Branch Head Kristy Hennings
250-542-7610 ext. 6891
khennings@orl.bc.ca
Book Returns are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, excluding the Easter and Christmas closures.
We are open Sundays 12-4 until the end of March
Have a question? Call us at 250-542-7610 during open hours. For eBook, resource or reference help you can also email help@orl.bc.ca.
There are three book drop bins located on the east side of the building. They are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, except during our Easter and Christmas closures. Our indoor book drops are now open for your convenience during library hours.
Have a question? If so, please contact our Youth Services Librarian, Stephanie Thoreson, at sthoreson@orl.bc.ca.
Summer Reading Club challenges are due September 9th. Bring reading records to the check-out desk for your medal and draw ticket.
Family Story Time
Jan 9 - May 27 Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 10:30am
Picture books, rhymes, songs and felt stories. Aimed at ages 3-5 but all ages are welcome.
Jan 17 - April 11. Tuesdays at 10:30am
Interactive songs and rhymes for babies and caregivers.
Contact Val (vknudson@orl.bc.ca) to book a field trip to the library or visit at your daycare.
Registration Required Code . Learn . Unite . Build. Come on out and dive deep into the tech world with us! Learn more about coding, programming, physics, circuitry and more. Through a variety of activities, participants will learn the basics of these fields and be encouraged to explore in a truly creative manner. This program is for all skill levels and abilities, it is the perfect environment to learn and collaborate in. Wednesday | January 18 | 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Wednesday | February 1 | 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Wednesday | February 15 | 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Saturday | January 14 | 2:30 PM- 4:30 PM Saturday | January 28 | 2:30 PM- 4:30 PM Saturday | February 11 | 2:30 PM- 4:30 PM Saturday | February 25 | 2:30 PM- 4:30 PM
Come upstairs to the community room for a variety of STEAM Activities, Makerspace Tours, and fun for the whole family. Wear something you can get messy!
Be The Book - Parade costume making Saturday | January 21 Pokémon Habitat Saturday | February 4 | 2:00 PM Magic School Bus Clues Room Wednesday | February 8 Mini Mandalorians Thursday | February 9 Unicorn Party Tuesday | March 21
Ages 9+up
Minecraft Meet-up
Jan 16-March 28 Mondays and Tuesdays Play Minecraft free on library computers. Meet other kids who play. Registration required to use our computers. Drop-in with your own device.
Registration Required Code . Learn . Unite . Build Come on out and dive deep into the tech world with us! Learn more about coding, programming, physics, circuitry and more. Through a variety of activities, participants will learn the basics of these fields and be encouraged to explore in a truly creative manner. This program is for all skill levels and abilities, it is the perfect environment to learn and collaborate in.
Wednesday | January 11 | 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Wednesday | January 25 | 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Wednesday | February 8 | 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM Wednesday | February 22 | 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM
Registration Required Every second Wednesday starting January 18
Registration Required 4 weeks beginning Thursday | January 19 | 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Explore different artists and their signature styles throughout modern art history. Every week, kids will generate digital works of art using the drag-and-drop block coding platform Scratch. Each session will start with a hands-on art project that gets the creative juices flowing, and leads into our coding activity for the day.
Registration Required Thursday | March 23 | 3:30 PM - 4:45 PM
Use the drag-and-drop block coding platform Scratch to train a robot how to sort plastic into the correct recycling bins. Practice computational thinking and coding while taking climate action and practicing sustainable consumption and production.
Registration Required 4 weeks beginning Thursday | April 6 | 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
On your mark, get set, GO! Kids will code their own games based on traditional sports like archery, hockey, and skiing. Kids will learn beginner-friendly coding skills using the drag-and-drop block coding platform Scratch. Hit the trails and skim the slopes with us!
Wednesdays Dec 14, Jan 25, Feb 22 and March 29 at 4:00 PM Pizza, karaoke, Just Dance and more for LGBTQ2S+ youth and allies.
Registration Required Friday | February 3 | 2:00 PM - 4:00 PM
This class will get you up and printing your own custom gadgets with moving parts, using a free and simple design tool on the web. We're covering how to design stuff to print with minimum fuss, how to include non-plastic parts in your designs, and how to use the 3D printer! Teens & adults welcome!
Registration Required Wednesday | February 15 | 6:00 PM - 7:30 PM
Learn how to start or improve your resume with a guest presenter from Community Futures. Free advice, computer access and printing of your resume.
Registration Required Thursday | March 30 | 3:30 PM - 5:00 PM
Learn the basics of algorithmic art and use your voice as an innovative way to interact with a generative art piece. Students will be introduced to p5.js, a Javascript coding library for artists, and ml5.js, a Machine Learning coding library, so budding algorithm artists can keep creating after the session.
