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Vancouver Public Library
Rating Details »
Neighbourhood: Downtown
350 Georgia St W
Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1
(604) 331-3600
350 Georgia St W
Vancouver, BC V6B 6B1
(604) 331-3600
19 reviews for Vancouver Public Library
I'm a library lover and VPL saves me from buying books that I really don't need to buy. For some reason, I recently decided I must learn PHP and visited VPL for helpful guides (thank god I didn't spend money on them).
The library also offers interlibrary loan service with the Family History Library so genealogy micofilms can be loaned for a small fee.
I should note that I arrived just before the VPL opened one day and was shocked by how many people were lined up to enter (like 50 or so). When the doors opened people rushed in. I was like WTF? Then, I realized people were rushing for access to free internet and prime seat locations.
Avoid and the rush by taking your laptop and tapping into the free wi-fi.
* Relief! *
Ok, I'm going to complain about the weather. It is HOOOOTTTTTT!!!! Yes, I know 33 degrees (about 91 F) doesn't sound hot to someone in Texas. But for us heat wimps in Vancouver where there is a very VERY limited supply of AC it is damn hot!
The library is a welcome respite from the heat:
- Numerous private desks and meeting rooms
- Free Wifi
- Cafe and snack food
- Nice architecture
And most importantly today: IT IS AIR CONDITIONED!
So here are a cool 5 stars to thank you for cooling me down while I could sit at a nice desk, and handle my work.
Aaaahhhhhhhhhh..........
Love the building I voted for it along with an architect friend, we discussed the chances, slim to none we thought, you can't imagine our surprise when they announced it would be built, the alternatives were two boxes one tall one short.
What an amazing library. First of all it's a block long and HUGE.
Glass roofs, walls, windows, and stone are incorporated everywhere to the point where it looks more like a mall then a library.
In the main entrance are little coffee/pizza/newspaper mag. shops that you can buy little knick knacks before entering the library to surf the internet for free.
I went here to get some good locations (and to yelp!) since my hotel was right next to it.
The staff is super nice and willing to help you read or find whatever the library offers.
Ten out of ten for architectual beauty.
Ten out of ten for books and resources.
Ten out of ten for location.
Six out of ten for quiet, especially around Internet computers.
Eight out of ten for availability and accessibilty of computers
Seven out of ten for staff (they're kind of thin-skinned about accepting criticism.)
Hey, it's way better than nothing!
Take away the crazies loudly whispering their conspiracy theories on Big Brother and how they are controlling the colour of grass *take deep breath ... now close your eyes*, and you'll be left with the serene, magnificent building of what is the Vancouver Public Library.
It's a treat to visit the branch on a cloudy and drown in a novel alongside a pot of steeped tea from Blenz.
The Central Branch is not only the most attractive library in the lower mainland but the building itself is also an architectural sensation and the list of 5-star ratings prove it. Their use of daylighting techniques enable natural light to illuminate the vast space of the building, giving me a sophisticated version of the fuzzy feeling.
If you prefer to watch rather than read your Nancy Drew's, at least drop by for a glance and experience one of Vancouver's architectural landmarks.
Pros:
Pretty sweet looking architecture
Good place to take pictures
Haven't actually gone inside, but it looks Huge
Cons:
None
This library takes up an entire block of Robson/Georgia. Styled after the Colliseum, it's quite an impressive building. It seems that I always pass someone taking a picture of it. The initial entrance opens to a corridor of food and gift shops. Once inside the library, you start out on level 2. This is the main floor where you'll find: checkouts, reserves, and fiction. Children and young adult sections are below on Level 1. Otherwise, I always have to use the large sign up front to remember what floor to find Arts and what floor to find Technology books. You can take the escalators to each floor, or for a more direct route- take the elevator.
This library always has a lot of people, but it's so big that there's always
an open computer or an empty reading chair. The signs in the elevator say that you can get one hour of free parking on Sundays. I've never taken advantage of that, but I believe that you turn into the library garage via Hamilton St. Also along Hamilton, is the after-hours book drop, which is a convenient way to avoid the 30 cent daily fines for a late book.
For many reasons, the Central Branch is my favorite of the Vancouver public libraries.
It's the best spot to head with your laptop: unlike most smaller VPL branches you'll actually find power plugs. There are even spots where you can get the finicky Wi-Fi and be plugged in at the same time! But not even Yelp will pry those secrets from me.
The nearby amenities mean there's no need to pack a lunch: grab sushi from one of many spots, coffee from Blenz or Gutenberg's, even fresh flowers. Although I don't recommend eating the flowers for lunch. Just so we're clear.
