All branch of the ORL will be closed Friday April 19th, Saturday April 20th, Sunday April 21st, and Monday April 22nd for the Easter weekend. Our book drops will also be closed. All ORL Branches are closed on statutory holidays.
Calendar of Vernon Branch Events
at the Vernon Curling Rink
Thursday May 2nd, 3 pm - 9 pm
Friday May 3rd, 9 am - 9 pm
Saturday May 4th, 9 am - 4 pm
Returning Library Items
There are three book drop bins located on the east side of the building. They are locked during extended library closures (Easter and Christmas).
View events in calendar format.
For details or registration, click on an event below.
Have a question? Would you like to arrange a tour? If so, please contact our Youth Services Librarian, Stephanie Thoreson, at sthoreson@orl.bc.ca, or call 250-542-7610, ext. 6829.
All children's programs are FREE.
NOTE: Events for young children (under age 8) require a parent or guardian to stay and enjoy the program with them.
View Events in Calendar Format
Mondays with Val 10:30 to 11:00 am.
Tuesday and Saturdays with Stephanie 10:30 to 11:00 am.
Drop-in; no registration required.
1:30 pm Wednesdays for newborn - 18 months
Baby Time is our joyful early literacy program that helps grow the roots of a lifelong love of language. Bond with your baby through the power of song and rhymes!
We welcome the whole family to join in the fun! Drop-in to this FREE program.
9:30 and 11am Thursdays
Please register with Boys & Girls Club (250-542-3121 ext 111) our partners who offer this toddler program in our space.
If you are interested in a teen book club or have ideas ideas about what special events you would like to see at the library please e-mail sthoreson@orl.bc.ca Stephanie would like to hear from local teens about what activities would bring you to the library and what days or times work for you.
We have books, graphic novels, movies, music, magazines and Internet access for teens. Spaces are available for studying and gaming.
All adult programs and events at the Vernon Library are FREE to the public. Please take careful note of registration requirements.
You can browse our weekly programs below by day of the week, or view in calendar format here.
Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Saturday | Sunday | Special Events
If you have an idea you'd like to see happen @ your library, email us at vereference@orl.bc.ca.
Okanagan College Education Advisor, Kim Strilchuk, will be at the branch to answer any questions you might have. This service is first-come first-serve.
Every Monday | 3:15 pm - 4:30 pm | 2nd Floor
Venez vous amuser! Jouez et bavardez en français. Nous aurons de jeux de cartes et de mots, mais amenez les vôtres aussi.
Come have some fun! Play and talk in French. There'll be card and word games, but bring your own too.
April 30 | 6:30 pm | Okanagan Room
Volunteers from The Literacy Society of the North Okanagan will be available at the library on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 am to 12pm and 1pm to 3pm. Adults can register for one hour of help with a volunteer during those times.
Tutors will be able to help with iPads, tablets, laptops or the library computers. To book an appointment, or for more information, please visit the Information Desk upstairs in the library or call the library at 250-542-7610 ext. 6820.
Every Tuesday and Thursday | 10 am - 3 pm | Upstairs Office
Come play the game of kings! Everyone is welcome, from beginners to seasoned players.
Every Tuesday | 6 pm | Community Room
Living Well will inform and show people how to live well with osteoarthritis of the hip and knee and how to delay or avoid surgery altogether. It is being facilitated by two Interior Health physiotherapists who specialize in this area.
This program primarily targets those with osteoarthritis of the hip or knee but it is open to all. This is a free drop-in program that runs the 1st Tuesday and 3rd Thursday of each month.
1st Tuesday of Each Month | 10:15 am | Meeting Room
This group is for parents and caregivers of children on the Autism Spectrum, to help bring them together to share resources and stories that may help and support each other. All are welcome. Email vernonasdgroup@gmail.com for more information.
3rd Tuesday of Each Month | 6:30 pm | Okanagan Room
The Audiobook Club is not a conventional book club. It focuses on the audio resources the Okanagan Regional Library offers and participants can choose to listen to one or all of the three titles with similar settings, or of the same genre, suggested each month. The Audiobook Club is open to all interested adults and preregistration is not required.
April 30th Titles - April's meeting is cancelled. See you in May!
May 28th Titles - Theme: Families, Domestic Fiction
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee Every Last One by Anna Quindlen Inside the O'Briens by Lisa Genova
Last Tuesday of Each Month | 2:30 pm | Community Room
Meet with others using AAC devices and learn from and with each other. For more information contact Michelle at 250-809-1098 or mbunney@cayabc.org ; or Katherine at 250-809-6990 or kwhitrow@cayabc.org
Last Tuesday of Each Month | 10:30 am | Meeting Room
Join BC Cancer -- Kelowna and the BC Cancer Foundation as they explain the work being done to improve cancer outcomes for British Columbians and the increasing cancer burden our healthcare system faces. It is now predicted that one-in-two British Columbians will at some point develop cancer.
