Circulating Through Chilliwack: The FVRL Chilliwack Branch  

The Fraser Valley Regional Library (FVRL) and the Chilliwack Library were at the forefront of library experimentation when first opened in August 1930. Created through a $100,000 grant ($1,550,000 in 2020, accounting for inflation) provided by the Carnegie Corporation of New York, the library system was to accommodate citizens from Ladner to Hope with headquarters originally located in Chilliwack. The system was designed to consist of more than just libraries: it would include a main book distribution, deposit stations and a travelling van (the first in Canada) to reach citizens located in rural areas. In the months prior to the opening, the Chilliwack Progress reported the network would be one of the most comprehensive on the continent once opened. 

The first Chilliwack Library location was at the corner of Nowell and Maxwell Streets and the library enjoyed much fanfare in the first few days following its opening. School aged children were treated to readings of Kipling and refreshments on the Thursday and Friday before the library opened for full service on Saturday. The first Saturday of operations was particularly busy, with over 375 books being checked out in one day alone. This contributed to the more than 1,000 library cards that were signed in the first few days of service at the branch, an impressive number for the reported combined 8,263 people reported to be living in the City of Chilliwack and Township of Chilliwhack in the 1921 British Columbia Municipal Census. The first three books checked out were “Clemenceau” by Martlet, “Concerning Man’s Origin” by Sir Arthur Keith and “Our Face from Fish to Man” by William K. Gregory.

Growing collections and demand for library services in Chilliwack spurred relocation of the library. A new facility, financed by both City and Township governments, was built at the corner of Wellington Avenue and College Streets in 1949 where Cyrus Centre is today. In 1981, the library relocated once more to its current facility at Salish Place, waiving all overdue book fees for a week to mark the occasion.