CENTRAL BRANCH
Limited service hours. | ||
Reopening FAQs. | ||
Monday | 11:00 am | 6:00 pm |
Tuesday | 11:00 am | 7:00 pm |
Wednesday | 11:00 am | 6:00 pm |
Thursday | 11:00 am | 7:00 pm |
Friday | 11:00 am | 6:00 pm |
Saturday | 11:00 am | 6:00 pm |
Sunday | Closed | — |
Return items everyday, any time except for statutory holidays. |
Central Branch, 735 Broughton St, Victoria BC V8W 3H2
Walk through the library courtyard and through the doors of the Central Branch, and you’re greeted by a quote to set the tone for your visit to the library:
“I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library.” ― Jorge Luis Borges
The quote suits us because we aim to make Central a welcoming space for everyone, a place of activity and discovery that accommodates different learning styles and needs. We have quiet corners for reading or researching on the Internet; lively areas for kids and families to learn, grow and play; and study rooms for groups to collaborate and uncover great ideas.
Located in the heart of downtown Victoria, the Central Branch is the largest of the GVPL system’s branches. GVPL’s main resource centre, the Central Branch houses specialized collections like the Heritage Room with local history resources and the Emerging Local Authors Collection, featuring home-grown talent.
Central also has a large community meeting room with floor to ceiling windows, and the branch is home to GVPL’s administrative offices.
If you find yourself downtown for work, shopping, or entertainment, we hope you’ll follow your curiosity to the Central Branch. Our staff are keen to welcome you to our space and help you connect, discover and imagine.
Branch Features
- Special areas reserved for kids and teens
- Public computers
- World languages: Chinese, German, Hindi, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Panjabi, Russian, Spanish, Tagalog
- Bookable community room and study rooms
- Heritage Room with specialized resources on the history and geography of Vancouver Island
- Home to the Emerging Local Authors Collection
- Two microfilm readers (one is a microfilm scanner with print and save-to-USB capabilities)
- Touchdown workstation
Branch Information
District Coordinator: Eileen Gillette
Branch Supervisor: Monica Richter
Parking: Street parking by meter and Broughton Street Parkade
Bus Routes: #1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 11, 14, 15, 21, 22, 30, 31, 50, 70 BC Transit
Special Features
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The community painted the tiles that make up this mosaic, on display on the Broughton Street side of the library. Led by the Victoria Foundation, it was completed for Canada's 150th Birthday.
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The Friends of the Library run the Friendshop at the entrance to Central Branch. Get great deals on books and more and support your library.
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Enjoy your lunch to the sound of local musicians in the courtyard, one of the city's sweetest acoustic spots.