The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

March ’98 LIBRARY NEWS TAPEP BOOK/ What ARE all those blue and beige plastic boxes shelved in the West Wing? They are the Audiobook collection for patrons who, for one reason or another, cannot use the print collection. This collection is funded almost entirely by the Provincial Ministry of Municipal Adairs and Housing. There are almost 6,000 patrons of the service in B. C. Approximately 120 of them are residents of West Vancouver. Inside those plastic boxes are unabridged books on cassette tape. In order to use these materials, patrons must be certified by a doctor or other recognized medical professional as needing the service. Some patrons may have limited vision, others may have difficulty holding a book. There is a range of conditions which qualify individuals for the service. To those who use it, it can be a lifesaver! Imagine for example being an avid reader all of your life and suddenly losing your sight. Materials in this collection are provided to WVML through InterLINK, a cooperative organization composed of libraries in the Lower Mainland. We have some 3,000 titles here but we have ready access to 11,000 through the other InterLINK libraries. If a WVML patron wants to listen to a title owned by another Library, they simply request it. The titles are largely fiction with lots in the way of mysteries, best sellers and romances. Non fiction is usually popular material such as biographies and :/ WEST VANCOUVER MEMORIAL LIBRARY 1950 Marine Drive, West Vancouver, BC,V7V 1J8 Tel: (604) 925-7400 Library Hours: (604) 925-7401 Fax: (604) 925-5933 Modem Acc.: 925-7409 Telnet: WVML.JESLACS.BC.CA travel books. All of the books are narrated by profes- sional readers. Patrons of the service feel it is an important part of their quality of life. If you or someone you know would like more information about this service, call Emily at 925-7437 or visit her next time you are in. [Ann Goodhart] REFERENCE SERVICES The year’s end brought a stream of new titles for diverse interests: The Billboard Book of Number One Hits; Nickle’s Canadian Oil Register; The Oxford Dictionary of World Religions; The Canadian Snowbird Guide: Everything You Need To Know About Living Part-time In The U.S.A. & Mexico; NTC’s Dictionary Of China’s Cultural Code Words; College Degrees By Mail & Modem; Ethics; Chronology Of European History, to name a few. Both February and March of this year have Friday the Thirteenths. Why is “13” such a tormented number? A number that makes high-rise elevators jump from the 12th to the 14th floor, missing the calamitous 13th. Airlines are said to avoid the number for their flights. Whole cities, such as Paris, have shunned the use of the ill-fated number on most houses. Despite many cultures existing without fear of the number 13, and some even taking it as a lucky number, our Christian tradition is said to have been a likely origin of its fear. The ill omen was confirmed by “The Last Supper” of Christ and his 12 Apostles. According to tradition, any member of a dinner party of 13 to rise first from the table will die before the year is out. And so it was with Christ, and “Friday” was the day of cmcifixion. But not everyone in our culture is a triskaidekaphobic. Richard Wagner favoured it... there were 13 letters in his name; he was bom in 1813; and he composed 13 operas. Wagner preferred to sail on the 13th, and he opened new shows on the 13th of the month. Yet, he died at 69 years of age on Febmary the 13th ... but then, it was probably too late for him to change his mind! Woodrow Wilson also favoured the number, and in spite of protests, proclaimed 13 to be his lucky number, so much so that he often enter- tained at dinner with 13 guests. Wilson died at 67, but not on the 13th ... Was he luckier than Wagner? The U.S. government makes a fetish of the number 13. Its Seal has 13 stars and 13 bars; an eagle with 13 feathers holding 13 darts; there are 13 olives, and the motto E Pluribus Unum has 13 letters. However, that may have something to do with the Thirteen Colonies of the British Empire. ADULT S E R I C E S IN THE GALLERY ... “The Four Seasons” ... paintings by West Vancouver artist Peggy Smith will be on display in the Gallery March 2 - 29, 1998. Peggy has been painting since 1965 and has had many one- man shows. She is represented by Rendez-Vous Art Gallery in downtown Vancouver and is a long-time member of the West Vancouver Sketch Club. Peggy paints on location in and around the North Shore. She was featured in Travel Canada, Newsweek and the New Yorker, painting in Capilano Canyon. Reception, artist in attendance March 2,7:30 - 8:30 p.m. Most paintings are for sale. MARCH ... sunny and mad ... on the 17th celebrate St. Patrick’s Day ... the day to plant potatoes and put your cows out to pasture. The 21st brings the first day of Spring ... bed snapdragons and sweet peas for summer scent and pleasure ... if you have antiques or collectibles in your attic you may discover some treasures! ... check our antiques price guides. If you are planning a trip for late Spring or Summer, your library has books, videos and websites to stir the imagination.