Louis Bockner/B次元官网网址 staff

Coffee, cake, and conversation will be served at the View Royal Reading CentreB次元官网网址檚 70th anniversary this weekend.

The centre, founded in 1943, is in its third location B次元官网网址� the previous being the basement of  town hall B次元官网网址� and holds the honour of being Greater VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 longest running library.

B次元官网网址淭here ainB次元官网网址檛 nobody in town whoB次元官网网址檚 got a library that old, especially one that is run by volunteers,B次元官网网址� said vice chair Brenda Sunter a 20-year volunteer at the centre.

In 2007 the library changed its status to reading centre to get more funding but the following year the government changed policies resulting in funding being cut all together. Since then the centre has been kept open by 40 volunteers, donations from patrons, and local and provincial grants.

The centreB次元官网网址檚 chair, Doreen Jackman, says that despite the economic hardships they still manage to keep over 25,000 books on the shelves and offer a personal service that is harder to find in bigger institutions.

B次元官网网址淎t a small library like this we know our patrons and we know their tastes,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淭he larger libraries arenB次元官网网址檛 quite like that.B次元官网网址�

She encourages all ages to come meet the staff, eat cake, drink coffee and celebrate 70 years of reading during the house April 20 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at 1497 Admirals Rd., suite 103b in the Admirals Walk shopping centre.