NEWS

Okanagan Regional Library is officially opening the doors to the Westside Learning Lab serving the Westbank and West Kelowna community on February 23rd at 10am.

The focus of this new location is on learning, technology, and community partnership and will benefit many people and organizations on the Westside. The Westside Learning Lab will feature bookable community space and meeting rooms for events, programs and gatherings.

Starting Monday, December 17th, customers are welcome to pick up holds, browse from a small selection of items, and return their materials. Majority of the library will remain closed due to the renovations. We apologize for any inconvenience but look forward to seeing you when we reopen on January 10th.

All branches of the Okanagan Regional Library will begin their annual holiday closure period beginning Saturday, December 22 and will resume normal operating hours on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

Kelowna Friends of the Library are holding their 30th Annual Book Sale from November 8th-10th. FOLs foremost commitment is to support children’s literacy via Summer Reading Club, with funding ($5,945 in 2018) for contests, prizes, crafts, workshops & guest presenters. Funds are also devoted towards year-round programming for children, teens and adults to keep our libraries lively & relevant.

Okanagan Regional Library received a $7,400 grant from the Central Okanagan Foundation for a Sign With Me Story Time. The ASL story-time is a 90-minute library program for preschool to early elementary children and their families.

At the September 5th meeting of the Okanagan Regional Library Board of Trustees, the Board was introduced to Jeremy Sundin, ORL's new Chief Financial Officer. Sundin comes to the Library following several years as the Director of Finance for the Village of Lumby.

Naxos Music Library added to the Okanagan Regional Library's digital offerings. Now available for streaming at the click of a mouse! Naxos Music Library – is the world's largest online classical music library. As of September 2013, it offers streaming access to over 87,000 CDs with over 1.275 million tracks. On average, over 800 new CDs are added to the library every month.

Okanagan Regional Library has announced the appointment of Don Nettleton as their new CEO. After Stephanie Hall resigned her position as CEO for personal reasons, Nettleton was selected by the board of directors to become an Interim CEO while ORL looked for a new leader. Nettleton became the successful applicant for the CEO position and has officially assumed responsibilities as of Tuesday, May 22nd, 2018.

he Library Maker Crew showed off the newly acquired 3D Printer and introduced the exciting potential of this new technology and its possibilities. The Library Maker Crew will visit all 29 branches of the ORL beginning in June and will run through to September allowing all communities to have equal access to this fantastic technology. Details and date of each branch visit will be provided once finalized.

Chris Stephenson is no stranger to the Okanagan. On the way to his last position as Head Librarian of the Bancroft Public Library in Ontario, Chris drove through Kelowna and said to himself, “One day I’d like to work for the Okanagan Regional Library system.” And two years later, here he is.

In response to patron feedback, the Lumby branch of the Okanagan Regional Library will have new open hours. Effective Tuesday, March 6th 2018, the new library open hours will be as follows:

In response to patron feedback obtained in person and through a locally distributed survey, the Okanagan Falls branch of the Okanagan Regional Library will have new open hours. Effective Thursday, March 1st, the new library open hours will be as follows:

In response to patron feedback and funding limitations, the Silver Creek branch of the Okanagan Regional Library will have new open hours. Effective Tuesday, January 23rd 2018, the new library open hours will be as follows:

The Keremeos branch of the Okanagan Regional Library will have new open hours effective Thursday, February 1st 2018, the new library open hours will be as follows:

Stephanie Hall has been the CEO since February of 2013, but come March, she will be resigning in order to sail around the world on the tallship Picton Castle. This is not the first time Hall has taken an offshore sailing voyage, having sailed from Seville, Spain to Victoria BC aboard the topsail schooner Pacific Swift at the age of 20. “It was a difficult decision”, said Hall, “as the team at the ORL has been stellar, and the work our staff do in communities is so important. But I’ve wanted to do a total circumnavigation for a long time, and the best time to pursue your dreams is never ‘in a few years’.”

The Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) is considering a change in Okanagan Falls Branch open hours. ORL is seeking community feedback on an optimum open time.

Lumby and Golden Branches of the Okanagan Regional Library are asking for the public’s assistance in determining which open library hours would best serve the community’s needs.

The ORL would like to know learn about what collections and resources you like using in the eLibrary, www.orl.bc.ca/elibrary, and to hear what you would like to see the ORL offer. Please helps us out by taking a short, 3-minute survey.

Okanagan Regional Library will reveal its new brand and will hold a community event to showcase the renovations done to the branch.

Okanagan Regional Library has been awarded a Central Okanagan Foundation grant to continue it's Americal Sign Language Story Time program at the Rutland Library. The Central Okanagan Foundation is a community foundation providing an ongoing contribution to the quality of life in our community through building endowments, grant making and community leadership. We bring donors and charities together to provide for the needs of the community today, tomorrow and forever.

Because of customer feedback, there is a slight change in the hours during which the ORL provides Wi-Fi access.​ The ORL will now be providing free Wi-Fi access beginning at 6:30 AM and ending at 9:30 PM, each day.

Beginning Sunday, July 30th Mission Library will be open every Sunday from 11 am – 3 pm, and on Wednesdays, it will remain open until 8 pm.

Do you enjoy eMagazines from Zinio for Libraries, or eAudiobooks from OneClickdigital? Then be on the look out for some enhancements coming on June 27! These collections are getting a bit of a makeover with new names, updated websites, and a new app. As a part of the update, there will be downtime for these two collections beginning at 5:00 PM on Monday, June 26, and lasting until the morning of Tuesday, June 27 (approximately 14 hours).

We repaired the walls, installed new windows, changed the carpet and replaced damaged furniture. Our spirits are high, and we can't wait to see you in the Library.

The Peachland Branch of the Okanagan Regional Library is currently temporarily closed for repairs.

Local government has many priorities seeking tax dollars, and we want to recognize all three jurisdictions for their decision to contribute to learning and literacy in the Keremeos, Cawston, and Olalla areas.

Damage from a roof leak is impacting our service to you. The Oliver library branch is open during its regular hours, but with limited service because there is no access to the main part of the library. Public are invited to pick up holds, renew or return items, and borrow from a small selection of books and other items. We hope to have two 15 minute public internet stations (one with a printer) available on Tuesday, January 31. We expect access to our full library collection and services will return to normal on Tuesday, February 7.

Due to flooding, the Oliver library branch is closed January 20, and re-opening with limited service January 21 for hold pickups and item returns.

Though library branches may be closed over the holidays, our online library is always open! Stay cozy and warm inside while delighting in free movies, magazines, eBooks, eAudiobooks, and more – all available through your library website with library membership.

Your New Online Experience has been up for a few days and here are answers to some common questions, and a few other notes...

Your online experience with the ORL just keeps getting better with the addition of “PressReader”, the world’s largest online newspaper and magazine kiosk. ORL members now have free access to full content digital replicas of more than 4,000 publications from all over the world, such as the Globe and Mail, the Washington Post, and the Daily Mail.