History

History

InterLINK is built upon the foundations of the Greater Vancouver Library Federation, which operated from 1975-1994.

Public Library InterLINK is the business name of the InterLINK Federated Public Library System which was established April 1st, 1994 after operating for 19 months as a pilot project funded by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and its twelve member public library boards - Bowen; Burnaby; Coquitlam; Fraser Valley; New Westminster; North Vancouver City; North Vancouver District; Port Moody; Richmond; Surrey; Vancouver and West Vancouver.

In January 1997, both Squamish and Whistler joined the federation bringing the membership up to fourteen public libraries. The Pemberton Public Library Association joined in May 1998 and in January 1999, Gibsons and Sechelt joined the federation. The most recent addtion to the federation was the Lillooet Area Library Association, which joined the federation on May 1, 2007.

Today Public Library InterLINK is a successful co-operative federation of eighteen autonomous public libraries. It operates as a Library Federation according to the Library Act of British Columbia (1994) Section 49 and is governed by a library board constituted in accordance with that act.