Library Champions Project

Program History and Current Results

Since 2013, the Library Champions Project has been changing the lives of new immigrants in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Thanks to our partners, including numerous libraries and community agencies, and to funding from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), we’ve grown every year, consistently exceeding our goals. Even when COVID-19 hit, we were able to adapt and move to deliver online and continued to exceed our targets.

By winter 2021, we had expanded our reach across British Columbia, delivering our services to newcomers, libraries, and service providers in more than 22 communities, including rural areas. Annually, over 200 individuals are trained as Library Champions; in total we’ve trained more than 2,300 new immigrants. Collectively, they’ve reached out to over 112,000 fellow newcomers through one-to-one meetings, group sessions, and emails, and have made over 2.3 million impressions via social media.

But our impact goes beyond numbers. Our Library Champions undergo transformative experiences, gaining skills, understanding different cultures, and forming lasting connections. They have become a vital component of the settlement continuum, guiding other newcomers to resources and services. Our program is more than just a service—it’s an essential part of the integration of thousands of newcomers to B.C.

To download a PDF version of these highlights, click here: Library Champions Project Highlights.

Becoming a Library Champion gives me the opportunity to help more people like me.

As a newcomer, it was a good opportunity to learn about the valuable resources and services in the community

Program Numbers per Year

Over the years, participation and program demand has remained high, but social media impressions have increased markedly.

Community	Groups	Attendees of Info Session	LCs Enrolled	LCs Trained	LCs Completed Project	Newcommers Reached	Reps of Orgs Reached	Social Media Impressions
2022-23	20	377	247	208	198	6,051	982	989,816
2021-22	16	296	201	185	177	11,572	484	1,244,017
2020-21	16	263	195	184	175	6,079	406	14,135
2019-20	15	250	181	165	155	5,978	347	2,310
2018-19	15	197	184	175	170	8,303	510	3,617
2017-18	15	179	176	168	166	8,232	699	1,532
2016-17	15	230	195	189	178	9,683	684	7,993
2015-16	16	307	237	219	203	13,675	970	0
2014-15	15	334	207	204	193	13,062	843	0
2013-14	30	664	363	357	345	25,513	2,114	0
Grand Total	173	3,097	2,186	2,054	1,960	108,148	8,039	2,263,420

Numbers by Community Since Inception

Program participation continues to expand, reaching newcomers across the province.

Community	Groups	Attendees of Info Session	LCs Enrolled	LCs Trained	LCs Completed Project	Newcommers Reached	Reps of Orgs Reached	Social Media Impressions
Vancouver	37	765	479	451	429	27,711	2,059	1,463,604
Surrey	28	608	404	380	364	19,694	1,986	136,417
Richmond	21	333	250	237	224	12,552	942	270,498
Coquitlam	11	231	156	152	144	8,086	586	385
Burnaby & New Westminster	11	133	132	124	119	4,593	326	54,075
Coquitlam & Port Moody	10	179	131	120	119	6,997	290	71,579
Burnaby	10	178	125	115	114	5,514	355	2,027
North Shore	9	119	107	100	94	5,203	256	101,051
Langley	7	120	97	92	86	3,409	300	147,432
West Vancouver	7	100	73	73	67	4,087	262	128
North Vancouver, City	4	82	52	50	47	3,317	221	0
Abbotsford	4	44	43	41	39	1,738	115	1,356
Maple Ridge	4	45	38	35	33	957	57	1,454
New Westminster	2	29	22	14	13	1,289	91	0
Regional Groups	1	23	17	15	15	532	17	102
North Vancouver, District	1	20	16	15	14	887	26	0
Greater Victoria	2	17	13	11	11	362	9	5,307
Metro Vancouver	1	27	11	11	10	225	77	4,193
Port Moody	1	12	8	6	6	278	12	17
Kelowna – Okanagan	1	17	6	6	6	200	11	3,795
Delta	1	15	6	6	6	517	41	0
Grand Total	173	3,097	2,186	2,054	1,960	108,148	8,039	2,263,420

2022 – 2023 Program Highlights

In 2022 – 2023, NewToBC offered 21 cycles of the program, recruiting 253 Library Champions (214 completed training, 204 completed the program). Champions originated from more than 40 countries, reflective of the diverse demographics of new immigrants to British Columbia.

These Champions reached out to 6,251 other newcomers and delivered 993 presentations to groups at a range of community agencies. They made more than 650 posts on various social media platforms, including ethnic social media platforms, promoting the project and library and community resources. These posts made nearly 1 million impressions across platforms.

One of the most fulfilling things about being a Library Champion is seeing the impact of our work. When we organize events or share resources, we can see the immediate benefits for our community.

I’d definitely recommend the program, and I’d do it by saying that it is the most efficient way to connect with other newcomers, learn about the different library services, practice your English in a safe group, and find yourself belonging to the community.

Community	Groups	Attendees of Info Session	LCs Enrolled	LCs Trained	LCs Completed Project	Newcommers Reached	Reps of Orgs Reached	Social Media Impressions
Burnaby	2	38	27	18	18	235	13	2,027
Coquitlam & Port Moody	2	45	29	23	22	745	47	54,303
Greater Victoria	2	17	13	11	11	362	9	5,307
Langley	1	7	10	9	9	150	2	1,650
Maple Ridge	1	10	7	6	5	164	19	1,261
Metro Vancouver	1	27	11	11	10	225	77	4,193
North Shore	2	22	21	19	18	811	42	60,512
Richmond	2	37	20	18	18	398	109	144,278
Surrey	3	64	53	47	44	1,618	501	12,530
Vancouver	4	110	56	46	43	1,343	163	703,755
Grand Total	20	377	247	208	198	6,051	982	989,816