the current building in 1981. The new building was designed by Graham Tudor as the final result of an architectural competition. It is 2.5 times larger than the previous library space and within ten days of opening, circulation was up by 150%. The branch was named after Bob Harkins after his passing in 2001. Mr. Harkins was a broadcaster, journalist, city councillor, library trustee, and a prominent volunteer in the community. Location The building is located in downtown Prince George, at 888 Canada Games Way. It is attached to the Prince George Conference and Civic Centre, across the street from the Prince George Coliseum. Nechako Branch The Nechako Library was built in 1971 by the Hart Highway community as a centennial project. The first location was in a portable on South Kelly Road. In 1974, the Nechako library owned 715 books and had an additional 4,500 books on loan from the Library Development Commission. The 2,000 square foot library was open for 25 hours per week When the Hart Community amalgamated with the City of Prince George in 1975, the Nechako Library became a branch of the Prince George Public Library. In 1980, the building was moved across the road to the grounds of Kelly Road Secondary School, where it remained until the summer of 1995. The Nechako branch officially re-opened in the Hart Shopping Centre on Sept 9, 1995 where it continues to serve the Hart Highlands community Location The Nechako branch is located at 6547 Hart Highway, in the Hart Shopping Centre. Library in the news In 2014, an elderly gentleman walked into a Prince George library branch and returned a copy of "Camping and Woodcraft: A Handbook for Vacation Campers and for Travelers" that he had borrowed from a Vancouver Island Regional Library branch over 30 years before. The book was returned to its original library in Courtenay, BC. References External links Prince George Public Library Public libraries in British Columbia Buildings and structures in Prince George, British Columbia Libraries established in 1955 1955 establishments in Canada