by Pat Pope

I came to the college in September 1971.
Bill MePhee hired me as a_ Library
Assistant in the Periodicals and it was
the longest interview I've ever had! He
kept me waiting until the very last
minute and then in his own inimitable
style said "well, of course you have the
job!" Those were the days of being
attached to the West Vancouver
Secondary School in a portable. I was
hired to take over the 400 periodicals
which, by the way, did not circulate but
were handed out on request over a
counter in the basement of the school. I
was working at one end of a large
portable and at the other end was Bill
McPhee, Dave Mills (now working in the
Library at B.C. Pen.) and Alex Douglas-
Burns (sinced moved to the interior) in
the Films and AV Dept. I was in charge
of circulation of periodicals and A/V
equipment too at one time as well as
ordering of periodicals.

In those early days, it was a major effort
just to keep up any communication
between departments, i.e. Technical
Services and the Bookstore were down on
the playing fields in a large portable.

If we were lacking in facilities we were
not lacking in conviviality. Norma
Richardson (now at West Vane. Public
Library) helped to cheer everyone up and
some of the students who were working
part-time for us were Ted Clarke, Fred
Hoeflok and Karen Kjarsgaard (now Mrs.
Ted Clarke).

Of all the "happenings", I shall never
forget the flood which spilled over
Mathers Avenue onto the school grounds,

SROVVING

PAINS

cutting us off from the main library with
a torrent of water. I anxiously watched
the water inch higher and higher and
wondered at what point it was going to
start soaking into all the periodicals
stacked on the floors. There were many
other incidents I ean remember too, i.e.
the LSD coffee incident. This was at the
height of the LSD craze and a student at
West Vancouver Secondary had put LSD
into the teachers' coffee pot before their
morning coffee break.

We had some good Christmas parties -
one held in the West Vancouver
Community Centre and I ean remember
Alf Glenesk coming around wishing us a
Merry Xmas with a glad handshake.
They were good times and in many ways
special times.

In 1971 the main library had Del Affleck
- Head Librarian, Sue Carter - Reference
Librarian, Margaret McNeill and Muriel
Booth among others.

In 1973 we moved to Welch St. in the
summer and then to Purcell Way in the
fall. The periodicals, Films and AV as
well as the books were all squeezed into
the main library in an _ unbelievable
combination. About this time Sharon
Feyer joined our ranks and was helping
Del, Bill McPhee and my department.
Also student help for me was stopped and
was handled instead by staff (Karen
Barton and Elsa Kwok) in Technical
Services.

When the North Campus was finished the
periodicals moved up to its bright new
quarters where they are now, circulation
being taken care of by Carol Hay and
part-time students. =

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