Fraser Valley Regional Library
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| Established | 1930 |
|---|---|
| Branches | 25 |
| Collection | |
| Items collected | Books, CDs, DVDs, Online Resources |
| Size | 1,318,502 |
| Access and use | |
| Population served | 700,000 |
| Members | 360,620 |
| Website | www.fvrl.ca |
Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL) is the largest public library system in British Columbia, Canada, with 25 community libraries serving 700,000 people in its service area. Established in 1930, it is funded with taxes raised in the community it serves, plus a Government of British Columbia operating grant. The governing board consists of elected officials representing 15 member municipalities and regional districts.
Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL), established in 1930 in the Fraser Valley area of British Columbia (BC), was the first system of its kind in North America.
The idea of bringing the library to the rural population in BC began in 1927. The Provincial Public Library Commission organized a province-wide survey of library services in BC. The key finding from the survey was that large administrative library districts based on cooperation, and resource sharing between municipalities and school districts should be created to serve BC’s rural communities who could not afford to provide a library service on their own. Based on this recommendation, the Commission sought funding to carry out an initial trial project.
It began serving residents in the early 1930s with the introduction of the Fraser Valley Book Van. The Book Van was the public library to the rural residents from Ladner to Hope. This travelling library, which displayed books along its outside shelves, travelled through the valley to small towns and villages stopping at grocery stores, schoolhouses and gas stations. Each stop meant that the book collection would transform as books were borrowed and returned. The Book Van system operated in conjunction with local libraries in located in the larger towns throughout the valley.
The Carnegie Corporation of New York awarded a grant of $100,000 to establish and maintain a rural library project for five years. After considering various regions of the province, the Commission selected the Fraser Valley as the site of BC’s book experiment.
The Commission knew that it would require a dedicated effort to carryout the demonstration project. The library’s first director Dr. Helen Gordon Stewart successfully met this challenge. With enormous energy, Stewart went about organizing the district, selecting books, hiring staff and purchasing a truck suitable for use as a book van. She personally visited councils and public meetings, convincing residents and politicians of the value of cooperation and resource sharing that would lead to a viable library system.
Covering an area of approximately 2,600 square kilometres, and containing 24 separate governing bodies, the Fraser Valley Book Van made its first public appearance in July 1930. Administrative headquarters for the project was located in New Westminster while Chilliwack served as the main distribution centre. The number of borrowers quickly soared, and six other libraries opened soon after.
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