Special Collections

Vancouver Public Library has a comprehensive collection of materials to help with local history research. Much of this material can be found in Special Collections at the Central Library.

Located on Level 7 of the Central Library, we are open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Special Collections houses:

• The Northwest History Collection of rare, unique and historically valuable books, periodicals, directories, pamphlets and maps relating to the history of British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.
• The Historical Photographs Collections of BC and Yukon, a portion of which is accessible online – see below for more information.
• The Rare Books/Book Arts Collection, a collection of rare books and locally produced fine press books.
• The Marion Thompson Collection of Children’s Books, a collection of materials representative of the best of publishing and illustrating for children, dating from 1728 to the 1950s.

Visit our information page to learn more about the services and resources available in Special Collections.