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!
March – October
10 am–4:30 pm Monday–Friday
11 am–3 pm Saturday
November – February
10 am–2 pm Monday – Friday
11 am–2 pm Saturday
Please note: the Library is closed on Sundays and statutory holidays.
Download the 2026 reading list here.
Join us on the second Monday of the month in February, April, June, September and November from 1–2 pm.
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.
2026 Dates
Date: February 9, 1 pm–2 pm
Theme: Oh, The Stories they Can Tell!
Register Here
Date: April 13, 1 pm–2 pm
Theme: Let the River(s) Run
Register Here
Date: June 8, 1 pm–2 pm
Theme: Modern Plant Explorers and the Thrill of the Hunt
Register Here
September 14, 1 pm–2 pm
Theme: Accidental Adventures in Rescuing, Rearing and Renewal
Register Here
November 9, 1 pm–2 pm
Theme: Botanical Journeys Around the Globe
Register Here
To view our VanDusen Book Club Reading List archive: click here
3 to 5 year olds and their families are invited to join us for Preschool Storytime in the Library!
Colour, Climate, and Connections to the Land
Wednesday, November 25 | 6:30–8 pm
Join Caitlin ffrench as she shares how she gathers and grows plants to work with as dyes, how climate change has been impacting this work, and how you can grow your own colours. ffrench works with these dyed fabric and fibres in her artistic practice and she will be discussing her current body of work.
Exhibition: Blooms in Paint
by Elizabeth Austin
September to December 2026
Elizabeth Austin is a passionate visual artist whose love of the outdoors is deeply rooted in the landscapes of British Columbia’s West Coast. She finds endless inspiration in observing the intricate details of the natural world, translating them into vibrant paintings with expressive colours and distinctive brushstrokes. For Elizabeth, painting is a reminder that every day counts and that each day offers a fresh canvas.
Elizabeth has been painting and creating for more than 35 years. During that time, she has participated in over 100 group exhibitions, as well as numerous solo shows. For 27 years, her work has been featured by BC Children’s Hospital and in a variety of commercial projects. Her greatest passion is creating commissioned pieces, many of which hang in homes around the world.
Elizabeth is an Exhibiting Member of the Federation of Canadian Artists. She is also a member of the North Shore Artists’ Guild and the North Vancouver Arts Council, and serves as a Director of Vancouver Plein Air.
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
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).
