West Vancouver Memorial Library


	Vision

	To be recognized as the cornerstone of a literate, well informed and culturally nourished community.

	Mission

	The Library is an open, free and welcoming place. We connect people with ideas, information and cultures of the world. We enrich lives and are relevant and accessible to all.

	Values

	The Library, which includes the Library Board of Trustees (Library Board), Foundation, Friends, Volunteers and Staff, is guided by these values: Integrity. We are dedicated to honesty and openness in all we do. We are accountable to the community. Excellence. We provide outstanding service and embrace new ways of continuing this tradition. Mutual Respect. We respect one another, and recognize each other’s unique role and contribution. Stewardship. We are responsible to the community to protect and enhance its investment in the Library. Intellectual Freedom. We are committed to free and equal access to ideas and information and to the pursuit of learning, for life. We respect individual rights to privacy.

	Library News

	Sign up for our monthly eNewsletter to stay up to date about events at the Library or read the latest newsletter [PDF].

	The West Vancouver Memorial Library as a Safe Harbour

	In November, 2009 the West Vancouver Memorial Library became the first Safe Harbour location on the North Shore. The Safe Harbour sticker on the front door of the Library formalizes our role in the community as a temporary refuge. It indicates that someone who has experienced mistreatment or is upset will receive a helping hand such as a place to sit, a telephone to use, and information about how to seek further assistance. Our participation in the Safe Harbour Program also ensures our commitment to equitable treatment for everyone who visits the Library and the value of diversity.

	Join our Team

	Careers with the District of West Vancouver.

	Library History

	West Vancouver Memorial Library was founded in 1950 as a memorial to honour those who gave their lives during the Second World War so future generations would have the freedom to pursue knowledge without let or hinderance. On display in the main hall is a stained glass window created in 1931 by the master craftsman, John Henry Dearle, the chief designer for the London firm of Morris & Co. It is a reproduction of Sir Frank Dicksee's painting, "Harmony." The window was commissioned by Henry Stone, a founder of the Vancouver Art Gallery, and his wife Beatrice Stone, as a memorial to their son, Lieut. Horace Gordon Stone, who died in active service in 1918. The Art Gallery displayed the window until the Second World War, when it was removed for safekeeping. After the war, the window was returned to Mrs. Allan S. Gentles, Lieut. Stone's sister. When the West Vancouver Memorial Library was constructed in 1950, Mrs. Gentles presented the window to the Library where it has been displayed ever since. More on the Library's history and the Book of Remembrance can be found on the Royal Canadian Legion West Vancouver's website.

	WVML Privacy Policy