Inkscape for Cricut Users
Registration Required Wednesday | May 10 | 6:00PM
Inkscape is a free program you can use at home or on the library computers to make digital ‘vector’ graphics- and you can use it with the library’s Cricut cutter to make your own dazzling physical art pieces. Week 1: Inkscape basics. Week 2: How you can use path tools to get perfect control over what the Cricut draws or cuts out for you. Teens and adults Welcome!
Contact sthoreson@orl.bc.ca if you are interested in scheduling an in person or virtual visit.
Please check our in-branch and online events in calendar format here.
All adult programs and events at the Vernon Library are FREE to the public.
If you have an idea you'd like to see happen @ your library, email us at vereference@orl.bc.ca.
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Special Events
Book Clubs & Literary Events
Creative Circles
Games
Health
Makerspace
Technology Training
All of our 2022 magazines will be on sale - from National Geographic to The Atlantic, from Canadian Woodworking to Eating Well.
Friday Feb 10th & Saturday Feb 11th | all day | Meeting Room
From Denmark to the Cariboo, a new work by author Linda Peterat, is history that reads like a novel. It is the captivating account of Laura, Christine and Caroline Lindhard--three sisters who fled their home in Denmark in 1870 in the face of war, political turmoil and limited opportunities, to seek out and forge new lives in the wild Cariboo goldrush.
Feb. 18 Saturday |
Feb. 18
Individuals are responsible for acquiring a copy of each month's book. There are usually copies available at the Vernon Upstairs Desk (call 250-542-7610 ext. 6820 to check availability). Many titles are also available in eBook, eAudiobook, and audiobook formats in the ORL catalogue.
3rd Saturday of each month | 10:30-11:30 am | Community Room
Jan. 21
The Curve of Time
An adventure story of a woman who, left a widow in 1927, packed her five children onto a 25-foot boat and cruised the coastal waters of British Columbia, summer after summer. Muriel Wylie Blanchet acted single-handedly as skipper, navigator, engineer and, of course, mother, as she saw her crew through encounters with tides, fog, storms, rapids, cougars and bears.
American War
In the near future, the United States is at war with itself. Fossil fuels, which have decimated the environment, are banned, but the states rich in them refuse to comply and thus break away from the union, resulting in biological warfare, drones as killing machines, and state fighting against state.
Mar. 18
The Forgotten Daughter
In 1992 French-Canadian factions renew Quebec's fight to gain independence. Véronique Fortin, daughter of a radical separatist convicted of kidnapping and murdering a prominent politician in 1970, has embraced her father's cause. Elodie Phénix, one of the Duplessis Orphans, becomes involved with a coalition demanding justice and reparations for their suffering in the 1950s when Quebec's orphanages were converted to mental hospitals. Véronique is the only person Elodie can rely on as she fights for retribution, while Elodie becomes a sisterly presence for Véronique, who continues to struggle with her family's legacy.
Apr. 15
In the Skin of a Lion
A love story and an irresistible mystery set in the turbulent, muscular new world of Toronto in the 20s and 30s.
May 20
Fine
This is an essential graphic memoir about the intricacies of gender identity and expression. As Rhea Ewing neared college graduation in 2012, they became consumed by the question: What is gender? This obsession sparked a quest in their quiet Midwest town, where they anxiously approached both friends and strangers for interviews to turn into comics. Amidst beautifully rendered scenes emerges Ewing's own visceral story growing up in rural Kentucky, grappling with their identity as a teenager, and ultimately finding themselves.
June 17
Washington Black
Washington Black, an eleven-year-old field slave, knows no other life than the Barbados sugar plantation where he was born. His master's eccentric brother chooses him to be his manservant. Christopher Wilde (Titch) initiates Wash into a world of adventure and academia providing a means to embrace a life of dignity and meaning. When a man is killed and a bounty is placed on Wash's head, Titch abandons everything to save him.
July 15
A Passage to India
Determined to escape the parochial English enclave and explore 'the real India', visitors Adela Quested and her elderly companion Mrs Moore seek the guidance of the charming and mercurial Dr Aziz, a cultivated Indian Muslim. A mysterious incident occurs while they are exploring the Marabar caves with Aziz, and the well-respected doctor soon finds himself at the centre of a scandal that rouses violent passions among both the British and their Indian subjects.
Aug. 19
Lands of Lost Borders
As a teenager, Kate Harris craved a career--that of a generalist explorer, equal parts swashbuckler and metaphysician, with a flair for basic science and endless slogging. Determined, she set off by bicycle down the fabled Silk Road with her childhood friend Mel Yule to realize her dreams. Kate offers a travel account at once exuberant and meditative, wry and rapturous, and above all full of hope.
