One of the first places I ever felt welcome in Vancouver was the Vancouver Public Library (VPL) in Kitsilano. My grandma would take me there when I was in town, for child reading groups, taking out books for my short stays, and scanning our hands in the photocopier. It made me think, this is what living in a big city is like.
Image from VPL website.
I went back to the same library when I moved to Vancouver, and was sad to find I couldn’t get a card, as I am living on campus, which isn’t in the municipality of Vancouver. At first I was disappointed, but after a few weeks at UBC, I realized how much the school library itself offered me. The Irving K Barber Learning Centre, when filled with hushed or murmuring students, feels alive. There are people who can answer the specific questions I have as a new student. As I enjoyed it, I wondered about the limits of the lack of Vancouver Public Library cards; the endowment lands hold more than just students. UBC has what I need, but what about all the other things a public library provides? As it turns out, if you live in UBC family housing or certain neighborhoods on the endowment lands, you can get one with a community centre card from those areas.
I got this information after talking to a welcoming librarian at the VPL, who explained the basics to me. He was curious how the system worked, too. I was out of the cold in the library on a rainy evening, feeling somewhat out of place and nervous to ask my question, yet nonetheless calmed by the hush of the library. But that’s what these locations can be for: figuring out how the city’s systems work and where you can get support. The librarian wanted to help, and directed me to a blog post by a UBC librarian with details of how someone on campus can get access— specifically those living in places where they are very likely to have kids, and therefore benefit most from a public space for learning. Multiple people were doing their best to make sure the information was as easy to access as it could be.
In my search I learned about the University Neighborhoods Association community centre, who provides their own support and community events, along with connecting people to the city. The VPL website’s front page advertises kids storytimes, classes to learn the Canadian legal system, writing classes, and tutoring for teenagers. It can feel intimidating to be in a new place, but if you reach for it, there is a whole chain of support that can help you.