"The library is like anything Ise," says Nelles, a librarian who as worked in different areas in the country. She decided to stay at home to raise her two children, now four and almost two years old, but wants to provide input into the Oakville library. “Budgets are tight and a group like this gives people the chance to keep the level of service up and actually enhance it." Although she acknowledged the hectic pace of her life and those But instead of constantly harping bout budget slashing, she and bout 40 others are ensuring the evel of service doesn‘t lessen, as well as, providing a voice for the community through their Friends roup. They are bounded together by he love of the library and the longâ€" ield belief of it being a vital esource in the community. As membership chair, Diane elles notes, the library is like anyâ€" ing else, subject to the same budâ€" et cutbacks as any other communiâ€" y resource. A case in point is the recently unched Friends of the Library. A onâ€"profit, charitable organization â€" nd perhaps most importantly, an utonomous body â€" the Friends was ormed to foster public awareness, aise funds to support special vents, and enhance library serâ€" ices. ne 15, 1994 have to hand it to the number of people in this community who get impatient with handâ€" ringing and gloomâ€"saying. Instead f moaning intermittently about udget cutbacks and the like, they ove on. They take action. They et involved. And that‘s at least one positive pect to all the budget slashes and eltâ€"tightening that‘s been part of aily life for so many people in cent years. Many in this commuâ€" ity are willing to become involved n the grass roots level with an rganization they believe is worthâ€" vhile. Here in Oakville, community ctivism has taken on a new life in eccent recessionary years. riends of the Library help get people involved in community MANY MORE INâ€"STORE SPECIALS SHOP EARLY FOR BEST SELECTION e ALL SALES FINAL distinctive ladies fashions MILTON MALL 55 Ontario St. 878â€"1414 LPECCYO Complete selection of machineâ€"washable mix and match coâ€"ordinates. Available in 100% cotton or 50%â€"50% polyesterâ€"â€" cotton blend. Sizes 8 to 20 (your choice of many fashion colours) who are involved with the Friends â€" often they meet around nursery school schedules or nap time â€" she knows it‘s worth it. And she is hoping others will want to get involved in some of the events planned as part of the library‘s 100th anniversary next year. Highâ€"tech phone system just doesn‘t impress him "We have seniors, mothers with kids, others in the workforce, everyâ€" one who likes the library and wants to have a say in it," she added. No, I didn‘t make it up. There was a big story about it in the papers the other day. It was chock full of details about how the good old days of simâ€" ple telephone use are just about over and we might as well prepare ourâ€" selves for the worst. I have just one tiny question. Who are they trying to kid? Easy? What‘s easy about dialing a phone these days? My office phone, in addition to a punch pad of numbers and digits, has a bank of nine buttons that light up apparently at random. They have legends that read â€" Call Waiting, Conference, Auto Redial, and also Pulse/Tone _ and Power/Ringer. I haven‘t the slightest idea what these buttons are for. Also in Aurora, Guelph Kitchener ~ ~WW ere is a nonâ€"recorded message {irom your favorite telephone â€" ompany: The days of early dialing are numâ€" You want easy? I‘ll give you easy. TRAFALGAR VILLAGE 25 Cross Ave., Oakville 844â€"5361 GRAND OPENING | id Often people are reluctant to become involved in yet another commitment, but she stresses, the Friends is flexible. I‘ll give you my parents telephone dialing system â€" Eighth Line, Schomberg, Ontario, circa 1955. Telephone dialing system consists of a pinewood (yes, real wood) cabinet about the size of a Smurf‘s coffin. It hangs on the wall and features an iron crank handle on the starboard side. Also, connected by a cord, a bakelite (look it up) earpiece that looks a bit like a large bottle stopper, and a mouthpiece that resembles the speaker tube on those old German Uâ€"boats. When a person wished to avail oneself of the aforementioned "dialing system", one stuck the ear piece in one‘s good ear, gave the handle a brisk crank to wake up the operator, and said into the mouthpiece, "Hullo Myrtle, ring up Doc Smithers for me, will yuh? I think the calf‘s got brucelâ€" losis." Now THAT*S easy. It is also, alas, extinct. Myrtle‘s gone, and so is that rather magnificent wooden wall cabinet. Replace respecâ€" "A lot of people feel as