Katharine Hamer
Contributing Writer

WEDNESDAY, 11 a.m. A slate-blue van is parked
on Esquimalt Avenue in West Vancouver.
“Bookmobile (n. book + automobile)” it says along
the side, “a truck that serves as a travelling library.”

This particular Bookmobile belongs to West Vancouver
Memorial Library. It is the last one operating on the Lov
Mainland, and on April 26, it will celebrate 30 years of ser

river Miriam Sherman (known to regulars as
“the Bookmobile Lady”) is helping visitors pick what they want
from amongst the 2,000 titles on
board.
Sherman, w ho has been driving the
Bookmobile for three and a half years,
says loves her job. “T like the
there is a real social aspect to it. Iris a
chance for neighbours to mect up and
chat -— and I get to hear so many peo-
ple’s stories.”
Shevman went to “trucker school” to
learn how to drive the van. “You have
to have a tattoo to go there,” she
jokes.
Despite the pouring rain, a steady
stream of people — all seniors from
the neighbourhood, in this case —
climb through the doors of the
Bookmobile for their weekly browse
through the shelves. The first visitors
are Ivan and Icona Bush. Ivan likes
movies and “biographics of actors.”
Leona, who says the Bookmobile is “
wonderful service,” remembers the
first book she ever read: Little Red
Riding Hood.
“Did you ever sce that movie The
Muste Man?” Ivan asks me. “You
know, the librarian in that movie was
called Miriam. Miriam the librarian.”
And all at once, he bursts into song:
“Miriam! Miriam!” he cries, “Miriam,
the wonderful librarian!”
Sherman blushes, but looks secretly
pleased to be the subject of Ivan’s sere-
nade. It’s clear that her regular customers have a great deal of
affection for her .

In Sherman’s spiral-bound notebook, where she’s gathering
comments from visitors in preparation for the Bookmobile’s
anniversary celebration, a Dr. Lloyd Slind of Inglewood Lodge
has written: “It’s like having weekly Xmas Days!”

Another contributor, Helen Palmer of Park Royal Towers, has
inscribed: “What would we do without Miriam and the big ‘B”?
May they always be there.”

“Helen’s wonderful,” Sherman grins, “she’s 87 going on 52.
She goes around in running shoes ail the time, and refuses to do
whar she calls “old lady things.” She says as long as she’s got her
books and her CDs and her walks, she’ll be fine.”

On board the Bookmobile, Olive Thompson is checking out
novels by Dick Francis and Joanna Trollope, “but my favourites
are Thomas Hardy and Charles Dickens,” she confides. “I think

Kara Brommeland

“*Oh, thar one

neighbourhood. It’s convenient, it’s free — and eve

you need to read different
books at different times of
your life.”

Friday, 3 pm. F tag along,
with the Bookmobile’s other
driver, Robyn Willis, on a
rumbling ride to Klahanie Park
Family Housing. Tucked away
behind Earl's ‘Tin Palace, on
the border of North and West
Vancouver, Klahanie i is hon
to a number of young chil-
dren, who board the van to
pick out sports books and then
cross the road to play a few
hoops.

The Bookmobile quickly
fills up with residents chatter-
ing about lottery tickets,
garage sales, and TV programs
they’ve watched. They swap
potted book reviews. The new
novel by veteran mystery
writer Dick Francis is panned.
’s not much
good,” someone i

instead of gathering on front
porches, neighbours gather in
this travelling library. Miriam
and Robyn know almost
everyone by name, and order
titles specially for them.

Rita Parizeau and her nvo-
year old son, Luc, arrive stag-
gering under the weight of all
the books they have to return.
Rita says the Bookmobile is “the greatest thing to happen to this
the kids -
need be books for school, tHey’ll find them for you and bring them

long.”
~ Lue, sitting amongst a stack of books on the floor, tells me
he’s “making a pile.” “(The Bookmobile) is all he talks about all
week,” says Rita. “When it pulls up outside, he goes ‘yay!’” Luc
gocs home with a copy of The Tiger Who Came to Tea and a
Babar video.

Kara Brommeland, age seven, has brought in her drawing of
the Bookmobile to give to Robyn. All of the children on the
route have been handed paper on which to illustrate the van. The
drawings will be exhibited at the library as part of the anniversary
celebrations. Kara says the best thing on the Bookmobile is the
video of Spiceworld. “Baby Spice is my favourite,” she tells me.
Kara’s grown-up friend Bob Singer arrives to tcl! her she should

“read a Curious George book,” before making off with a volume
of the fabled simian adventurcr’s tales himself, “Well, it was the
first ching I ever read,” he explains.

The library is throwing a party from 2-4 p.m. on April 26 for
Bookmobile drivers and visitors pest and present. There will be
local VIPs; tea and cake; and a photo display. Contact the library
at 925-7400 for more information.

Olive Thompson.

NEV/S photos Katharine Hamer *

AMAR Tallek checks out what's available in the Bookmobile. West Vancouver
Memorial Library will throw a party on April 26 to celebrate the thirtieth birthday.

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