist priest. She worked in commercial television and media production for over a decade and made several independent films before turning to writing fiction.-Life:... - 2008: The Five Books of Moses Lapinsky - Karen X. TulchinskyKaren X. TulchinskyKaren X. Tulchinsky is a Canadian novelist, short story writer, anthologist and screenwriter from Vancouver, British Columbia. She is openly lesbian.- Literary/ Film Television Career :...
- 2009: The Crazy Canucks: Canada's Legendary Ski Team - Janet Love Morrison
- 2009: The Farm Team - Linda Bailey
- 2010: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas AdamsDouglas AdamsDouglas Noel Adams was an English writer and dramatist. He is best known as the author of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which started life in 1978 as a BBC radio comedy before developing into a "trilogy" of five books that sold over 15 million copies in his lifetime, a television...