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

March 2000 LIBRARY NEWS We will be starting work soon on a new feature at the Li- brary that we hope will improve our service. One of the com- ments we receivefrom many of you is the distracting nature of groups using the Library. Several years ago we began the pro- cess of trying to address this concern. With funds from the Foundation, we asked an architect to evaluate the space and tell us where and how we could construct two group study rooms. We hoped that these rooms would allow groups to work together but shield other patrons from their noise. Once we had the architect’s ideas, we went to the Friends of the Library and asked for their support for the project. They submitted a grant proposal to the BC Gaming and received the funding in 1999. Now we are back to working with the architect and the Dis- trict in order to start work on the project It will consist of two “rooms”. These will be located on the west wall of the fiction area on the main floor. They will have six-foot high walls with an acoustical treatment, glass floor to ceiling panels at the cor- ners for visibility and security, open doorways and tables with chairs. One will hold approximately 10 and the other will hold 8. Initially, the rooms will be available on a first come, first served basis but it may change once we see how it works. This is a first step and we are very grateful to the Friends of the Library for securing funds for the project. We hope at a future date to put in a similar acoustically protected area with individual workspaces that is geared for quiet individual study. REFERENCE SERVICES New to the Reference Department is the 2-volume Encyclopedia of Mexico: History, Society & Culture. Its production is the col- laborative effort of more than 300 scholars from 7 countries. De- spite its erudition, the content of the text has been developed and arranged with the non-specialist reader in mind. The encyclopedia is endowed with bibliographies, an index and brief biographies of its contributors. Is Johnny Appleseed a fact or a legend? John Chapman was bom on September 26, 1774, in Leominster, Massachusetts. There is a great deal of lore surrounding Chapman, who displayed an early love for flowering plants and trees, particularly, apple trees which in time became a full-fledged obsession, one that would transform him into a true American folk character. The devoted horticultur- ist established a large number of apple orchards throughout the Midwest and walked over 100,000 square miles of American ter- rain barefoot while inspecting and planting orchards. Chapman, a disciple of the 18*-century Swedish mystic Emanuel Swedenborg, ardently preached Scripture as he planted apple orchards. He also sold apple seeds and saplings to those pioneers heading farther west to areas he was unable to cover readily by foot. While fron- tier settlers whimsically (sometimes with ridicule) dubbed the reli- gious fanatic and apple planter as Johnny Appleseed, First Nations people revered him as a medicine man. The herbs catnip, rattle- snake weed, horehound, and pennyroyal were dried by the itiner- ant horticulturist and administered as curatives to Native commu- nities he encountered while at the same time attempting to convert them. Appleseed’s demeanor, attire, and horticultural interests made him as much a recognizable part of the American landscape as his orchards. It is alleged that he wore a tin mush-pan on his head, serving as a protection from the elements as well as a cooking pot at his impromptu campsites. Chapman died in March of 1845, having contracted pneumonia from a barefoot mid-winter journey to a damaged apple orchard that needed tending. He is buried in what is known today as Johnny Appleseed Park, near the War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the state in which he died. [Source: Panati’s Extraordinary Origins of Every' Day Things, page 277 - 278] 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 URL: www.westvanlib.org ADULT SERVICES IN THE GALLERY ... “Canadian Prairie Paintings” by Margery Powell and “Home And Abroad” by Pamela Scott are on display February 21 - March 19, 2000. Most works are for sale. Margery has a long history in the arts on the North Shore. She was involved in the West Vancouver Children’s Art School, co-owner of Handcraft House in North Vancouver and, since retiring as owner of Neat Things Studio and Shop, she works from her studio at home. Pamela is an established painter and well known as a teacher of art. She has taught for many years, lectured at UBC and other school classes and illustrated magazines and books. She is now retired and paints full-time. MARCH ... has come at last... with wind and cloud and changing skies... the month of March beloved by poets and gardeners... plant- ing a garden? ... planning a trip? Your library has a vast array of books for gardeners of all degrees plus books, videos and websites to stir the imagination for far away places. We offer a few suggestions ... The Edible Herb Garden by Rosalind Creasy. How to grow the latest organic herbs for cooking. Scrumptious recipes. The Complete First Time Gardener by Geoff Hamilton. Practical advice on basic garden design, landscaping, lawns, and ideas for kitchen gardens in small places. Perennial Combinations: Stunning Combinations That Make Your Garden Look Fantastic Right From The Start by C. Colston Burrell. Colour themes, seasonal combinations to attract birds and butter- flies and much more. Some travel tips for garden enthusiasts on the Web ... France Travel and Tourism/Activities/Gardens of France offers a whole range of individual gardens plus travel information, accommodation, family activities etc. http://www.francetourism.com/activities/cultgardens.htm (i K(5