The ability to read and write is a lifeline. It’s easy for me to take those skills for granted, but not everyone has equal access, not even close. According to Statistics Canada, 45.9% of people in B.C. have a literacy skill lower than what is considered necessary for coping with everyday life. In practice, that means almost half of the population has trouble understanding things like newspapers, instruction manuals, and health information.
Reading and writing is linked to many other forms of literacy – financial, media, cultural, digital, civic, and more – that help us all navigate the world. “ Literacy has one of the most profound effects on not only an individual, but a community’s health,” says Patrick Siebold, Library Manager with Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL). Patrick runs the four VIRL branches on Haida Gwaii (Daajing Giids, Masset, Port Clements, Sandspit), as well as branches in Sayward and Tahsis on Vancouver Island. He says literacy affects everyone’s health, wealth, and success in life. “You teach someone how to read, and you develop a lifelong interest in learning.”
Patrick spent 20 years working in forestry before transitioning to the world of public libraries, first by working at the Masset branch as a Circulation Supervisor, then in Campbell River, and now back in Haida Gwaii. He also completed a Master of Library & Information Science degree, along with some training as a library technician. Today, he lives with his family in the Tow Hill Road community.
As a librarian, Patrick says he enjoys the variety the job brings and the connections he makes with people of all ages. “The heart work for me is the community work, like working with kids,” he says, describing popular VIRL events like puppet shows and storytimes. “We have, like, 30, 40 kids, and sometimes 30 parents stuffed into that little Masset branch, and it’s just wonderful. Like, it’s pure chaos, but it’s also just amazing.”
One common misconception, Patrick says, is that the library is only about books. The physical branches provide so many benefits to Haida Gwaii communities. They are safe, equitable environments where everyone is welcomed, and there is no expectation to buy anything. They can reduce social isolation, he says. And by providing free and open access to information that everyone can use, and not only the wealthy, libraries are also a critical institution that supports democracy.
I quizzed Patrick about the many, many services VIRL offers. I use the library a lot, but usually that is limited to requesting books that ride the ferry here from other branches. There is so much more. VIRL branches provide access to public computers and one-on-one assistance with technology, which helps to improve digital literacy. “ There’s also an assumption that everybody has a device or a computer at home,” Patrick says. “Well, that’s not true. Lots of people don’t, and it’s a really important service to offer.” Haida Gwaii library branches also offer book delivery services, which makes it easier for people with disabilities to participate. VIRL offers cognitive care kits, too, which were created during a partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society of B.C.
VIRL is collaborating with X̱aad Kíl Née (Haida Language Office) to build a new library branch in Masset. That branch will include a Haida Language Immersion Lab. This type of collaboration is the first of its kind in Canada, Patrick says. The new Masset VIRL branch expects to have a soft opening this spring before its grand opening with the X̱aad Kíl Immersion Lab on September 13, 2025.
Honestly, I am running out of room in this column to tell you about all the things VIRL is doing on Haida Gwaii. My recommendation is to visit virl.bc.ca and get familiar with services you might not yet know about. (Did you know they provide book club kits? Or that you can stream movies for free via Kanopy? Or use the Libby app to borrow audiobooks and e-books? Or that VIRL is hosting a speaker series? The Winter Reading Club is on now too, and you can win prizes like gift cards to Which 3rd Avenue Books! Okay, I’ll stop.)
Now for some book recommendations. Lately, Patrick has enjoyed The Heart in Winter, a 2024 western novel by Irish writer Kevin Barry. “It’s like prose verging on poetry,” he says. But more often, Patrick tends to read science fiction and fantasy. Some favourite titles are Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword, a modern re-telling of the King Arthur story. Others include Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth, something of an undead queer fantasy horror romp in space from 2019, and Martha Wells’ darkly comedic Murderbot series.
