22 — Wednesday, March 18, 1998 — North Shore News Audiobooks are a [ ‘Mounties raid suite for dope FOUR plain clothes North Vancouver Mounties raided a basement suite on March 8 at 3 a.m. in the 400-block of East Braemar. North Vancouver RCMP a -Cohst. Tom Seaman said police obtained a search war- rant to enter the Upper Lonsdale suite in the carly morning hours after receiving new information in a five- month investigation of two _ bepthers who lived in the suite. Seaman said that about 28 grams of marijuana and mari- jzana_ smoking paraphernalia were seized in the raid. aOne of the brothers received “numerous traffic violariois” outside the house and had his er towed. One of the brothers was under age 18. The other is an adult. No names were released. ww The investgation contin- ues. — Anna Marie D'Angelo NEWS photo Terry Peters JOAN Billesberger (right), is one of 5,600 B.C. residents to use the audiobooks pro- gram. Fear of budget cuts has led narrator Pat Barlow to enlist the public’s support. Cow ge eee ae Ee EEE) vee ifeline Layne Christensen News Reporter layne@nsnews.com JOAN Billesberger is an avid reader. She is also blind. For 18 years now, the 38-year-old North Vancouver resident has borrowed audiobooks from her local ifbrary. She “reads” close to 50 books a year. Billesberuer ts one of 5,600 people in BCL to use the provincialiy-tunded —— audio- books servie. The program has more than 6,000 utles tn circulation: in libraries throughout B.C. Each vear approximately, 2000 new tides are recorded onto cassette and introduced into the pro- gram. But cots to future funding of the program could change thar. And that has program users like Rillesberger con- cerned. “For a lot of people, talking books are their only form of entertainment or relaxation,” she said. “it would add #0 their loneliness if they didn’t have something to listen to.” The program is funded solely through the Library Services Branch of the govern- ment of B.C, Last March the budget allotment for narrators’ reading fees was cut by nearly half, “fom $88,000 ta $45,000. Pat Barlow is one of 12 nar- ators emploved by the pro- gram. - Barlow, a former stage actor and longtime North Vancouver resident, figures she has record- ed close to J,000 books since she joined the program 23 years ago. She and the other narrators cach record an aver- age of 15 cassettes a month at the program's recording stuslio on Canada Way near Kensington = Avenue in Burnaby. Last year, 2 $30,000 for the blind bequest from a Victona audio boors user helped narrate es manta chat devel. Bur thar money has run out. Narrators fear turiner cuts. And tharwor nes Barlow “There are somany Candie book Ustenerss who are atone Woo ream, seniors in care hemes, ind thats all che have mothea fives. Some af them haventaven got relives.” said Barlow “Irs really pathene when vou think that ait Chinding) nueht be cut dawn.” To publigve thei plight, the narrators are enlisany the support oof librarians and patrons by requesting they cir- cuiate a letter that details their voncerns and urges audiobook users to wate te their MEA or the minister in chargc, J Kwan, Miniter for M: inicipal Afauirs. Several libraries have com: plied, including West Vancouver Memorial | tbrary. Jeremy Joahon, MBA for West Vancouver-Capilano said fast week that he had already received a stack of letters and several phone calls trom his constituents. “We're supportive of their concerns,” said Dahon, who has agreed to bring the issue before the legislature somz time after mid- April, when it begins its municipal affairs esti- mates. Audiobook users in North Vancoaver District may not vet be aware of tireats to the pro- grim, however. The narrator’ fetter has not been circulated in the district. That's because its wording omav lead some patrons to beteve that the pro- eomay be cur altovether, sand chier fibrarian’ Norcen Ballanivac. “We're a fintle concerned about just scading out the let ter without any Background,” she sud. “People might: get quite concerned that suddenly the tape books are going to BO. And thatis not the case, sand Ballannvne. Cuts to the narrators” bud get would limit the number of new tiles available through the brary svstem, but would pot affect the number of tithes cur- rently in circulation That's sulla concern for Barlow. H anything, the ser- vice should be expanded, she said. “There are many, many people who could use this ser- vice whe don't know about this,” said Barlow. Billesberger agrees. At the top of her wish list is ar ouline catalogue which would make the catalogue more accessitie and user iricndly. Currently, she must rely on the librarian to access the coi- lection and fill her sequests in general subject arcas. “Ho we could browse our- selves, we could use the ser- vice more effectively,” she said. a MVE TRAVELOGUE NEW ZEALAND with Grant Foster Tue. Mar. 24. 2:00 & 7:00pm NORTH VANCOUVER CENTENWIAL THEATRE $13.75 @ Box Office 984-4484 KNOW TY www.ola.bc.ca/knowledge Parr rr Or Se ee THE WEEKEND ALTERNATIVE: Culture without commericals. Classic Theatre Fridays 8 p.m. The Detectives Fridays 10 p.m. Ruth Rendell Saturdays 9 p.m. Kavanagh OC Sundays 9 p.m. A Service of the