Place a hold on a Telescope now!
Telescopes (lending collection and in-library experience)
Telescopes are a part of The Playground at FVRL and are both a lending collection and in-library experience.
Telescopes at FVRL
Fraser Valley Regional Library offers easy-to-use, portable telescopes for loan. Through telescope lending we hope to inspire our customers with a rewarding introduction to the world of astronomy, stimulate interest in science and foster scientific literacy.
Borrowing a Telescope Kit With Your FVRL Card
Want to borrow a Telescope Kit? It's easy! All you need is an FVRL card. Telescope Kits circulate throughout FVRL - if we don't have one available at your local library, we can put a hold on the next available telescope, and deliver it to your nearest FVRL location. You can check availability at your library, or in the FVRL catalogue.
You may borrow a Telescope Kit for a three-week loan period (and renew it up to three times) – however if there are other customers waiting, you may borrow it for two weeks only. Please return your Telescope Kit on time to a service desk at any FVRL location. The telescope collection is available to FVRL full access cardholders only – see Getting a Library Card for more details.
What's Inside the Kit
Each kit includes a telescope, eyepieces, introductory astronomy book, setup sheet, survey and soft carrying case.
Information on Weather
We live in a temperate rain forest, but do not despair! The Fraser Valley has year-round opportunities to use one of our telescopes for starviewing! Resources such as Clear Dark Sky can be used to determine what dates and times will have minimal cloud cover to obstruct your star viewing! Clear Dark Sky provides Clear Sky Charts for 150+ locations in British Columbia.
There are also a number of indoor or day-time activities that you could explore with an FVRL telescope! You can familiarize yourself with how telescopes work, for example you can learn how to calibrate its spotting scope. You can also practice your spotting skills with a game of I-Spy with a friend!
Astronomy Resources - Keep Learning!
Connect with FVRL staff for help working with one of our Telescope Kits. Book a Librarian for one-on-one help on any topic. Visit our library catalogue to find astronomy resources.
Apps are also great resources for amateur astronomy. Red flashlight apps make pathfinding and chart reading easier in the dark – without affecting your night vision. Sky mapping apps make learning and finding constellations easy! Stellarium is free planetarium software for your desktop, useful for planning your night’s viewing schedule. You can find printable sky charts online at Deep-Sky Watch.
To learn more about astronomy and make new friends, connect with local astronomy clubs such as the:
- Royal Astronomical Society of Canada Vancouver Centre
- Fraser Valley Astronomers Society
- Vancouver Astronomy Meetup Group
Playground Events
Want to learn more about the FVRL Playground? Visit the Events page to find upcoming events. If there are no events, check back soon!
Telescope Events
There are also a number of events in your community. The Fraser Valley Astronomers Society hosts meetings and Starviewing Parties. Visit their event calendar for dates and time.
Donor
FVRL gratefully acknowledges the Mission Heritage Association for their contribution of seven telescopes to this collection.
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