Burnaby Public Library facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Burnaby Public Library |
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| Established | 1954 |
| Branches | 4 |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | books, e-books, music, cds, periodicals, maps, genealogical archives, business directories, local history, |
| Access and use | |
| Circulation | 3,010,470[1] |
| Population served | 232,755 |
| Other information | |
| Budget | CA $14,188,200 |
| Director | Beth Davies (Chief Librarian), Lorraine Shore (Library Board Chair) |
| Staff | 120.59 (FTE) |
| Website | bpl.bc.ca |
The Burnaby Public Library (often called BPL) is a public library system. It helps people in Burnaby, British Columbia, and nearby areas. BPL wants to help the community share stories, ideas, and information. You can find books, movies, magazines, and more there. They have four library buildings and offer many online services too.
What Can You Do at BPL?
BPL offers many services and programs for everyone in the community. Here are some of the things you can do:
- Get help finding information and answers to questions.
- Access online articles and research materials.
- Find out about local community events.
- Use free internet and computers.
- Get suggestions for new books you might enjoy.
- Listen to story times for babies, toddlers, and young children.
- Join fun programs for kids, teens, adults, and seniors.
- Find help for newcomers to Canada, including English language support.
- Have books delivered to your home if you can't visit the library.
- Borrow books from other libraries.
- Download free audiobooks to listen to.
- Enjoy movie nights at the library.
- See the "Book bike," a mobile library that brings books to different places.
- Join "Philosophers' Cafe" discussions, in partnership with Simon Fraser University.
How the Library Started
Burnaby's first library began in 1927. It was called the North Burnaby Library Association. Members paid a small fee to borrow from 397 books. The very first library building opened in 1935 on East Hastings Street.
In 1954, a special local law (called a bylaw) was passed. This law officially created the Burnaby Public Library. In 1957, it joined with the North Burnaby Library Association. BPL's first permanent library building, the McGill Branch, was built in 1961. It was named after Grace McGill, who volunteered with the North Burnaby Library Association from the very beginning.
More branches opened over the years:
- The Kingsway branch started in 1962.
- The Central Park branch opened in 1974.
- The Cameron branch opened in 1980.
In 1991, the Central Park branch was replaced. The new one became the Bob Prittie Metrotown branch. This is BPL's main library today. It is named after Robert "Bob" Prittie. He was a teacher, a Member of Parliament, a city council member, a mayor, and a library board member in Burnaby.
The current McGill branch building was finished in 2001. It is much larger than the first one.
In 2009, the Kingsway branch closed. It was replaced by the Tommy Douglas branch. This branch is named after Tommy Douglas. He was a famous Canadian politician. He served as a Member of Parliament for the Burnaby area from 1962 to 1968.
Library Locations
The Burnaby Public Library has four branches:
- Bob Prittie Metrotown - 49°13′41.2″N 123°0′23.1″W / 49.228111°N 123.006417°W: This is the biggest branch. It has many items and is the main research library. You can find local history, legal information, and car repair manuals here. It also has many public computers.
- McGill - 49°16′57.2″N 123°0′1.9″W / 49.282556°N 123.000528°W: This branch has many items and public computers. The City of Burnaby Archives is next to this branch. The Archives keep official records of Burnaby dating back to 1892.
- Tommy Douglas - 49°13′08″N 122°57′08″W / 49.218961°N 122.952336°W: This branch opened in 2009. It replaced the old Kingsway branch. It has many public computers, including some just for kids. This branch is also home to Bibliotech. Bibliotech is a creative technology lab. You can borrow digital cameras and camcorders there. You can also use computers with special software like Photoshop and iMovie to create digital projects.
- Cameron - 49°15′13.5″N 122°53′54.3″W / 49.253750°N 122.898417°W: This branch was updated in 2016. It has many books and offers public internet and computer access.