After a restful January break, Heidi and I are back to regular operating hours at Which 3rd Avenue Books: Fri 6-9 and Sat 12-5. Or you can always shop online and pick up – visit Which3AveBooks.com. The ability to read and write is a lifeline. It’s easy for me to take those skills for granted, but not everyone has equal access, not even close. According to Statistics Canada, 45.9% of people in B.C. have a literacy skill lower than what is considered necessary for coping with everyday life. In practice, that means almost half of the population has trouble understanding things like newspapers, instruction manuals, and health information.
Reading and writing is linked to many other forms of literacy – financial, media, cultural, digital, civic, and more – that help us all navigate the world. “ Literacy has one of the most profound effects on not only an individual, but a community’s health,” says Patrick Siebold, Library Manager with Vancouver Island Regional Library (VIRL). Patrick runs the four VIRL branches on Haida Gwaii (Daajing Giids, Masset, Port Clements, Sandspit), as well as branches in Sayward and Tahsis on Vancouver Island. He says literacy affects everyone’s health, wealth, and success in life. “You teach someone how to read, and you develop a lifelong interest in learning.”
Patrick spent 20 years working in forestry before transitioning to the world of public libraries, first by working at the Masset branch as a Circulation Supervisor, then in Campbell River, and now back in Haida Gwaii. He also completed a Master of Library & Information Science degree, along with some training as a library technician. Today, he lives with his family in the Tow Hill Road community.
As a librarian, Patrick says he enjoys the variety the job brings and the connections he makes with people of all ages. “The heart work for me is the community work, like working with kids,” he says, describing popular VIRL events like puppet shows and storytimes. “We have, like, 30, 40 kids, and sometimes 30 parents stuffed into that little Masset branch, and it’s just wonderful. Like, it’s pure chaos, but it’s also just amazing.”
One common misconception, Patrick says, is that the library is only about books. The physical branches provide so many benefits to Haida Gwaii communities. They are safe, equitable environments where everyone is welcomed, and there is no expectation to buy anything. They can reduce social isolation, he says. And by providing free and open access to information that everyone can use, and not only the wealthy, libraries are also a critical institution that supports democracy.
I quizzed Patrick about the many, many services VIRL offers. I use the library a lot, but usually that is limited to requesting books that ride the ferry here from other branches. There is so much more. VIRL branches provide access to public computers and one-on-one assistance with technology, which helps to improve digital literacy. “ There’s also an assumption that everybody has a device or a computer at home,” Patrick says. “Well, that’s not true. Lots of people don’t, and it’s a really important service to offer.” Haida Gwaii library branches also offer book delivery services, which makes it easier for people with disabilities to participate. VIRL offers cognitive care kits, too, which were created during a partnership with the Alzheimer’s Society of B.C.
VIRL is collaborating with X̱aad Kíl Née (Haida Language Office) to build a new library branch in Masset. That branch will include a Haida Language Immersion Lab. This type of collaboration is the first of its kind in Canada, Patrick says. The new Masset VIRL branch expects to have a soft opening this spring before its grand opening with the X̱aad Kíl Immersion Lab on September 13, 2025.
Honestly, I am running out of room in this column to tell you about all the things VIRL is doing on Haida Gwaii. My recommendation is to visit virl.bc.ca and get familiar with services you might not yet know about. (Did you know they provide book club kits? Or that you can stream movies for free via Kanopy? Or use the Libby app to borrow audiobooks and e-books? Or that VIRL is hosting a speaker series? The Winter Reading Club is on now too, and you can win prizes like gift cards to Which 3rd Avenue Books! Okay, I’ll stop.)
Now for some book recommendations. Lately, Patrick has enjoyed The Heart in Winter, a 2024 western novel by Irish writer Kevin Barry. “It’s like prose verging on poetry,” he says. But more often, Patrick tends to read science fiction and fantasy. Some favourite titles are Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword, a modern re-telling of the King Arthur story. Others include Tamsyn Muir’s Gideon the Ninth, something of an undead queer fantasy horror romp in space from 2019, and Martha Wells’ darkly comedic Murderbot series.
After a restful January break, Heidi and I are back to regular operating hours at Which 3rd Avenue Books: Fri 6-9 and Sat 12-5. Or you can always shop online and pick up – visit Which3AveBooks.com.