A support group for caregivers of persons with dementia. Please contact Andrea at the Alzheimer Society at 250-860-0305 or acampbell@alzheimer.bc.ca if you are interested in attending.
May 1, June 5 | 7 pm | Community Room
The John Rudy Health Resource Centre Association will be at the library offering free, one to one support with a variety of health literacy needs, including:
For more information, please see the John Rudy website.
Wednesdays | 11 am - 1 pm | Upstairs Office
Join the Mental Illness Family Support Centre for this educational series to help families coping with mental illness. This workshop will focus on self care when coping with mental illness. This is a free drop-in program open to all.
May 8 - Self Care for Caregivers
June 12 - Major Mental Illnesses
September 11 - Substance Use and Concurrent Disorders
October 9 - Navigating the Mental Health System
November 13 - Risk Management and Crisis Planning
2nd Wednesday of Each Month | 6 pm | Community Room
Okanagan Foster Parent Association holds a monthly information session for people interested in finding out more about becoming a foster parent.
2nd Wednesday of Each Month | 6:30 pm | Okanagan Room
You can make a difference! Join our Amnesty International's Vernon Group and hear presentations on various human rights issues that Amnesty International is working on. We write at least two letters about a cause or case that Amnesty International has performed a thorough investigation and chosen to support.
3rd Wednesday of Each Month | 7 pm | Community Room
Please join us in the screening of the following NFB documentary:
Memento Mori In honour of National Organ and Tissue Donation Awareness Week, come view this award-winning documentary about organ transplants.With remarkable access to Canada’s busiest organ-transplant hospital, this documentary brings viewers face-to-face with stories of life and death, and the impossible decisions that tragedy demands.
Community discussion following the film will be facilitated by the North Okanagan Chapter of the Kidney Foundation.
April 24 | 6:30 pm | Meeting Room
Drop-in Vernon Permaculture is an open community group whose aim is to share regenerative knowledge and hands on experiences with one another in order to build a stronger community and healthier local environment. Everyone is welcome.
Last Wednesday of Each Month | 7 pm | Community Room
Come out and play! Our friendly group features gamers of every skill level with a great variety of games played. Bring your own favourite or join us to try out something new - we play everything from light social games all the way to in-depth miniature strategies. Teens and kids are also welcome. Want to know more? Join our Facebook group: Okanagan Board Gamers for more information and special events
Thursdays | 5:30 pm | Community Room
First Nations Elders are invited to get together and play games. New players from every walk of life are always welcome.
Thursdays | 6 pm | Okanagan Room
You are invited to learn how to play the American Version of Mah-Jongg. Everyone is welcome.
Thursdays | 6:30 pm | Magazine Area
3rd Thursday of Each Month | 1 pm | Meeting Room
Unfinished is a poignant memoir about overcoming adversity to ultimately feel complete. Author Keri Lefave will read from her new memoir, a work she contemplated writing for many years. The author spent five years writing the memoir and published the work in 2016.
April 27 | 11 am | Magazine Area on the 2nd floor
The Vernon Lyme Disease Support Group meets monthly at the library to provide support and education for those afflicted with the disease and family members as well. It is moderated by Merina Brisdon, responsible for founding and facilitating the same type of group at Victoria. This is a free drop-in program open to all.
May 25, June 22 | 1:30 pm | Meeting Room
These drop-in sessions are for knitters of all experience levels and are open to anyone interested in knitting, whether new or experienced. Bring along yarn and needles, and a project you are working on. You are also welcome to bring your knitting questions and problems, and someone in the group will happily help you work out a solution.
Saturdays | 10 am | Community Room
Vernon Branch invites you to read the suggested titles and to join us for a lively, facilitated discussion of the featured title. The book club is open to all interested adults and preregistration is not required. Both meetings are the same discussion, so you can choose to attend either.
The End of Absence by Michael Harris (April 20th or 27th)
Louis Riel by Chester Brown (May 18th or 25th)
Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga (June 15th or 22nd)
She of the Mountains by Vivek Shraya (July 20th or 27th)
Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (August 17th or 24th)
Forgiveness by Mark Sakamoto (September 21st or 28th)
Women Talking by Miriam Toews (October 19th or 26th)
The Boat People by Sharon Bala (November 16th or 23rd)
You are responsible for placing a hold on a copy of the book. Please note: Many titles are also available in ebook and audiobook formats in the ORL catalogue.
