Vancouver World City of Literature - The Association of Book ...

libraries
With 22 branches of the Vancouver Public Library to choose from, Vancouver’s population
is never far from free access to books and other reading materials. Funded by the City of
Vancouver, the VPL is the third-largest public library system in Canada, with over 373,000
cardholders. The central branch (Library Square) opened in downtown Vancouver in 1995
and cost 106.8 million dollars to build (the largest capital project ever undertaken by the
City of Vancouver). It currently holds over 2.6 million items 11 .
The central branch
of the Vancouver
Public Library at
Library Square in
downtown Vancouver.
Architect:
Moshe Safdie.
The VPL was designed by internationally renowned architect Moshe Safdie. From the
outside, it bears a resemblance to a Roman coliseum. From the inside, a glass ceiling frames
seven stories of beautifully designed book stacks and reading and study areas. The library
is surrounded by public spaces busy with pedestrians and often literary or cultural events.
Also accessible to the public are the number of important academic libraries located on
university and college campuses through the city. These include the Emily Carr Art +
Design + Media Library. Library users can find a wealth of research materials here on
contemporary art, media and design, including print and electronic resources; slides
and digital images; films, videos, and DVDs; sound effects; and archived collections.
chapter three: the literary city
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