6 Reasons to Visit Vancouver’s Central Library

With a design that evokes the Roman Colosseum, Vancouver’s Central Library is worth a visit for the architecture, the gardens, the art, and of course the books.

Unique Architecture

Vancouver’s Central Library occupies a full city block in downtown Vancouver. The library opened in 2015 and includes about 1.4 million books. Architect Moshe Safdie designed the building to evoke the Roman Colosseum.

The core of the building is a rectangular core that houses the main library collection. On the south side, a glass-roofed atrium provides indoor public space and access to shops. On the north side, catwalks lead across to reading and study areas arranged against the outside windows. Be sure to wander around the interior and exterior of the building to admire it from all angles.

Rooftop Gardens

Head up to the eighth and ninth floors of the Central Library to enjoy the rooftop gardens and experience serenity in the heart of downtown. The gardens have the same opening hours as the library and are free to visit.

The Phillips, Hager and North Garden on the ninth floor features local, drought-resistant plants and benches that invite you to stay awhile. The eighth floor has terraces on the north and south sides of the building with tables and chairs so you can enjoy a snack. All of the rooftop areas have great views of the surrounding cityscape.

Events and Art Exhibits

The library hosts a variety of events including author readings, book clubs, ESL conversation clubs, concerts, and storytime readings for kids. There’s an event almost every day of the year. Check the events calendar to see what’s coming up.

You can also find art throughout the Central Library. The exhibition space on the eighth floor hosts rotating art installations. There are also public art works including sculptures, mosaics, and 55 pieces of local art from the Canada Council Art Bank.

Inspiration Lab

On the third floor of the Central Library, you will find the Inspiration Lab, a digital media lab that is totally free to use. It includes recording studios for audio and video, computer workstations for editing images, audio, and video, and digitization stations to convert photos, audio cassettes, and video tapes into digital formals. They also offer online learning guides to help you use the equipment as well as classes and programs. You can book space at the recording studios and digitization and creation stations in advance.

A Quiet Place to Relax

The Central Library is full of quiet nooks and crannies to curl up with a book and relax. Cross the catwalks above the atrium and grab a seat at one of the tables against the north side windows. Head to the RBC Lounge on level 8 to chill out with a snack – it’s the only indoor area of the library that allows food. Or book one of the private study rooms on levels 4, 5 and 6.

Explore the Collection

With over 1.4 million volumes, there is so much to explore at the Central Library. They have books in over a dozen languages including English, French, Arabic, Chinese, and Persian. They also have magazines, journals, newspapers, music, and films. Additionally, the Central Library has unique offerings like board games and musical instruments. Their special collections include Indigenous works and a heritage collection about BC and the Northwest Coast.

The entire collection is open to everyone. If you are a BC resident, you can get a free library card. If you are visiting BC you are welcome to visit the library and read on-site or get a free Internet Access Card. If you want to borrow books, you can purchase a 90-day visitor card for $30.