The Oak Bay branch was a hotspot for bookworms last year, according to Greater Victoria Public Library (GVPL) data.
“It remains one of the busiest branches in our system,” said GVPL's CEO Maureen Sawa.
In 2024, the Monterey Avenue library placed second in checkouts and the circulation of physical materials among GVPL’s 12 branches, behind Saanich’s Nellie McClung Library. The Central Branch ranked third.
While library visits rose by 10.8 per cent across the GVPL system last year, the Oak Bay branch logged a 61.8 per cent increase, snagging second place for in-person visits, thanks to the 1,843,553 people who perused its well-appointed stacks.
Four hundred kids also completed the B.C. Summer Reading Club – a free literacy program designed to engage school-aged children – at the Oak Bay branch in 2024. This was the third most popular of these programs in Greater Victoria.
“Several factors contributed to this growth. The branch saw a significant rise in new cardholders during 2024, issuing 1,627 new library cards – a 17.2 per cent increase – as more people discovered our services. Public computer use nearly doubled, reflecting increased demand for digital access,” said Sawa. “Engaging library programming, like the B.C. Summer Reading Club, a strong reading culture in the community and enhanced collections also played a role.”
The library closed for over four months in 2023, after Oak Bay discovered asbestos in the building. Sawa noted this played a role in the branch's rise in usage last year.
“While the 2023 closure contributed to the year-over-year increase, the continued rise in cardholders, program participation and digital access points to a broader trend: more people are turning to the library for learning, connection, entertainment and community,” said the CEO.
On Feb. 24, Sawa outlined the library's popularity at an Oak Bay council meeting, which prompted kind words from Mayor Kevin Murdoch.
“As much as the usage is driven, perhaps, [by] changing demographics and needs, a lot of it is driven by providing a service and product that people want and get benefit from, and you’re doing a great job of meeting that need and responding, so I just want to say thank you for all the work that goes in,” he said.
The public also had great things to say about the branch.
“There’s lots of parking around here and I like the layout. It feels very comfortable," said Kathrine Ogg, who regularly visits the library. "It just feels like a living room somehow."
The Victoria resident noted she would rather borrow books from the Oak Bay branch than the Central one.
“I feel threatened a bit [downtown]. I’m an older person. Here, you feel comfortable. Most people are your age or there are a lot of young mothers and kids," she said. "I know it is a smaller branch, but it feels like it’s got everything you need."
Oak Bay resident Margaret Drew noted the library's convenient location might help explain its popularity.
"Partly because it's attached to the Monterey Centre here, you’re able to do lots of other things. There are so many activities that go on here that I think that’s one of the main reasons," she said. “I tie it in with other things."
Others, including another Oak Bay local Carol Fabri, noted that Oak Bay's older population could help account for the branch's usage.
“I think maybe it’s the demographic. Maybe people that live here might be an older demographic – people who have been reading all their life and carry on," she said.
Victoria resident Erica, who opted not to share her surname, expressed a similar sentiment.
“I think we’re still seeing a surge in retirees coming to Oak Bay and the bulge in the population from the boomers isn’t quite finished yet, so you’ve still got that influx," she said. "It’s just so popular with the silver tops."
