My Burnaby Library Project

At the last Lower Mainland BookCrossing Meetup, I heard about The VPL Branch Project. (Thanks, Richard.)

Megan, a Vancouver high school student, is visiting all 22 of Vancouver's Public Library branches and publishing her review of each. She's biking her way around to the libraries, accompanied by Horatio, the sock monkey.

Megan says she's usually only been using one Vancouver library branch and she started her project to find out what each of the other branches offers. She's interested in environmental issues, and reads all kinds of novels. Sounds as if her curiosity and drive will take her even further soon.

What a cool idea, I thought; I could easily do that in Burnaby where I live. And since I've often been critical of Burnaby libraries, perhaps I'll find some nice surprises nowadays close to home.

Here in the Burnaby Public Library system, there are only 4 public library branches, McGill, in North Burnaby where we used to live, Cameron, near Lougheed Mall, now the closest library, then there's the new Tommy Douglas library on Kingsway which has replaced the Kingsway library across the street which I was at one time quite familiar with, and the Bob Prittie Metrotown library.

To tell you the truth, I rarely use any of them unless I need to check a reference 'right now, today'. I do use Simon Fraser University's library in Burnaby, and the great genealogy collections at the Cloverdale Branch of the Surrey Public Library. And I now visit the Central Branch of the Vancouver Public Library more than I used to (although I often find it a frustrating experience). So I'll be interested to see what I find so much closer to home.

Of course, I'll be walking or taking public transit on my trips and, since I don't want to go alone, I'll be accompanied by Whisky, one of the book cats. (His nickname is ub.)

Whisky, at home, with some of his favourite books, 2011, private collection.

I did a little preliminary research - read the 2010 BPL Library report and had another look at the updated BPL website, for instance. (I won't be comparing Burnaby's libraries to Vancouver's much, but I might well compare their websites.)

I've already made one visit to a Burnaby library which I'll be posting about here tomorrow.