Okanagan Regional Library

What Okanagan Regional Library does

Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) is a public library system established in 1936 under British Columbia's Library Act, headquartered at 1430 KLO Road in Kelowna, Canada. It serves more than 399,000 residents across a 59,600 square kilometre service area through 30 branches, ranking as the 16th largest library system in Canada. ORL's core offering is free public membership providing access to physical collections (books, DVDs, CDs) and digital collections delivered through third-party platforms: Libby/OverDrive for ebooks and audiobooks, Kanopy for streaming video (over 30,000 titles), Naxos Music Library for classical and jazz recordings (over 190,000 CDs), PressReader for digital newspapers and magazines, and specialized research databases including Ancestry Library Edition, Academic Search Elite, and Canadian Newsstream. Membership, borrowing, makerspace use, programs, and computer access are provided at no charge to residents.

ORL's product surface extends well beyond traditional lending. ORL Makerspaces at multiple branches operate professional-grade creative equipment including Bambu Lab X1C and Prusa i3 MK3S+ 3D printers, Glowforge laser cutters, Cricut Maker cutting machines, audio and video recording studios, sublimation printers, heat presses, and digitization stations. The Library of Things program lends robots, microscopes, and other STEAM learning tools. Accessibility services include CELA, NNELS, DAISY formats, and specialized membership for print-disabled patrons. Additional offerings cover genealogy research, exam invigilation, meeting room rentals, interlibrary loan, the Regional Reads local author program, multilingual collections (seven languages plus Ukrainian), Summer Reading Club, and STEAM programming.

The business model is funded through municipal and regional taxation with no direct fees charged to patrons. Operating revenue is therefore tax appropriations rather than user payments, and customer relationships are universal within the service area rather than transactional. Governance is exercised through a Library Board and a CEO (Danielle Hubbard), with public accountability through board meetings, policies, and annual reports. Distribution is hybrid: 30 physical branches serve as community access points, while digital services extend reach globally to any authenticated cardholder. Marketing relies on the orl.bc.ca website, social media (Facebook, YouTube, Instagram), email, community events, and partnerships with educational institutions and nonprofits.

Name

Okanagan Regional Library

Legal name

Okanagan Regional Library

Website

https://orl.bc.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1936

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Okanagan Regional Library is a public library system serving 399,000+ residents across 59,600 sq km in British Columbia through 30 branches, offering free access to physical and digital collections, makerspaces, accessibility services, and educational programs funded through regional taxation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Kelowna

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Library Funding: Funded through regional taxation as a public library system. Membership is free to residents within the library's service region. Services are provided at no direct cost to patrons.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) operates a public library system serving over 399,000 residents across 59,600 square kilometres in British Columbia through 30 branch locations. The system lends physical books, DVDs, CDs, and a Library of Things collection, while providing digital access to ebooks, e-audiobooks, e-magazines, streaming films, classical music, genealogy databases, and academic research tools via integrated third-party platforms. ORL also runs hands-on Makerspaces with 3D printers, laser cutters, audio/video studios, and offers accessibility services, programs, and meeting room rentals, all provided at no direct cost to members.

Product overview

Okanagan Regional Library (ORL) is a public library system serving over 399,000 people across 59,600 square kilometers through 30 branches in British Columbia. Established in 1936, it is the 16th largest library in Canada. The ORL offers a comprehensive portfolio of products and services organized around physical and digital collections. Physical services include borrowing books, DVDs, and CDs across all branches, while digital offerings include ebooks, e-audiobooks, and e-magazines through Libby/OverDrive and PressReader platforms; streaming video through Kanopy with over 30,000 films; and classical music through Naxos Music Library. The library provides specialized resources including genealogy databases (Ancestry Library Edition, FamilySearch), academic research tools (Academic Search Elite, Canadian Newsstream, BC Historical Newspapers), French language content (Bibliothèque numérique de la Colombie-Britannique), and accessibility services through CELA and NNELS for patrons with print disabilities. ORL Makerspaces at select branches offer hands-on creative equipment including Bambu Lab X1C and Prusa 3D printers, Glowforge laser cutter, audio/video recording studios, sewing machines, Cricut makers, sublimation printing, and digitization stations. The Library of Things program allows borrowing of technology items like robots and microscopes. Additional services include STEAM programming, Summer Reading Club, reading clubs, meeting room rentals, exam invigilation, public computers, interlibrary loan, and Regional Reads for local authors. The Regional Reads collection highlights books by independent and self-published authors from the service area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Physical Library Collection Physical books, DVDs, CDs, and other physical media available for borrowing across 30 ORL branch locations throughout the Okanagan region, for residents holding a free library card.
• Ebooks and E-Books Digital books accessible through OverDrive/Libby platform, including popular fiction, biographies, nonfiction, and children's titles in ebook format, available to library cardholders.
• E-Audiobooks Digital audiobooks accessible through OverDrive/Libby platform, supporting loan periods of 7, 14, or 21 days, available on iOS, Android, and other devices for library cardholders.
• E-Magazines and E-Newspapers Digital access to magazines and newspapers through PressReader and Libby platform, including popular titles like Canadian Living, National Geographic, The New Yorker, and international newspapers, with unlimited access and no holds required.
• Kanopy Streaming Films Streaming video service offering free access to over 30,000 ad-free films including documentaries, independent cinema, world films, classic titles, The Great Courses lectures, and Kanopy Kids educational content; patrons receive 15 monthly tickets.
• Naxos Music Library Classical Streaming platform for classical music with over 190,000 CDs from Naxos, Marco Polo, Dacapo and other labels, also including jazz, folk, and world music with liner notes and biographies; supports up to 10 simultaneous users.
• Ancestry Library Edition Genealogy research database with billions of historical records, photos, newspapers, passenger lists, census records, birth and marriage certificates, military records, and family trees; available in-branch on library computers and Wi-Fi.
• LinkedIn Learning Online learning platform with expert-led video courses on business, technology, and creative skills, accessible to library cardholders for professional development and skill building.
• ORL Makerspaces Hands-on creative spaces at select ORL branches equipped with 3D printers, laser cutters, vinyl cutters, audio/video recording studios, sewing machines, sublimation printers, and digitization stations; requires certification and waiver completion.
• Library of Things Collection of borrowable technology and equipment including robots, sewing kits, microscopes, and other learning-focused items aimed at reducing waste and providing access to expensive equipment.
• Accessibility Services Specialized services and collections for patrons with print disabilities including CELA (Centre for Equitable Library Access), NNELS (National Network for Equitable Library Service), DAISY players and discs, large print books, audiobooks, and Braille materials through partnerships.
• Summer Reading Club Annual summer reading program for children and families featuring events, activities, and reading challenges to maintain literacy skills during summer break.
• Genealogy Resources Research guides and databases for family history research including Ancestry, FamilySearch, genealogical societies, microfilm records of historical newspapers, and interlibrary loan services.
• Meeting Room Rentals Meeting room and space rentals at ORL branches for community groups, study sessions, and events, bookable through the library's online booking system.
• Public Computers and Printing In-branch public computers, Wi-Fi access, printing services, and computer/internet assistance available at all ORL locations.
• Exam Invigilation Supervised exam-taking environment available at select ORL branches for students and professional certification requirements.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves over 399,000 people across 59,600 square kilometres
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration23 records

