CONTENTS II SEPTEMBER Selkirk Student pg.3 1. 2 3 Electric Chairs pg. 7 Garnet Rogers pg.9 Recipes pg. 10 Classifieds pg. 12-14 II. 100% OWNED & OPERATED IN THE KOOTENAYS Understaffed Library Looking For A$ Boost by Steve Thornton NELSON - The Nel- son Municipal Library, caught between a rock and a hardback, is looking out- side the city for help. The li- brary has been told by the city to stop hiring, while usage in the new facility on Stanley Street is up by about 30 per cent and read- ers are asking for Sunday openings. A ccoring to chief librarian D eb Thomas, the library board is thinking about asking for money from parts of the Central Kootenay regional district so that another staff member could be hired. "Our use bas increased steadily over the last four years," said Thomas, "and we're in a much larger facility now," which combine to make more work for librarians. "It makes sense that they should consider giving us more people." For a while, the city agreed, and the provisional budget made room for a staff increase for 1993. But council decided last spring to instead freeze staff levels. There arc, besides Thomas, six librarians and a number of others who do more casual work. Thomas is the only full-time mem- Understaffed and overused, the Nelson library needs to find money for hiring bers. She said one more part-time desk person "is definitely needed," (currently $30 for an adult), the Unemployment, Sign Of The Times and would ease the strain on staff members are wondering if getting members there. a financial assist from the regional The way it works now, there district might be a better way to aren't always enough librarians go. The board, said Thomas feels around to help the public make that the hiring freeze is "unac- full use of the library, said ceptable". by Susan Hu/land - one she said which traditionally takes longer to Thomas. Saturdays are very busy, Municipal Library Board KOOTENAY WIDE - If you're looking for come out of employment slow-downs. "Retail and and the two people on duty at the chair Malcolm Coupland said a a job, join the crowd! service sectors were up due to seasonal tourism, desk "go nuts," said Thomas. And, board meeting is planned near the A July analysis done by the Canada Employ- and the end of the pulp mill strike and the Com- she added, "we're getting intense end of this month to discuss "a ment Centre showed the Kootenay- Columbia re- inco lay-offs also helped." pressure to increase our hours." major increase" in user fees for gion led the province with a 15.4% unemployment But on the larger scale the news still isn't There are almost 6500 library out-of-town residents. That in- rate. The news was only slightly better for those good. Although the August unemployed rate was cards issued, about 1000 more crease would reflect a jump in tax seeking employment in the region (Nelson, Slocan down from July, it was still higher than the provin- than last year, said Thomas, and costs for Nelson residents, he Valley, Salmon Arm, Creston, Castlegar, Revels- cial August rate of 10.9%. Another bad sign, the that could mean up to about said. toke) in August, when the rate dropped to 13.4%. August 1992 regional unemployment rate of 13.4 10,000 users in total. About 1500 And the board will either A two point drop is "significant and positive" surpassed last year's August figures of 11.2%. of those cards - and who knows directly ask regional district direc- says July McCandlish, labour market analyst with McCandlish said one negative factor affecting how many actual users - are out- tors for Areas E and F to partici- the Nelson Canada Employment Centre, who the numbers is unemployed people continuing to of-towners. While the library · pate in running the library, or will noted that the construction industry was still prob- move into this area - people who have come board is being pressured by the ask the city to put pressure on ably the hardest hit. McCandlish said several fac- city to raise fees for outside users tors accounted for the improvement in the region Continued on page 6 those directors, said Coupland. □ CURIOUS REPORTER: What do you like most aboat flutamn Suzanne Down ,■ Riding my horse in the colourful leaves. LINDSAY HANLEY, Procter It's the end of running around and I see rest on the horizon I CHANTAL ROBERT, Pass Creek I don't like much about Autumn. It makes me think that winter's coming. LEN MARTIN, Balfour HAVE A QUESTION YOU'D LIKE US TO ASK? SEND IT. MAil YOUR QUESTION TO STREET TALK, C/O The Kootenay W-ly Exp,- BOX 922, NELSON, B.C. Vll 6A5