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November 2001 LIBRARY NEWS Third Quarter Report, 2001 The best news about 2001 came early in the year. In January, Council gave us the funds to reopen on Monday mornings and Sundays. W? implemented the new hours by the first week of February. Our open hours are up 8% this year over last year. Circulation is up over 10% for the first three quarters of the year. We checked out almost three quarters of a million items. There were over 100,000 hits on our webpage and 365,000 library visits in the same 9 months. It is probably no news to you that we are busy, so what else have we achieved. The upgrade to our shelving is almost completed. We have moved approximately 107,000 books at least two times each. But now, there is only one place to look for everything in the non-fiction collection on a single subject. So far this year, over 9,500 children have attended programs at the Library. Over 1,200 youth signed up for Summer Reading Clubs. It has been a great year so far and we are proud to keep bringing you some of the best public library service in Canada. 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 Website: www.westvanlib.org REFERENCE SERVICES Reference suggests an Internet site, Uselessknowledge that includes a Canadian Trivia module. The Internet address is; http://www.uselessknowledge.com/canada/trivia.shtml. Here’s a sample question; Did a Canadian invent the baseball glove? Well, according to Canadian Trivia it was possible. It was cautiously suggested that Arthur Irwin, also known by the moniker “Foxy” Irwin, and the alias “Doc,” either invented the infielder’s glove or perhaps just popularized it. Art Irwin was bom in Toronto on February 14, 1858, but raised in Boston. Taking up baseball in 1880, he became one of the best shortstops of his time. At this time, infielders caught the ball with their bare hands. In 1883, when a hard-hit ball broke two of Irwin’s fingers, and rather than waiting for them to heal, he went out and bought a buckskin glove a little too big for his hand so that he could stuff it full of padding and continued to play ball. Within a few years it caught on and became known as the “Irwin Glove.” Some researchers discovered that a catcher named Phil Powers of the London, Ont. Tecumsehs began using a primitive glove in 1878, along with others experimenting with similar inventions at the time. As Internet references can be unreliable, the facts were checked against a text source. The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball, p.298. The information in the Canadian Trivia “uselessknowledge” site was trustworthy. According to both sources, Irwin seems to have been a rather interesting character. He batted left, threw right, had a consistent fielding percentage of .800, managed a Toronto baseball team in the 1890s, was a National League umpire in 1902, introduced professional baseball to Cuba, initiated the system of baseball scouting, and invented a form of football scoreboard. Apparently depressed about having to handle two marriages at the same time, Irwin Jumped overboard and drowned while sailing on the liner The Calvin Austin between New York and Boston on July 16, 1921, at the age of 63. The question still remains: Though he was born in Toronto, was Irwin an American citizen when he invented his mitt? Or, does the catcher, Phil Powers, who developed the catcher’s glove before him while playing in London, Ont., qualify as a Canadian? In either case, Canada’s players probably had as much a role in inventing the baseball glove as Canadian-born James Naismith, who also moved to the U.S., had in inventing the game of basketball. ADULT SERVICES IN THE GALLERY... “Through Other Eyes” ... paintings by Charlotte Grundig and Margaret Merler will continue in the gallery until November 10. “Solitude”... pastels, graphite, watercolour and oil paintings by Jose Portas and “The Seasons” ... watercolour paintings by Anne Zalenski will be on display November 13 to December 2. Jose is a member of the West Vancouver Sketch Club and has exhibited his works at the Ferry Building, the Silk Purse and the Dundarave Cafe. Anne’s paintings reflect her feelings for mood patterns and colour here in West Vancouver and through her many travels. She is self-taught and enjoys pottery, photography, furniture refinishing and hiking. Reception, artists in attendance, Friday, November 16, 6:00 - 7:30 p.m. Most paintings are for sale. Adult Programs Author Visits A reading and slide show by Doreen Armitage, author of “Burrard Inlet: A History” Date: Thursday, November 1 Place: Peter J. Peters Room Time: 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Former ambassador, teacher, professional traveller and widely published author Jan Drabek, will speak about his latest earthy travelogue “I Luff You BC - An Immigrant’s Affair With The Seductive Province.” Date: Monday, November 19 Place: Peter J. Peters Room Time: 7:30 p.m. - 9:00 p.m. Book Launch Carlo Toselli will launch his fourth collection of poems “Motionless in Motion” with a reception on Friday evening, November 23 at 7:30 p.m. in the Peter J. Peters Room. Carlo