though LIMITED TIME ONLN! BURLINGTON MALL Guelph Line 634â€"3882 Entire Stock they‘d like to get involved, but if about a vision for the library, as well â€" library within the community. "The they take on another commitment, â€" as, the desire to become involved in group is wonderful and the idea of they don‘t know if they‘ll have the â€" its operations. getting the community involved in time." "It‘s a great feeling to walk into a _ the library is terrific," says Hopkins. Trafalgar Village 125 Cross Ave. She says people can get involved with the Friends in many ways â€" from becoming a member for $10, to helping out with the annual book sale, to brainstorming about the author series planned for next year. What intrigues Nelles and others about the Friends is the opportunity to voice their own concerns or ideas tively by a disembodied robot voice (Thee number is nyunn...fiyuv...nyunn...) and a piece of beige plastic too flimsy to serve as a doorstop. Not to mention, of course, the "dialing system". That too, is a thing of the past, replaced by several generâ€" ations of "refinements" and about to be transformed once again. When I was a kid, my phone numâ€" ber was CHerry 5, 5085. Which is to say, an easyâ€"toâ€"remember five numâ€" bers plus a memorable prefix. From that, I graduated to a slightly harder to remember seven numbers â€" which is what we all have right now. Don‘t get comfortable, ladies and gentlemen. We are about to be pitched Enter your Dad, Grandad, Stepdad or your own name (if you are a Dad) in the Entry Box in Centre court. Draw will take place Monday, June 20, 1994. You must be 18 years of age or older to win. Prizes must be accepted as drawn no substitutions or cash value. Employees of Hopedale Mall and immediate family are not eligible to win. FREE FATHER‘S DAY GIFT will be handed out to the first 250 Dads shopping at Hopedale on Saturday, June 18th! WITH ONE OF THESE GREAT PRIZES . * FISHING CHARTER FOR 6 ABOARD ADVENTURE II e 4 PASSES TO THE CANADIAN OPEN Your Chance To Win Is At Hopedale Mall Thursday, June 16 â€" Saturday, June 18 DELIGHT YOUR DAD on FATHER‘S DAY ... Your®MNeighbourhood Shopping Centre Located at 3rd Line and Rebecca in Oakville * Telephone 827â€"0229 "It‘s a great feeling to walk into a vibrant library that services everyâ€" one," she maintains. She claims that the nature and role of the library has changed dramatically over the years and will continue to change. Edie Hopkins â€" of the Oakville Public Library â€" says Friends groups can be invaluable for promoting the into the world of the tenâ€"digit phone _ number. "We were running out of numbers so quickly that something had to be done," says a spokesman for Bell Canada. That‘s why we‘redialing 10 digits just to phone someone who may live less than a mile from where you‘re dialing. Sure, it‘s a pain in the butt â€" not to Saltspring. No superhighways, no slums, no driveâ€"by shootings, no McDonalds. There is, however, a post office. Well, fair enough. After all, Saltspring is 20â€"o0dd miles long and seven miles across at its widest. And there are some seven thousand people who call it home. So they have their Canada Post. "We were running out of numbers so quickly that something had to be done," says a spokesman for Bell Canada. That‘s why we‘redialing 10 digits just to phone someone who may live less than a mile from where you‘re dialing. Sure, it‘s a pain in the butt â€" not to mention the dialing digit â€" but the telecommunications experts maintain that it will allow the phone company to increase the general availability of phone numbers sixfold. I, for one, am breathing in shallow, excited gasps. Ah, but why dump on Ma Bell? Complexification â€" like Hong Kong Flu â€" is going around. I just returned from a visit to Saltspring Island, a gloâ€" rious, unspoiled chunk of rock and forest nestled in the Georgia Strait between Vancouver Island and mainâ€" land B.C. There are no skyscrapers on For Nelles, it is an opportunity to provide a voice; a voice that reflects the diverse needs of the community. For more information, contact the Friends at 815â€"2042, ext. 5900 or stop by the membership table by the bookmobile at the Waterfront Festival. And, just so they don‘t get lost, 200 postal codes. Yup, two hundred. One postal code for every 35 islanders. Which is even more boneâ€"headed when you realise most Saltspringers live in two comâ€" munities â€" Pulford Harbour and Ganges. And if you can‘t find him there, phone up Bell Canada. So, why 200 postal codes? Don‘t ask me. Ask the planning genius at Canada Post. I‘m pretty sure...it‘s the same genius.