News & Events

Architect Chosen for ORL Branch in Vernon July 21, 2010

The Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) is pleased to announce that CEI Architecture Planning and Interiors has been chosen as the architects to design the ORL’s new library branch in Vernon. The ORL Vernon Building Committee, consisting of members of the ORL Board and staff, and project managers TASK Construction Management met with three short-listed architectural firms in the past week, and chose CEI due to their demonstrated experience working in the Okanagan and with building libraries. They were also the lowest bidder.

“We know CEI will be able to deliver the regional library we need to serve the North Okanagan community, including Coldstream, Vernon and surrounding areas, to be centrally located in the downtown of Vernon,” explains ORL Board Chair Ted Bacigalupo.

With project management, an architect, and financing confirmed for the project within the past month, the ORL will continue moving forward quickly to have conceptual drawings ready for review by early fall. Public involvement will be a key component in designing the new branch.

“We’re really looking forward to working with CEI and receiving input from the community to ensure the new branch will serve the needs of this region,” says Vernon Branch Head Maureen Curry. “After 21 years in our current location, which has been too small for our growing area for years, this project is such an exciting development.”

Established in 1986, CEI Architecture Planning and Interiors has offices in Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna, and Los Angeles. The firm has recently been responsible for major renovations to the Greater Victoria Public Library’s Saanich Branch and Coquitlam’s Poirier Library as well as new public libraries in North Vancouver and Burnaby with Diamond Schmidt Architects. CEI’s locally-based work includes the Vernon Cultural Centre Study and the Okanagan College Centre of Excellence in Penticton.

Internet at the ORL July 7, 2010

The ORL has completed upgrades to its public computer terminals to improve bandwidth access; there should be no further disruption to service. In addition to the ORL's computer terminals, customers are able to bring in their own laptops to access free wireless internet within ORL branches. However, a reminder that wireless access is limited to one hour per day per customer.

The reason for this limit is that the ORL doesn't have enough bandwidth to allow unlimited or large numbers of customers to access the internet at the same time. The amount of bandwidth purchased by the ORL for customers in its twenty-nine branches is quite high, but it is not unlimited. By enforcing the one hour limit for all, we can ensure more equity of access for customers across our service area.