Yosef Wosk Library & Resource Centre

The Yosef Wosk Library and Resource Centre is the largest public access botanical and horticultural library in western Canada and complements the living resources of VanDusen Botanical Garden. In addition to our collection, you can enjoy regular community events hosted at the library.

Search our library catalogue here!

  • +2024 Library Opening Hours
    Dates Opening Hours
    January & February 10.00am – 2.00pm Mon – Fri
    11.00am – 2.00pm Sat
    March – October 10.00am – 4.30pm Mon – Fri
    11.00am – 3.00pm Sat
    November & December 10.00am – 2.00pm Mon – Fri
    11.00am – 2.00pm Sat

    Please note: the Library is closed on Sundays

  • +Rae Warner Speaker Series

    March 21, 2024: 6.30pm – 7.30pm – Online

    Topic: Acoustic Traditions of Whales (Online)
    Presenter: Janie Wray

    Register now!

    About the presentation:

    This presentation will examine the acoustic traditions and culture of Orca, Humpback and Fin Whales along the coast of British Columbia. It will include a discussion on the importance of sound, a quiet ocean for whales, and the different technologies being used to record and better understand the habitat, use, and communication of whales.

    About the speaker:

    Janie Wray, CEO and lead researcher for BC Whales, has studied the acoustic traditions and culture of whale behaviour for the last 24 years. She is the founder of the North Coast Cetacean Society, BC Whales and the Fin Island Marine Institute, and recently became the science director for Orcalab. She is devoted to the protection of whales and their precious habitat needs along the coast of British Columbia.

    Register now!

  • +VanDusen Book Club

    Download the 2024 reading list here.

    Join us on the second Monday of the month in February, April, June, September and November from 1-2 pm for in-person meetings in the Guide classroom.

    We purposely choose general topics to allow members to find materials that interest them and so that there is less demand on a limited number of copies of a particular book. Members are asked to read one, or as many of the suggested books as they like.

    To prepare for Book Club meetings, check out the Yosef Wosk Library and Resource Centre at the VanDusen Garden Visitor Center, your local library and bookstore for books, ebooks and audiobooks. You are also welcome to conduct your own research online.

     

    2024 Dates Theme Register
    February 12, 1pm – 2pm A Bug’s Life and Why It Matters See reading list and register here!
    April 8, 1pm – 2pm For Peat’s Sake, Don’t Drain That Swamp! See reading list and register here!
    June 10, 1pm – 2pm Planting Roses and Politics See reading list and register here!
    September 9, 1pm – 2pm Ahead of Their Time See reading list and register here!
    November 11, 1pm – 2pm How Not to Save the Planet See reading list and register here!
  • +Preschool Storytime

    3 to 5 year olds and their families are invited to join us for Preschool Storytime in the Library!

    To register for Preschool Storytime and to view more Family Programs, click here!

  • +Roberta Mickelson Gallery Exhibitions

    Come visit our new exhibition:

    Feathers and Fur
    by;  Francine Drouin

    Admission: FREE
    January 8-April 26, 2024

    Admission: FREE

    Francine grew up in a serene part of the Ottawa Valley. Supported by a father who loved art, she was encouraged to pursue dance, music and painting at an early age. An unexpected relocation to Vancouver over two decades ago fostered her desire to ‘capture a moment in time’.

    Many of her works explore the use of photography as a means to create rather than to document, thus fusing reality with the imagined. Francine has developed a technique often described as evocative and intriguing. Best known for her painterly style, her images have a minimalistic quality that is displayed in her composition, use of colour, as well as subject matter.

    As sources of inspiration, and in her quest to create unique works, she continues to incorporate other art forms.

    See these artworks at the Roberta Mickelson Gallery in the Yosef Wosk Library & Resource Centre 10:00am -2:00pm Monday – Friday, and Saturday 11:00am – 2:00pm

  • +About the Library

    Founded in 1976, and relocated to the new Visitor Centre in 2011, the Yosef Wosk Library and Resource Centre is the largest public access botanical and horticultural library in western Canada.

    The library’s collection focuses on gardening in British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest, and covers a wide range of topics including gardening techniques, selecting and growing ornamental plants, native floras from around the world, vegetable and herb gardening, pruning and training, North American ethnobotany, butterfly gardening, native plant gardening, flower arrangement, plant hunters, garden history, pests and diseases, garden design, gardens to visit, horticulture in urban environments, botany and plant ecology, plant conservation, literature in the garden, garden art, organic gardening, environmental science and much more.

    The Yosef Wosk Library and Resource Centre’s research collection complements the living resources of VanDusen Botanical Garden. In addition to our collection, you can enjoy regular community events hosted at the library.

    If you would like to connect with us before your visit please contact: library@vandusen.org

  • +F.A.Q.

    Are you open to the general public?
    Yes! Anyone can use our library although only VanDusen Botanical Garden Association (VBGA) members are able to borrow books.

    As a Vancouver Botanical Gardens Association (VBGA) member, can I check out materials?
    VBGA members can borrow 3 books for 3 weeks at a time from our lending collection (all books with a green or orange label on their spines). Your VBGA membership card functions as your library card. Circulating items may be renewed once by e-mail or phone if they are not already overdue, and if no hold has been placed on them. All other materials are for library use only.

    Do you answer questions over the telephone? By email?
    Both! Contact us through library@vandusen.org or at 604-257-8668. The library staff and volunteers will be happy to let you know what information we have in the library on your topic and give answers and referrals whenever possible.

    Are you part of the Vancouver Public Library system?
    No, we are not.

    Do you accept donations of books and magazines?
    The Yosef Wosk Library & Resource Centre accepts donations of books. All donated material is reviewed according to the selection criteria applied to purchased material. If your donation is not needed for the library collection, it will be sold in a used book sale with the proceeds going to the library’s book acquisition budget. However, due to limited storage space, we may not be able to accept larger donations and out-of-date material.

    Can I donate a book in memory of someone?
    Yes. All gift books that are accepted into our collection will be processed with a memorial bookplate, if desired. You may contact us at 604-257-8668 for more information.

    My plant is sick. If I bring it into the library, can you tell me what’s wrong?
    We recommend you contact the Vancouver Master Gardeners Association of BC (Vancouver chapter) here. However, the library staff will help you find and use books from our reference collection on pests and diseases.

    Can I make a cash donation to the Library?
    If you wish to direct a financial donation to support the Library, to enhance the collection or donate to our Adopt-a-Shelf program please contact fundraising@vandusen.org or call 604-257-8677.

    Do I need to wear a mask in the library?
    Masks are no longer mandatory in all indoor public spaces in alignment with updates to the public health orders issued by the Provincial government. You are welcome to keep wearing masks, depending on your level of comfort.

    Contact Information:
    Marina Princz: Librarian
    Tel. 604-257-8668
    Email: library@vandusen.org
    Yosef Wosk Library and Resource Centre
    5151 Oak Street
    Vancouver, British Columbia
    V6M 4H1

    We are a member of the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries (www.cbhl.net).