THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Saturday, February 1, 1997            TAG: 9702010005
SECTION: FRONT                   PAGE: A8   EDITION: FINAL 
TYPE: Letter 
                                            LENGTH:   26 lines

HOCKEY TEAM IS NOT ONE FOR THE BOOKS

During their Christmas vacation, I rode two young schoolchildren downtown to the Kirn Memorial Library to enjoy what used to be a large, inviting room with many, many children's books.

We never got to that room because there was nowhere to park the car.

Because of the parking situation, I later telephoned Kirn to ask the library to send what I needed to my neighborhood library. I remember racks of sheet music in the video room there. I asked if they had any books of Irish and/or Scottish music. I was told that they don't have the sheet music anymore because of the library budget. They suggested that I go to the Chesapeake or Virginia Beach libraries.

Next I asked for any educational video, such as a travelogue on Scotland, Ireland or England. The answer, again, was to try at Virginia Beach or Chesapeake, as they only had one copy of these and they are popular.

I am so glad that we are going to have a big-time hockey team. At least the children can learn good sportsmanship and four-letter words!

CHARLOTTE HARRELL

Norfolk, Jan. 23, 1997