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Treasures of our Memorial Library AUDIO VISUAL AIDS The title above can be rather loosely applied to any and all library materials specifically designed to help persons handicapped by impaired vision such that they cannot read print of normal size, or may indeed be legally blind, or are unable to use books because of such disabilities as tremors or deformed hands. Most often, these aids are instruments or materials which substitute hearing for vision, such as taped books (often called "talking books"), or machines designed to present an enlarged image from the type of usual size. In the latter class, the West Vancouver Memorial Library is quite well equipped; it has an "Aladdin" enlarger, which throws an enhanced image on to a screen, and also a large-print "terminal" for accessing the Internet. Incidentally, we must thank the Kiwanis for the donation of the latter item. All of these aids require knowledge of how to use them, and we are fortunate to have four librarians who are well-equipped to help clients who need some guidance. The circulating materials are registered with the Library Services Branch of the provincial government, through which any library in B.C. can initiate loans or searches for particular material. Persons who need these aids must first submit (or have submitted on their behalf) simple details indicating the extent of their individual disability. Confirmation of their needs must be give by some qualified person, generally a doctor, nurse, physiotherapist, teacher, case worker, or some other "competent authority". The supervision of this scheme is handled through the Public Library InterLINK "Taped Books Service". For the preparation of the taped books, this service employs a number of skilled speakers, often professional actors. As our population steadily ages, the percentages of "visually impaired" persons increases. It appears that, in West Vancouver, with its high proportion of retired persons, this factor is more apparent than in most B.C. communities. For such clients in most instances, no special devices are required, because they can get all the help they need by using "large-print" books. These items, it seems should be included under "Visual Aids". Our library has an excellent stock of them, with enlarged print of various sizes. They can be chosen and picked up directly by the handicapped client, like any ordinary book. Various large-print editions of many popular books tend to lag a bit behind the regular prints -- often about two years later. Today, an increasing number of publishers produce large-print editions along with their normal first editions. Supplementing the organization of all these various "aids" and their offering to these handicapped clients is a network of delivery procedures for those who may be unable to choose and pick up material they wish to borrow. These apply to persons who are considered as "shut ins", especially if they are unable to enlist the help of friends or relatives to visit the library for them. In such straits, pickups and deliveries, as well as "returns" are handled by the regular, twice-weekly visits of the "Bookmobile" or "special delivery" services to individuals, often by volunteers from the "Friends of the Library". Ted Hill