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History of the Library

The Valemount Public Library serves the Regional District Area H which includes the Canoe and Robson Valleys. The library was started in the 1950’s and was incorporated as a Public Library Association in March 1964. We have occupied 5 different locations, the first being a private home, with each successive location increasing in size to accommodate our growing collection.

The library moved into the present location, built by a local log builder, in April 1988. Funding for the new building was provided by an Expo Legacy Grant from Vancouver’s Expo ’86 and the property for the library was provided by the Village of Valemount.

The library property is shared with the Valemount and Area Museum. The location is a beautiful, park-like setting, with benches, tables, giant chess board and playground, surrounded by trees and views of the mountains. Maintenance of the property is a combined effort of the library, museum, and village public works staff. The amazing flower garden in front of the library is the result of volunteer efforts by one of our board members who has a very “green thumb”.

The library’s operational needs have been covered under the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George (RDFFG) referendum since 1982. Included in the Robson Valley/Canoe Libraries Service are the libraries from Valemount and McBride. We receive RDFFG funding through the submission and approval of an annual budget.

The Valemount Public Library is an independent association that is a member of the North Central Library Federation (NCLF); a group of ten libraries that work together for educational opportunities, library programming, and group purchasing.

All functions such as ordering, cataloguing and maintenance of collections, and development of services and programs are handled by the Library Director and staff.

We feel that the library is very important to the community and do our best to present a welcoming and friendly atmosphere to our patrons. We hope you enjoy the library and all its resources, which are frequently updated with new collections and formats available.