vancouver public library is a wealth of information and resources for the community, housed in a…read morestriking building designed to resemble a modern day coliseum. the library provides accessible services to help ensure everyone can use the space comfortably, along with social services and community support resources. it also regularly features events such as talks, workshops, and activities for different age groups. the architecture is organized across several levels. the lower level is currently under construction. level 2 contains the main entrance, information desk, children's collection, library card services, and borrowing services. level 3 focuses on digital creativity, featuring the inspiration lab. this space provides free access to soundproof recording studios, including three sound booths for small groups and the larger terry mcbride recording studio for video and photography. to use these, you can book a session online up to two weeks in advance with your library card, allowing for a maximum of three hours per day. level 4 has collections related to business, cookbooks, esl, and fashion. level 5 is a quiet floor with newspapers and magazines available. level 6 holds dvds, music cds, and spoken word materials. level 7 includes special collections and human resources. level 8 features meeting rooms, a reading room, an eating area, temporary exhibit space, the family theatre, and several outdoor patios for fresh air while you work. level 9 includes additional meeting rooms and a very nice rooftop garden that serves as a great escape with a panoramic view of the city skyline. this green space is even equipped with solar panels that help power the ninth floor. beyond books, the library hosts a musical instrument lending library. you can borrow a variety of instruments free of charge for up to three weeks, including acoustic and electric guitars, violins, ukuleles, and keyboards. to borrow one, simply check the library catalogue to see if it is available and visit the service desk at the central library. inside the building, there are also several convenient services and businesses, including a td machine, blenz coffee, a convenience store, gift store, dental clinic, bike shop, and onigiri ya. together, these resources make the library a welcoming and useful place to study, learn, and spend time.

If I lived here, I'd go to the library at least twice a week (unlike now, where I only check out…read moreebooks online, and go in once every two years when they make me verify my residency). What an incredible resource for the citizens of Vancouver! We had a long layover so we explored every single floor of this library. There were so many computer stations if you needed to do work online, but also so many little nooks with comfy seating to settle down in with a good book. The rooftop had an incredible view of downtown Vancouver, and the atrium was nice and warm. There was currently an "electronic concert" going on where there were chairs set up so people could listen to recordings played over the speakers in the atrium. I thought it was a really neat way to get the community together to listen, discuss, and engage with one another.

Quiet place to work or study. Plenty of space to do so (pictured). Open to everyone. Hours are ok…read more- it closes at 5pm. You can stay after hours if you are a member of the Law Society of BC. If you need to do some basic legal research, the front desk folks are very helpful. Free access to the legal search engine, Westlaw (law firms normally pay thousands of dollars to have this). Most importantly, FREE WIRELESS!!!!! FREE WIRELESS!!! FREE WIRELESS!!!!

Cool, quiet, well staffed, lots of computers, copying,free wifi, and even some books for kids…read morewhile they wait! Greatly used and needed in the busy and crowded downtown core.

Nice compact library with 3 floors. There is a cafe downstairs. A recording room on the 3rd floor…read morefor podcasters? The kid area is spacious with tables and different bags you can borrow for different themes of interest. There is a water fountain outside the library and within walking distance to Lonsdale. Easy street parking around the neighborhood. I didn't have to pay for garage parking.

Why as a City service are your hours closing early on a weekday of work and school on a Friday at…read more5-O-CLOCK!?

* Need a comfortable seat and free Wifi? This is your spot. *…read more Ok, so after a long day of hiking and exploring I just needed to check Yelp and see what everyone was recommending before grabbing dinner. Free Wifi at the library to the rescue! This is a cute little library in what used to be the "Old General Store" of Bowen Island. It makes for a great quick resting spot with free wifi!

Small, well kept, and clean Quiet and comfortable…read more Leech off free wifi Albeit small, they have an impressive selection of new and classic books. All in good condition. There's an intimate reading lounge on the side and on the other end there's a kids area. The kids' area is cute, very nice spot to read to kids while you wait for the ferry. Rly appreciative of this small community library.

This is more of a resource and a reference center than it is an actual library. I came here to…read moreassist a friend of mine during the first semester on a project. The books are well organized and the staff are more than helpful.

Great place, clean, quiet, handy, easy to find and plenty of free parking. My husband likes books…read moreand love to go spend a couple of hours there. Lots of windows, overseeing the park

Great resources, clean library and helpful staffs…read more Large library so there is a lot of study space and it is (usually) very quiet in terms of noise. Free fast wi-fi and they also have many computer terminals you can use if you don't have a laptop or tablet. My favorite thing about the library is that is is centrally located in North Burnaby next to a swimming pool/fitness centre, a running track and lots of food. Makes for a great study session and efficient day! Librarians are friendly and will help you find whatever you are looking for. If they don't have a book on the shelves you can always request from another library and they ship the book for you. Lots of free parking as well :)

A very clean, quiet library beside the fire station. The computers and printers are easy to use…read more I have had my library card since 2008 and it still works well. The staff are friendly and helpful. Inside the library there are enough tables and chairs and of course books. A very happy, spacious place.

All of my friends know that I spend a lot of time reading books. I can plow through a book in a…read moreday, so this is where the library comes in handy. The Firehall Branch is the closest one to me, so I end up going there the most. The Firehall Branch is on the second floor on W 10th Ave between Granville and Hemlock Street. It's a short walk from the 99 B-Line stop at Granville Street. The library itself is pretty small. They have a decent selection of children's literature, fiction, magazines and dvds. They also have computers available that you can pay to use. The best strategy with this library is to put books on hold online, then request them for pickup at the Firehall Branch. I find it can take up to 4 days for a book to be transferred from a different branch, but you receive an email as soon as the book is ready for pick up. The books you put on hold are alphabetically organized on the shelves to the right of the check out counter. There are two express check out stations, as well as two librarians available to check out books for you, which makes things really efficient. The hours of the branch are a bit lackluster compared to other locations. It's open on Tuesday and Wednesday from 11 AM to 8 PM, and Thursday to Saturday from 10 AM to 6 PM. It makes it easy enough to pick up books after work, but I wish this branch was open on Sundays as well. Also, I find the librarians aren't as friendly as you'd expect. I donated a huge bag full of plastic bags since they had a sign up asking for some, and the librarian seemed annoyed. If you're looking for super cheap paperbacks and books, this branch sells books for as low as 50 cents each. It's a great deal if you want a new book to read and don't mind its condition. I give this branch 4 stars because I've had no problems getting in any book I've desired in a reasonable time frame. For a small branch, it's in a great, convenient location. If you want a new book to read, save yourself some cash and borrow it from the library!