UBC’s Okanagan Library and the Okanagan Regional Library are partnering to open a new Innovation Library this September.
The pilot, funded partially by the Irving K. Barber Learning Fund and a private British Columbia-based foundation, will open the Innovation Library within the downtown Kelowna Branch of the Okanagan Regional Library. The library is the result of community consultation with local residents, who asked for the convenience of location paired with access to UBC Library resources, says UBC Okanagan Chief Librarian Heather Berringer.
The space will provide a place for public online research and access to many UBC resources for alumni and community members, as well as students and faculty who may prefer its central location. In addition to the resources, a Community Innovation Librarian will provide in-person support and academic consultations to support students, faculty, alumni and community members.
“The Innovation Library will benefit UBC Okanagan students engaged in community-based learning and co-operative education placements,” Berringer says. “It is also equipped to support faculty members working on off-campus initiatives including regional socio-economic development projects in and with communities. And it is open for public use.”
The library is expected to open in early September.
For more information, read the news release.
A similar story also appeared in:
- Kelowna Daily Courier, “UBCO to open public space for research inside library,” (May 22)
- Kelowna Capital News, “UBC Innovation Library at Kelowna Library main branch,” (May 27)
- Library Journal InfoDocket, “New Public Library / Academic Library Partnership Bringing Innovation Library to Coming to British Columbia,” (May 30)