AI capability1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Okanagan CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizing community events including The Librarians film screening and panel discussion at Okanagan College's Kelowna Campus Theatre. Partnership brings together educators, students, library staff, and community members for shared learning and dialogue.
• UBC OkanagancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizing community events with Okanagan College and ORL including The Librarians film screening. Dr. Astrida Neimanis, UBCO Associate Professor and Canada Research Chair, participated in panel discussion.
• BC Libraries PresentcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerVirtual author series connecting readers across British Columbia with thought-provoking writers. ORL participates as host for events like the Cory Doctorow author talk.
• Kelowna & District Genealogical SocietyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerKDGS Family & Local History Resource Centre located on second floor of ORL's downtown Kelowna Branch. Non-profit, registered charity bringing together people for family history research.
• Kelowna Friends of the LibrarycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNon-profit organization formed in 1988 supporting ORL through fundraising book sales, including the annual Great Okanagan Book Sale. Supports Summer Reading Club, programming, and enhanced facilities.
• Indigenous Nations (Sinixt, K'tunaxa, Secwepemc, Syilx)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerORL acknowledges traditional territories of Sinixt, K'tunaxa, Secwepemc, and Syilx peoples. Works with Indigenous communities on accessibility initiatives, resources, and reconciliation efforts.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• BC Libraries Cooperative: Consortium that provides shared technology infrastructure, digital content licensing, and IT services to BC public libraries including ORL. Functions as an enabling ecosystem participant rather than a competitor.
• Kanopy: Streaming video platform contracted by ORL to provide 30,000+ films to library cardholders. Operates a library-pivot business model analogous to ORL's content-delivery function.
• BiblioCommons: Vendor providing ORL's online catalog, account management, and patron dashboard. Industry-standard library discovery layer used by many comparable Canadian and US public library systems.

Direct peers

• Edmonton Public Library: Alberta's largest library system, recognized for early adoption of makerspace and digital media services. Comparable peer in terms of municipal funding model and service innovation trajectory.
• Vancouver Public Library: BC's flagship public library system with comparable digital lending, makerspace initiatives, and multilingual collections. Operates at higher density than ORL but offers the same core service portfolio.
• Toronto Public Library: Canada's largest public library system, widely cited as an innovator in makerspaces, digital lending, and community programming. Sets the benchmark ORL aspires to in service breadth and innovation.
• Calgary Public Library: Major Canadian urban library known for its central library with extensive makerspaces and creative studios. Comparable in scale of digital content licensing and innovation programming.
• Fraser Valley Regional Library: Another large BC regional library system serving multiple municipalities with branches, digital collections, and community programming. Directly comparable in mandate, funding model (regional taxation), and service mix to ORL.

Broad incumbents

• OverDrive / Libby: Primary digital lending platform used by ORL for ebooks, audiobooks, and magazines. A critical infrastructure provider for the system, not a peer in the consumer-facing sense but central to ORL's digital service delivery.

Regional players

• Seattle Public Library: Pacific Northwest urban library system with comparable digital lending, makerspace offerings, and community programming. Operates in a different geography but offers a useful cross-border benchmark for service mix and innovation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/orlbc
• Facebookfacebook.com/OKRegLib
• Instagraminstagram.com/okanaganregionallibrary
• Xx.com/ORLreads

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Okanagan Regional Library