Titles from Alice Munro, Kenneth Oppel, Susan Juby and other notable Canadian authors lined bookshelves as literacy took centre stage when a second library suddenly popped up today at the B.C. Parliament Buildings.

Minister of Education Mike Bernier and the Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) welcomed the legislature’s first Pop-Up library to help proclaim October 2015 as Library Month in British Columbia and Monday, Oct. 26, 2015, as School Library Day.

Reading and literacy are keys to success in life and that’s why they are both key parts of B.C.’s new curriculum that will be phased into classrooms over the next three years.

A Pop-Up library is a temporary installation that libraries use to promote literacy beyond their branches. At the Parliament Buildings, the GVPL showcased books from local authors and brought along its bike-mobile, the perfect transport for Pop-Up events.

Using the mobile checkout system, guests registered for library cards and signed out books. The GVPL also shared its innovative approaches to literacy services and collections. Tablets, e-books and curated Books-to-Go bags help even the busiest person take time for reading.

https://www.facebook.com/BCProvincialGovernment/posts/1072012642817027As part of Library Month, the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians Association is hosting the ninth anniversary of the Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) challenge. On Oct. 26, all British Columbians are invited to drop everything, put down their work and turn off computer screens so they can read a book, magazine or newspaper for 20 minutes.

Last month, the Ministry of Education provided $500,000 to Postmedia’s Raise-A-Reader campaign. Working with Decoda Literacy Solutions, B.C.’s only provincewide literacy organization, the campaign supports community-based literacy organizations throughout the province.

Since 2002, the Province has invested more than $206 million in public libraries. B.C.’s libraries are partners in fostering lifelong learning and connect British Columbians to their communities and the world.

Quotes:

Mike Bernier, Minister of Education ─

“Our libraries are places where imaginations can run wild and where great ideas begin. Pop-Up libraries are a great way of making books and reading even more accessible to the community. This October, take the time to find your next favourite author and catch the reading bug.”

Maureen Sawa, CEO, Greater Victoria Public Library ─

“Libraries are more important than ever. Public libraries are trusted community resources where people of all ages and abilities can connect and discover. Lifelong learning is key to vibrant economies and I am delighted that the Province recognizes the essential role that libraries play in empowering individuals to succeed.”

Annette Defavari, executive director, BC Library Association ─

“Library Month is important for all libraries including post-secondary, public, school and special libraries. Library Month is an opportunity to recognize the work libraries do to serve and build their communities, to provide overarching access to information, to promote literacy to people of all ages and backgrounds, and to encourage innovation by being the creative and collaborative hubs in our society.”

Quick Facts:

British Columbia’s first public library opened in 1891. Since then, they have served as community hubs providing access to information, programs and services for B.C. residents.

Public library system snapshot:

• 246 library locations.
• Nearly 16 million items available.
• Nearly 58 million visits to libraries and their websites each year.
• About 57 million items borrowed each year.
• 1.3 million B.C. residents attended a library program in 2013.

Learn More:

Greater Victoria Public Library: http://gvpl.ca/

Decoda Literacy Solutions: http://decoda.ca/