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September ’97 LIBRARY NEWS Fall is budget time As September arrives, Library staff and the Board are working on the budget for next year. Due to.reductions in the Provincial Revenue Sharing Transfer Payments to the Municipality in 1997 that will be carried forward into 1998, Council has asked the Library Board to reduce its operating budget by $114,000 in 1998. Some reductions have already taken place in 1997; the closure of the Library on Friday nights and fewer Sundays open. You will see others as the year goes on; closure at Christmas and fewer plants in the Library. This year we also cut the book budget by $25,000. This is being offset for 1997 through fundraising by the Library Foundation. Our thanks to everyone who has given to the Foundation's 1997 annual campaign! In 1998 we must make deeper cuts to the book budget or close additional hours. As we begin work on the 1998 budget, we want to get input from YOU concerning the choices we must make. To that end we will be asking you to fill out a very short survey during early September. The Board and staff will use your answers to develop the 1998 budget that we submit to Council. We are committed to trying to provide the best possible service to meet the widest possible range of needs with the funds we have. Libraries in British Columbia are fortunate to receive some support directly from the Province. It represents about 5% of our budget. This was not cut in 1997 and we are hopeful that it will not be cut in 1998. Please watch for the survey and participate so that we know your opinions. [Ann Goodhart] U E I' E K E N C K S E K I C E S At the time of its publication in 1976, the original Vancouver Book by Chuck Davis was a hit for Vancouverites, despite its cumbersome subject index making it difficult to find specific topics about Vancouver. Just this year, Mr. Davis published the Greater Vancouver Book, which, technically speaking, is not an updated edition, but a new book with new content covering a larger geographical area, as the title implies. How- ever, the present title expands on much of the information found in his earlier book, and the indexing seems to reflect a more uniform arrangement of the content. Dog days is a phrase to describe the dry, hot days of summer’s end, which we usually experience in August. How did such an expression arise to represent this time of year? During these months, earthlings could see the heliacal rising of the brightest star, named Seirios by the Greek (Sirius in Latin), meaning “scorching” or “burning,” because its appearance was associated with the heat of this “canicular” season. So why “canicular,” or its cognate “dog?”The Romans, adopting the Greek notion, called Sirius canicula, meaning “small dog,”and the constellation to which it belonged Canis Major, or “the greater dog.” The association of the rising of canicula (the Dog Star, Sirius) with the sultry weather came to be named dies caniculares by the Romans, thus translated as canicular days, or more populeirly “dog days.” The theory the Romans developed to explain the high temperatures during these days with heliacal rising of Sirius alongside the sun is that the star’s heat compounded that of the sun. Seems to be as good as any competing scientific explanation, don’t y’think! [Some sources: Webster *s Word Histories; Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins]. WEST VANCOUVER MEMORIAL LIBRARY 1950 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC,V7V IJ8 Tel: (604) 925-7400 Library Hours: (604) 925-7401 Fax: (604) 925-5933 Modem Acc.: 925-7409 A D II E T S E K 1 C E S IN THE GALLERY ... “Almanac of Gardeners” ... watercolours serigraphs, acrylic paintings and monotypes by artist Ross Bollerup will be on display in the gallery September 2 - October 4,1997. Ross Bollerup has been painting gardeners in landscape since 1986. The gardener theme to him is a metaphor for humanity preserving and being part of nature. He has won many awards and has his works in many private collections. Reception, artist in attendance, September 2,7:30 - 8:30 p.m. All paintings are for sale. CALL TO All North Shore artists who would like to apply for an exhibit, during the 1998 schedule at the library gallery are encouraged to submit works to be selected at the following: PLACE: West Vancouver Memorial Library 1950 Marine Drive DROP-OFF: Saturday, September 20 10:00 a.m. -11:00 a.m. PICK-UP: Saturday, September 20 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. Submission requirements: â-º Three finished pieces of work â-º Portfolio of additional work â-º Current curriculum vitae â-º Exhibit title â-º Must not have shown in the Library, Ferry Building Gallery or the Silk Purse within the past 12 months Exhibit may be solo, two-person or group. Applicants will be notified of their standing at pick-up time.