3rd or 4th Saturday of Each Month | 10:30 am | Okanagan Room
What can death teach us about living? You are invited to bring a friend or neighbour and join others for coffee or tea to find out. At a Death Cafe, people, often strangers, gather to drink tea or coffee and talk about death. It is a group-directed discussion with no expectations and all are welcome.
May 18 | 1:30 pm - 3:30 pm | Meeting Room
We offer free one-on-one training sessions to help you learn to use our digital resources including our eBook collections, digital audiobooks, RBdigital Magazines, and PressReader.
Check here to see if your eReader or Tablet is compatible with the library's eBook provider.
Do you have questions about what the library can offer you? Call today to sign up! 250-542-7610 ext. 6820.
The library has a beautiful boardroom that can be booked by groups or individuals for up to 2 hours at a time, free of charge. The room may be booked up to 24 hours in advance by calling 250-542-7610 ext. 6820. It's a great space for tutoring, studying, meetings, scrap-booking and more!
The library has a small office available that can be booked by individuals for up to 2 hours at a time, free of charge. This space is great for tutoring, studying, and small meetings (4 people maximum). The room may be booked up to 24 hours in advance by calling 250-542-7610 ext. 6820.
Are you looking for somewhere to take an invigilated exam, either written or online? The library can help you out. Basic information can be found on the Exams in the Library page.
Call or email us for more details at vereference@orl.bc.ca or 250-542-7610 ext. 6820.
The Vernon Branch has 17 internet terminals with word processing capabilities available for one hour per day with a valid ORL library card. Unlimited wifi access is available all day. Printing and photocopying is $0.25 per page, black and white only. Scanning to email is available at the 2nd floor photocopier and is free of charge.
The Vernon Branch has meeting rooms available for rent during regular business days and hours.
The main floor Meeting Room has a capacity of 100 with a theatre style set-up, and can be divided into two smaller rooms, each with a capacity of 50.
Rental fees are $50 plus GST for a 3-hour block for each of the smaller rooms and $85 plus GST for the whole room. There is a fee of $10 plus GST for each additional hour for both room sizes. Bookings are not confirmed until the rental fee has been paid.
Rental fees are $50 plus GST for a 3-hour block. There is a fee of $10 plus GST for each additional hour. Bookings are not confirmed until the rental fee has been paid.
There is also a small boardroom, the Okanagan Room, on the second floor of the library which holds about 8-10 people. There is no charge for its use, but bookings are only taken up to 24 hours in advance.
For further information, please contact the branch at 250-542-7610 ext 6820.
The Vernon branch created a seed lending library, in conjunction with Okanagan College and Patchwork Farms, and it is sufficiently stocked. Patrons can now check out seeds on the condition they replace the seeds the following season from the plants they grow.
Two step-by-step guides on how to save heirloom seeds are now available at the library. Any patron interested in contributing seeds to the library is asked to place seeds from each vegetable in its own envelope and label it with the type of vegetable, variety if known, date collected and general location. The seeds can be dropped off at the upstairs information desk at the library.
For more information please contact the library at 250-546-7610 and ask for Peter.
A. Those chair were bought as part of the the new library and are called Bouloum Lounge chairs.
A. Most of the artwork should have information tags beside each piece. Our Friends of the Library co-ordinates the artwork in the library and the vast majority is displayed by the Vernon Art Gallery.
The VFOL Annual Book Sale is at the Vernon Curling Rink
The Vernon Friends of the Library, a non-profit organization formed in 1989, is registered under the Societies Act of British Columbia.
For all donations please call Linda at 250-549-1466. The library will no longer be accepting book donations at the branch. Magazines won't be accepted for donation.
The major fundraiser is the huge book sale held in early May every year.
Past contributions made by the Friends of the Library include:
The Friends also hold smaller book sales throughout the year, and provide book bags for purchase at the branch.
New members are always welcome. Anyone interested in more information can contact Linda Wills at 250-549-1466 or lwills41@telus.net or visit their Facebook page.
The annual Friends of the Library Book Sale will be held at the Vernon Curling Rink from May 2nd to May 4th. Please visit the VFOL Facebook page for updates and reminders.
Dates & Times: Thursday, May 2 | 3 pm to 9 pm Friday, May 3 | 9 am to 9 pm Saturday, May 4 | 9 am to 4 pm
Address: Vernon Curling Rink, 3400 - 39 Avenue
JavaScript must be enabled in order for you to use Google Maps. However, it seems JavaScript is either disabled or not supported by your browser. To view Google Maps, enable JavaScript by changing your browser options, and then try again.