Vancouver Public Libraries: Part 3

This is now my fourth library blog post and I’m starting to lose track of how many I’ve been to and which is which. 

Kitsilano Branch

I actually had a different library planned for this day, but when I got a job interview in the area (okay, not in the area, but a fifteen-minute transit away versus the hour it would have been from the library I had planned), I ended up here. I actually had errands to run after the interview that put me closer to other branches, but alas, this was the only one open on Mondays. 

Address: 2425 Macdonald Street

Accessibility: It’s Kits so it’s far, but the 99 and many other buses are accessible. 

Hours: The hours are 9:30 am-8 pm Mondays to Thursdays, 9:30 am-6 pm Fridays, and 9:30 am-5 pm Saturdays and Sundays.

Location and outdoors: Not a lot of outdoor space, but the building is nice and just off of West Broadway.  

Space inside: A few tables, lounge space, and a kids area. 

Meeting rooms: A large room you can book for community purposes. 

Facilities: Individual bathroom stalls, a fountain (sigh, no water bottle filling station), phone charging stations, and the usual printing. If you didn’t read parts one and two, it’s 8.5”x11” and 8.5”x14” is $0.20 for single-sided black and white, $0.30 for double-sided black and white, $0.75 for single-sided colour, and $1.00 for double-sided colour. 11”x17” is $0.40 for single-sided black and white, $0.60 for double-sided black and white, $1.50 for single-sided colour, and $2.00 for double-sided colour. 

Events: Lots of kids events. 

Dunbar Branch

This is one of the branches I was closeish to on Monday, but they’re closed on Mondays, which is apparently a thing. 

Address: 4515 Dunbar Street

Accessibility: It wasn’t too bad to get to, but it also wasn’t great. I had to take two buses, one of which isn’t very frequent, so lining them up was fun. 

Hours: The hours are: Closed on Mondays, 9:30 am-7 pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:30 am-6 pm Thursdays and Fridays, and 9:30 am-5 pm Saturdays and Sundays. 

Location and outdoors: Not a lot of outdoor space but a cute building near shops. 

Space inside: I was actually pretty surprised by how many tables were in this location. There isn’t really any lounge space, though. There are only a couple of computers to use. Both teen and kids sections. 

Meeting rooms: No meeting rooms.

Facilities: Two individual stall bathrooms. The regular printing and photocopying. What do you think I’m going to yell about? That’s right, not only are there no water bottle filling stations, but there isn’t even a water fountain. 

Events: Lots of kids and family events. 

Fraserview Branch

Well, this branch will sadly be seared in my brain forever as the library where an old man didn’t lock the bathroom door, so it said vacant, and I opened it to reveal way too much. So yup. It was already low on my list of favourite libraries, but now it’s at the bottom. 

Address: 1950 Argyle Drive

Accessibility: It’s pretty far for me, but easy enough since it was just the train to Commercial and then a bus. 

Hours: The hours are: Closed on Mondays, 9:30 am-7 pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:30 am-6 pm Thursdays and Fridays, and 9:30 am-5 pm Saturdays and Sundays. 

Location and outdoors: No outdoor space at all. I went outside to take a call and had to sit on a rock. 

Space inside: It’s a really small library, but there are some tables, computers, and lounge space, as well as kids' and teen areas. 

Meeting rooms: There is a meeting room you can book for community purposes. 

Facilities: Individual stall bathrooms (that have scarred me forever). There is a water fountain in the bathroom. Regular printing. 

Events: There’s actually a kids' Lego event happening while I’m at the library. Lots of other kids' events. 

Mount Pleasant Branch

I’ve passed by this branch so many times in cars and buses, but I’ve never gone in. I was only here for two hours because I had a job interview mid-day, fairly close, and then another job interview later in the afternoon in Burnaby, so I ended up back at the Burnaby Library afterwards for ease. 

Address: 1 Kingsway

Accessibility: It only took me one bus to get there, which is basically a record for ease for any Vancouver library other than the Central branch. 

Hours:  The hours are 9:30 am-8 pm Mondays to Fridays and 9:30 am-5 pm Saturdays and Sundays.

Location and outdoors: There isn’t really any outdoor space, but it’s a nice building. The library is located in Mount Pleasant Community Centre. 

Space inside: Probably one of the nicest VPL branches I’ve been to. Tables, computers, big kids area. 

Meeting rooms: There is a meeting room you can book for community purposes. 

Facilities: There are no bathrooms in the library itself, but there are bathrooms and locker rooms right outside in the community centre. There’s also a water bottle filling station, so obviously I was thrilled. The normal printing. Also, phone charging stations. 

Events: Lots of kids' events. There was definitely a baby storytelling event while I was there.