Sept. 16
Unreconciled
As the child of an American father and an Anishinaabe mother, Wente grew up in Toronto with frequent visits to the Serpent River reserve. By exploring his family's history, including his grandmother's experience in residential school, and citing his own frequent incidents of racial profiling by police who'd stop him on the streets, Wente unpacks the discrepancies between his personal identity and how non-Indigenous people view him.
Oct. 21
Less
Who says you can't run away from your problems? You are a failed novelist about to turn fifty. A wedding invitation arrives in the mail: your boyfriend of the past nine years is engaged to someone else. What do you do to escape the event?
Nov. 18
The Milkman
In this unnamed city, to be interesting is dangerous. Middle sister is busy attempting to keep her mother from discovering her nearly-boyfriend and to keep everyone in the dark about her encounter with Milkman. But first brother-in-law, has sniffed it out, and middle sister becomes 'interesting'. To be interesting is to be noticed and to be noticed is dangerous. Milkman is a searingly honest novel told in prose that is as precise and unsentimental as it is devastating and brutal.
Connecting newcomers to Vernon through crafting. ESL students and newcomers, join us on Wednesday mornings to socialize and craft together. All skill levels are welcome. Knitting supplies are provided or bring your own project.
In partnership with the Vernon and District Immigrant Community Services Society.
The Kalamalka Weavers and Spinners guild is a group of fibre enthusiasts that are mainly focussed on weaving and spinning, and the sharing and continuation of the skills of hand spinning and hand weaving as well as knitting, crochet, dying and felting. Anyone is welcome to attend this free, drop-in program.
3rd Wednesday of each month | 6:30 - 8:30 pm | Meeting Room
The Vernon Knitters invite knitters of all experience levels and 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 - 12 PM | Community Room
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 to these drop-in sessions. For more information, visit @vernonpermaculture
Last Wednesday of each month | 7 PM - 9 PM | Community Room
Come play the game of kings! Everyone is welcome, from beginners to seasoned players.
Tuesdays | 6:00 - 8:45 p.m. | Community Room
Mah Jongg: American Version
If you love games, you'll love American Mah-Jongg. Experienced and novice players are all welcome - all equipment is supplied.
This program will get underway at 6:30 p.m.
Thursdays | 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM | Magazine area
Join us to play Dungeons and Dragons, the greatest fantasy role-playing game in the world. Create characters, battle foes and co-operate with other players as you explore a fantasy world. Adventurers League is a drop-in, drop-out DnD format that allows players of all levels to come and play.
Materials are not required. All you need is an active imagination and the desire to work with others.
FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder) Support Group brings together people who are experiencing difficulties in supporting a family member with FASD. The group is facilitated by an educated parent with lived experience. It provides an opportunity to come together for culturally safe mentorship and information sharing.
Tuesdays | 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM | Okanagan Room
Jan. 10, Jan. 24, Feb. 7, Feb. 21, Mar. 7, Mar. 21
Substance Use First Aid is a 90-minute presentation presentation that addresses different categories of substances, including the effects and risks, and how to support someone under the influence. An overview of the continuum of care is also part of the presentation and includes information on Harm Reduction services, ranging from medication and counselling to Save a Life- Naloxone Training to reverse an opioid overdose.
This is a free drop-in program open to adults and young adults alike.
Participants can also expect to leave with a free Naloxone kit. This is a free drop-in program open to adults and young adults alike.
First Wednesday of each month | 5 PM - 6:30 PM | Meeting Room
The North Okanagan Better Breathers program is a monthly education and support group for people living with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis and other lung health conditions. This free program is delivered by Interior Health.
Second Monday of each month | 1 p.m. - 3 p.m. | Meeting Room
Generously funded by the Vernon Friends of the Library
Join us in the Makerspace to create, invent, tinker, explore and discover using a variety of tools and materials - such as our 3D printer, Cricut cutter, digitization stations, full Adobe Creative Cloud, recording studio and more!
Visit our system-wide Makerspace Page to view the services we offer.
Those under 14 must be accompanied by a parent/guardian maker. Contact or visit the Branch to learn more.
To use an ORL Makerspace independently, all makers must:
To use the Cricut Machine you must:
To use the Prusa 3D Printer you must:
If you are trying to book a space less than 24 hours ahead of time, you need to call the branch at 250-542-7610.
Monday, Friday, Saturday 10:00 am - 5:00 pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 10:00 am - 8:30 pm
If you're part of a group of 2 or more people interested in using the library makerspace equipment, whether it's for certification-only equipment like the 3D printer, of for other equipment like the recording studio, we'd love to set you up a free group training session. Email Cody at cepema@orl.bc.ca for more information and to book a time. Class visits are welcome.