Most of all I love the arts community's use of the library. I really enjoyed watching the aerial performers of Aeriosa Dance flip along the outside of the library. Or, Aussie actors stage a fascinating piece called Small Metal Objects within the unknowing library crowd. Both shows were top-notch and have me focused on the library as a truly unique venue to see future shows.
This is not only a public library nor a hangout place to get a cup of Blenz hot chocolate, but an architecture marvel. This is the main branch and spans a full city block, bordering Homer, Hamilton, Robson and Georgia Streets.
It was remodeled several years ago. From the street level it looks like the Roman Colisiem and from an aerial view it looks like a Cinnabon. Once you step inside, you're in an enclosed area with a glass ceiling. To the right is a Blenz and some places to eat. To the left is the library with its ceiling to floor windows which enable you to view the massive book collection and all the people studying inside.
I have yet to step foot in the library...I was just overwhelmed with the arches and glass ceiling that I left not checking out the inside!
This branch is hard to compete with for any other library in the VPL system. Inside and out, it is a fabulous location.
In addition to the incredible selection of books, magazines, and international newspapers, there are so many great places to sit and loads of window seats! They have a great lounge near the newspapers to settle in and catch up on news from all over the world. They also host events and have all sorts of speakers in.
Even if you just want to gawk at it from the outside, I would encourage every visitor to Vancouver to check out this building.
This library is any book lover's dream!
It is like nothing I have ever seen in the states! As the previous Yelper mentioned, it does look like a Roman Colosseum from the outside! Truly a gem located in Vancouver!
I really heart his library. It looks like the Coliseum from Rome! I mean, any library that looks like an ancient Roman structure really should get some respect!
This is a great place to go to, not only if you want to check out some books in the library, but also if you want a good place to study. They have internet and tons of places to plant yourself to study/read.
The librarians are super knowledgeable and helpful. They can help you track down just about anything you could be searching for. They even teach you how to use those fancy machines that you only see people in the movies using!
This is not necessarily the library to come to if you want some peaceful, quiet study time, but it does have an amazing collection of resources for doing research - from the archival photographs and microfiche (historical) to current magazines and journals, and of course, books! The librarians are all very helpful and they've helped me with every kind of research query.
Having a library card allows you access to all kinds of electronic resources(which can be accessed from home via the website), as well as an hour of free Internet time per day - very handy for when I'm downtown and need to check e-mail or get a little work done between appointments. I can usually find a free computer (marked with a yellow sign) by going up a few floors rather than waiting in line on the ground floor.
Another cool thing about the library is the wealth of events they put on. I also make sure to attend the twice-yearly book sales, when loads of books and videos and DVDs are on sale for anywhere from a few cents to a couple dollars apiece.
In this day and age, even academic types lack the fidelity they once held for libraries. Throughout my student days, the smell of musty old books comforted me during sad and stressful times. It was my second home and reference books were my blanket.
So enamored was I with this place that I wrote a paper on Moshe Safie. Now... well, now that my then vague understanding of the Dewey Decimal System has diminished even further, the Vancouver Public Library still stands, its Coliseum-like walls reaching out... ready to embrace those eager to learn.
This place is in so many movies I've saw especially Battlestar galactica. Just watch out of their striking because they get NASTY.
If you've never visited the Roman Colisseum, here's your chance. Sort of. The architecture alone, designed by architecture maverick Moshe Safdie, should make you want to stop in here, but in case you need another hook, there are plenty of other great resources here. If you need any print or electronic media sources, this library is likely to have it. They have a very modern and up to date collection of periodicals, journals and magazines alike, as well as plenty of DVDs and other electronic sources. You can also stop in and get an hour of free internet time, hurray for the modern day library - even wrapped up in architecture that mimics old school!
You know by now I'm a food fiend. I love it when a business mixes food into their gameplan. That's why I totally appreciate the Vancouver Library. It's a comfortable place to read or do some work. There are a ton of computers to go online with. They have a great system that makes it so there is always a computer available. It's convenient if you're downtown and you need to find a computer to do some work on.
But the best part of all is the café row. It's situated in an open atrium style lobby. The architecture is similar to a Roman Coliseum. They have a pizza place, a coffee shop a donut spot, burgers. Man! What are they trying to do to me? They should know how easily influenced I am. What's best about this place is the tranquil silence that engulfs the entire place. It's like a monastery bathed in sunshine. I can't believe how peaceful it can be with so many people walking in and out all the time. Take a moment to enjoy the beauty that is one of the more stoic buildings in Vancouver.
This is an awesome library. It's very nice-looking from the outside, with columns soaring to the top. There are eateries in an atrium, where you can see the facade of the library facing the atrium. The fourth floor is great for job-hunting. The one problem is that it's difficult to get a computer with Internet access. You may have to wait. The library also offers access to a wealth of databases at home using your library card.
