VI Regional Library Courtenay

09/04/2026

🍂Please note that all of our branches will be closed Monday, September 7 for Labour Day. 🍁

Our online branch is open 24/7...check out something new at http://virl.bc.ca.

08/31/2026

Saturday, September 5, 2026
Time: 2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Join Jan DeGrass for a Q&A and reading from Temptations and Travels. Part imagination, part memory, Temptations and Travels is a collection of stories that wander freely between fiction and lived experience. Life’s lessons are learned in unlikely forms: from a curious emu, from chance meetings with passengers on a train, or from a handsome stranger in a remote British Columbia gold-rush town. Whether recounting international adventures or reflecting on the quirks of everyday life, DeGrass brings humor, insight, and a deeply human touch to every tale. Stick around after the reading for an engaging Q&A session.

Join BC author Jan DeGrass at the Vancouver Island Regional Library for a reading and Q&A from her captivating story collection, Temptations and Travels.

08/26/2026

We love to see some library love from Downtown Courtenay!

Did you know the Vancouver Island Regional Library is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year? In December the Courtenay branch is celebrating 25 years since it opened in the current 6th street location. The architecture of the current building was inspired by the Comox Valley Co-operative Creamery Association building that once stood in the same location, and the Creamery whistle now lives inside the library (quietly).

Did you know? 📚 The Vancouver Island Regional Library has called Downtown Courtenay home for over 100 years, but it sure was a journey to its current home on 6th Street.

It all started on December 8, 1921, when Courtenay's very first library opened its doors on Fifth Street near Duncan Avenue. With Mrs. S.H. Hopkins at the helm, the collection was modest, a small selection of fiction, biographies, and travel books. Membership cost $2 for adults and $1 for children, and patrons could borrow up to two fiction and two non-fiction books at a time.

In those early years, the library was constantly on the move. It passed through City Hall, a room in Dr. Millard's house, the Courtenay Florist Shop, and the Credit Union building before eventually settling into its longer-term homes. Many longtime Courtenay residents will remember the library at 267 Sixth Street (now home to Ski Tak Hut) where it lived from 1964 to 1985, and then at 410 Cliffe Avenue (formerly the Comox District Free Press office and today's Jubilee Square parking lot) from 1985 to 2001.

After more than 80 years of wandering, the library finally found its present home. In 2001 it moved into its current spacious building on Sixth Street, complete with 63,000 books (likely more by now!), computers, and a roaring fireplace. Quite the upgrade from Mrs. Hopkins's modest collection a century earlier.

Where do you remember visiting the Courtenay Library? Share in the comments!

08/25/2026

Tuesday Movie Night! Tonight at 4:30PM

08/23/2026

Board Game Club at the library today 1PM-4PM!

Newcomers welcome! (Ages 13+)

Looking to unplug and connect? Join the Courtenay Library's new Adult Board Game Group! Discover modern tabletop games in a beginner-friendly, welcoming space.

08/20/2026

Unfortunately, we are cancelling our back-to-school swap that was scheduled for this weekend. Check back for upcoming Sunday Swaps this fall!

08/13/2026

Sundays
1:00 pm - 4:00 pm

Are you looking to unplug, meet people in the community, and dive into the exciting world of modern tabletop gaming? Join us at the Courtenay branch for our new Adult Board Game Club!

Whether you’re a seasoned strategist or completely new to the hobby, you will find a welcoming, beginner-friendly atmosphere. Local gaming enthusiasts will be on hand with a fantastic collection of modern board games, and they are always happy to teach you the rules—no prior experience required.

Feel free to bring along your own favorite tabletop games to share with the group, or just bring yourself and learn something completely new!

https://virl.bc.ca/event/board-game-club/2026-08-16/

08/07/2026

The Courtenay Branch will be closing early today at 5:30PM, Friday August 7.

We will open tomorrow at 10!

08/07/2026

🚗☀️ Hit the road, visit libraries, collect stamps and WIN PRIZES! 🎉📚

VIRL’s 90th Anniversary Passport Program is happening all summer long, and every library stop can get you closer to a prize!

Pick up your FREE passport at any Vancouver Island Regional Library branch, toss it in the glovebox, and start exploring. Visit branches across our incredible service area, collect unique stamps, discover new communities and enter for your chance to win!

- Visit any 5 VIRL branches to enter the Main Prize Draw (we have 39 branches!).
- Complete a passport region to enter one of 11 Regional Prize Draws PLUS earn another entry into the Main Prize Draw.
- With 11 regions to explore, from the South Island to Haida Gwaii and Bella Coola, how far will your passport take you?

Think you can visit more than FOUR VIRL branches this summer? 👀 Consider this your challenge. Visit an old favourite, then venture a little farther and discover a branch you’ve never been to before. You might just find a new favourite along the way.

No library card needed. No purchase required. Just stop by, explore and get stamped!

Keep collecting all summer and return your passport by October 31, 2026.

👉 Learn more: virl.bc.ca/90th

Grab your passport. Plan a road trip. Collect your stamps. Win prizes. Celebrate 90 years of VIRL! 🚙📚✨