View our certification courses and tutorials
Dust off your stuff and make digital copies. Whether you’re looking to preserve your family history, condensing photo albums, getting rid of that old VHS player, or just wanting to listen to your old LPs while you’re driving, the Vernon Library Makerspace has your back. This free drop-in program will walk you through our user-friendly software so you can digitize (make digital copies of) your favourite media.
This program offers adult patrons one-on-one tutoring by volunteers with The Literacy Society of the North Okanagan. One hour appointments can be booked at 250-542-7610 Ext. 6820, in person at the library or online at the Digital Literacy Program .
One hour appointments offered Fridays at 10 am and 11 am and Saturdays at 10 am and 11 am.
Curious about eBooks, digital audio, or any of the ORL's many electronic resources? Having trouble making Libby work on your device? Book a time with one of our knowledgeable staff. Please bring in your device, library card and PIN number, and any necessary passwords. Register using our online events calendar or call us at 250-542-7610 ext. 6820.
Tuesdays at 7:15 pm, Thursdays at 1:15 pm and Saturdays at 2:15 pm
https://www.orl.bc.ca/docs/default-source/makerspaces/makerspace-guidelines.pdf?sfvrsn=ff949221_8
Get maker certified runs on alternating Fridays and Saturdays. See our calendar for more information.
Want to learn how to access the library's digital resources? Whether a Kobo eReader, phone, tablet or computer, we can teach you the skills you need to connect to the library's eBooks, eAudio, Rosetta Stone, PressReader and more. Contact us to set up your appointment at 250-542-7610 ext. 6820.
We have a variety of bookable and rental spaces in the Vernon Library.
There are two rentable spaces available at the Vernon branch (the Meeting Room and the Community Room). Both rentable spaces have free Wi-Fi, projectors and screens.
We also have two free bookable spaces available (the Okanagan Room and the Study Room). They do not have projectors or screens and are much smaller.
Please call the library at 250-542-7610 ext. 6811 with any questions or book the space using our online reservation system. If you would like to book for today or tomorrow, you need to call the library directly to the book the spaces.
Reserve a Room Online
You can reserve a meeting room online at https://orl.evanced.info/spaces, at least two days in advance. Library staff will approve your booking based on availability.
Meeting Room
Available during branch open hours only. Setup and take-down (exception of A/V equipment) is the responsibility of the renter.
This space is located on the main floor of the library off of the foyer and can hold up to 100 people. There is an outside entrance on 28th Street with an accessible ramp and entry from our main foyer.
Community Room
This space is located on the second floor of the library and can hold up to 40 people. It has a long glass wall that looks out over our computer area.
Okanagan Room - no charge
Available during branch open hours only. Rooms are as is - no office supplies, A/V equipment or additional furnishings provided.
The Okanagan room is free, holds up to 18 people, and can be booked up to 2 months in advance.
Study Room - no charge
The study room is free, holds up to 6 people, and can be booked up to 2 months in advance.
The Vernon branch's seed lending library is open once again and patrons can now check out seeds. Patrons can check out the seeds for free as long as they replace the seeds in the fall from the plants they grow.
Two step-by-step guides on how to save heirloom seeds are available at the library, to aid you if are unsure about the various steps you need to take to save specific seeds. Some are easy to save while others are less easy.
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.
Call or email us for more details at pcritchley@orl.bc.ca or 250-542-7610 ext. 6831.
We are offering sit down eBook sessions in branch at the following times: Tuesdays at 7:15 pm, Thursdays at 1:00 pm & Saturdays at 2:00 pm.
Call 250-542-7610 ext. 6820 to book a spot or email us at vereference@orl.bc.ca.
Check here to see if your eReader or Tablet is compatible with the library's eBook provider.
Are you looking for somewhere to take an invigilated exam, either written or online? The library can help you out. For more information, please read the Vernon Branch's Exam Invigilation Information for Students.
Call or email us to book your exam invigilation 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 Wi-Fi access is available all day. Printing and photocopying is $0.25 per page, black and white only. Scanning to email is available and is free of charge.
We have multiple public computer stations that can be used to access the internet and write documents using Word. You can also print wirelessly from your mobile phone, tablet or laptop, using Princh. All print jobs are $.25 per page, in black and white.
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 Vernon Friends of the Library, a non-profit organization formed in 1989, is registered under the Societies Act of British Columbia.
Friday September 30th and Saturday October 1st, 10 am - 4 pm at 9908 Kalamalka Road
For all donations please call Trish at 250-938-2559. 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.
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