About the Library

About the Board

The board is presently made up of eight citizens, appointed by Mayor and Council, including one Council representative.  The Chief Librarian serves as Secretary.  The Prince Rupert Public Library Board is a corporate body responsible for the operation of the library.  It operates under the authority of the British Columbia Provincial Statue, Library Act.

Board Members

• Brendan Turner, Board Chair, NWLF Representative
• Ronald Braun, Vice-Chair
• Nick Adey, City Council
• Kate Lyon
• Richard Butler
• Nina Purewal
• Jolie Amante
• Gabriela De Lucca
• Dave Smith

Borrowing Limits

Patrons can borrow up to 50 items at one time.  Limits also apply to DVDs (5 at a time), Videos (5 at a time), CDs (5 at a time), and Talking Books (5 at a time). (New library users will have lower limits for their first three months, including limits of 5 books and 10 items overall.)

Loan Periods

• Books, magazines, CDs and CD ROMs, audio cassettes, talking books - Three weeks (21 days)
• DVDs and Videos - One week

Fines

In order to make the library accessible to all, we no longer charge fines on overdue items from our library.

We charge a small fine of $1.00 for interlibrary loans that do not get picked up.

Renewals

Library materials (excluding interlibrary loans and interlibrary connect items sent here to be borrowed here) may be renewed twice. This may be done over the phone or in person without the materials, provided there are no holds on the material. Renewals can also be made from the library website by logging into your account. (more on renewing online)

Holds

Patrons may place requests on materials (known as a hold). Patrons are limited to 3 active holds.   Ask staff to place a hold on material that is currently out, and upon its return you will be notified that the library is holding an item for you. You may also place a hold yourself from home via the library website using the Online Catalogue. (more on placing holds online)

Hold must be picked up within 7 days or they will be returned to the shelf for the next person.

Lost or Damaged Items

If a book, video, talking book, compact disc or other item is lost, the cost of the item plus a processing fee will be charged.

Library materials are the sole responsibility of the person who has borrowed them, even if the item was then loaned to a family member or friend.

Your signature on your library card signifies your agreement with these rules.

1913

Prince Rupert's first library originated as a Municipal Reading Room located beside the Fire Hall on Fulton Street. The reading room opened its doors in 1913 with a stock of magazines and newspapers -- most of them in foreign languages -- and became a favourite haunt of men off the boats and the older men of the city looking for the latest news and gossip.

1922

As the city continued to grow and thrive, the citizens of Prince Rupert realized the need for an official library. After a whirlwind campaign for a bylaw to form a public library, the Prince Rupert Public Library came into existence as a one room shack, lined with shelves and heated by a large wood and coal pot-bellied stove. It was located on the corner of 3rd Avenue and 4th Street, where the City Hall fountain exists today. Miss Cruikshank managed a small, but growing collection of books, raised by an appeal for donations. After one year, the library had 1300 borrowers and circulated approximately 3000 books per month. People predicted it to be "influential in the life of the city."

1930s

During the thirties the library outgrew its small, wooden building and expanded into a two-story building, that it shared with the museum. This was located next door to the Government Agent's home on 2nd Avenue West where the current Post Office is now. Olive Van Cooten was the librarian, aided by an assistant, May MacDonald.

1940s-1950s

  After the Second World War, when the army moved out of the Civic Centre, the library moved in. There were two main rooms: a public lending department and a separate reference and reading room. It was opened to the public thirty-two hours a week and was manned by two full time and three part-time employees. It was during this time that Miss MacDonald took over as Librarian, a position which she filled from 1950-1965.

1968

The library continued to provide a popular service to the public until a disastrous fire broke out in the Civic Centre on April 20, 1968 that completely destroyed the library. Since the fire, the library had many homes. It lived in the Friendship House and later in the basement of the Christian Science Church, located beside one of the cinderpaths in CNR Park. Ruth Robson, the Librarian at this time, began rebuilding the bookstock and the Library Board began plans for a new building.

1971

Two and a half years later on January 14th, 1971, the new building opened its doors at 101-6th Avenue West. It had an area of 6000 square feet and had an effective book capacity of some 20,000 volumes.

In the years following the opening of the new facility it was clear that the library needed more space to accommodate books. There were proposals to relocate the library to the Pride O' the North or the Rupert Square Shopping Centre. It was even suggested that it be moved to a mobile library bus. City council decided that the library be left in its current location and that 7000 square feet of space be added to the building.

1982

In 1982, renovations to the building added a basement and a second floor, with more space for books, a proper workroom and staff lounge, a children's activity room, and a multipurpose room. In 1992, the library switched over to computer automation to organize and compile its booklist.

1997

In January 1997, the Internet Room was born. It was set up in the Multipurpose Room at the library and consisted of 7 PCs connected to the Internet. Previous librarians Michele Cook and Allan Wilson, along with many volunteers from the community and lots of hard work and preparation, are responsible for the creation of this increasingly popular service.

In January 2002 the library improved its Internet services by installing new desks in the Internet Room and increasing the number of PCs to 14.

From a small, wooden shack with a wood stove to a modern library, with a large collection of books, numerous computers, and public access to the Internet, the Prince Rupert Library has certainly become an integral part of the community. With plans for a new facility in the making, the library has a bright and exciting future.

Past Annual Reports:

2022 - 2020 - 2019 - 2018 - 2017 - 2016 - 2015 - 2014

The Prince Rupert Public Library's Mandate Is To:

• Assemble, preserve and administer, in organized collections, books and related educational and recreational material, in order to promote, through guidance and stimulation in the communication of ideas, an enlightened citizenship and enriched personal lives.
• Serve the community as a centre of reliable information
• Support the educational, civic, and cultural activities of community groups
• Provide opportunity and enrichment for children, young people, men and women to educate themselves continuously
• Seek continually to identify community needs, to provide programs of service and access to meet such needs, and to cooperate with other organizations, agencies and institutions which can provide programs and services to meet community needs

_{Source: (Prince Rupert Public Library Board, Statement of Policy, 1990 (Part 1.1 a-f))}

The Prince Rupert Library believes in the right of all citizens within our communities to access all expressions of knowledge, creativity and intellectual activity.  We follow the Canadian Library Association's Statement on Intellectual Freedom.  For further details of the CLA's position please see:

CLA Statement on Intellectual Freedom

CLA Statement on Internet Access

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Truth and Reconciliation at PRL

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