My Maiden Voyage

I began my journey to help librarians find the books they need by looking over a map of the "old North State" to see where the libraries were located. This helped me sketch out a path that was both efficient and thorough.

My first stop was in my own backyard at Gaston College. It was atypically cool and rainy in contrast to the warm welcome I received from Dr. Harry Cooke, director of the library. Dr. Cooke has worked in education for more than 50 years and sees no reason to contemplate retirement so long as he is able to continue serving the needs of the students. He presented me with my first challenge which I will address in the near future and share with you once it is resolved. From the town of Dallas (NC--Dallas of the East), I traveled north on Highway 321 to Hickory. My first stop was the Catawba Valley Community College. My only other contact with this school was to attend the graduation of a very fine nursing student who had studied there named Stephanie Brown. The graduation was not on the campus, however, so I was at a loss as to the location of the library. A friendly administrator escorted me through a maze of hallways (which I could never have navigated on my own) to within seeing distance of the library. I just missed the director, Staci Wilson who had left for a meeting but I was greeted by Carmen who actually orders books for her library (at the direction of Ms. Wilson). We spoke fondly of my predecessor, Charlie Snider, who was loved by every person who knew him. Not many people can be loved by everyone but somehow Charlie managed it. I next stopped at the beautiful campus of Lenoir-Rhyne University. Their library has two entrances. Pictured here is the older of the two.

Most schools are between graduation and the beginning of summer school so staff is skeletal at most places. I found both the director and the book acquisitions person (Rita Johnson and Burl McCuiston) having a meeting. With them was Ms. Johnson's dog, Bayla, who was named for the Norse god of beer. Bayla was both gentle and very protective of Ms. Johnson so I maintained a respectful easy access to the door. From Hickory I traveled westbound on I-40. I first came to Western Carolina Community College in Morganton.

The library is being renovated and I found the director, Nancy Daniel, in a classroom which will serve as both office and mini-library until the work is completed. The library is housed in the Phifer Learning Center which is also the home of the Senator Sam Ervin (a native son of Morganton) Museum. One of Senator Sam's aides during the Watergate Hearings was Lacy Presnell who was the Senior Class President at Asheboro High School the year I was graduated from high school. I'm anxious to go through the museum on a subsequent visit. My next stop was the McDowell County Technical Community College. It was nearly noon when I arrived and I reasoned the director might be gone to lunch so I followed suit. Had I visited when I arrived, I would have gotten to meet Sharon Smith but I "overthought" and missed her when I returned after lunch. Her assistant, Pat, was a great help, however. Lunch was noteworthy, however. Countryside Barbeque in Marion was a delicious, smokey chopped pork with a baked sweet potato and collard greens. The sauce was a little sweet for my tastes but the spicy sauce had just the right amount of heat.

Montreat College is a beautiful Presbyterian campus in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The Bell Library is named for the parents of Ruth Graham and houses a collection of her memorabilia. The director is Elizabeth Pearson who speaks with a gentleness and spirit of encouragement that is positively uplifting.

Warren Wilson College was next in Swannanoah. Both librarians were away--in Germany! The school is multinational in flavor so itinerant librarians is no surprise. My last stop was Mars Hill University. All of the schools were between graduation and the beginning of summer school. At Mars Hill the library was closed until school reopens. Not to be deterred, I went around back to a delivery door to discover that the librarian was on medical leave. I hope she gets better soon. As I began to drive home, I reflected on the day. I'd met all kinds of people but all had a common love for books and the ideas they contain. And a common love for the people that contain the ideas found in the books. Hannibal as portas Dewey

My training continued today with more contact with the people who help librarians find the books they need. Yesterday, it was mostly about computers but today it was people. There's a commercial on TV now where a start-up entrepreneur operating out of his garage answers the phone and then pretends to be someone else in the "sales" department. These people I learned from today weren't pretending. They could work in shipping, receiving, processing or customer service with ease because they both understand the process and love the company. What I noticed about the atmosphere was it makes me want to do my best for the company as well. When I go out to talk to librarians, I'll know I'm backed up by a great team and I want to be as great as they are. After all, they are depending on me too. Lunch was at a local diner called Greg and Lou's. I've been trying to sample uniquely Michigan dishes but I passed on a fried fish called "Smelt." Dinner was in a neighboring community called Corunna. The restaurant had relocated from Owosso and was named "701". They are famous for desserts but I passed on those too.

I'm in Owosso, Michigan for some training this week. I'm trying to learn to help librarians find the books they need for their libraries. The process is aided immensely by a slick computer system that allows librarians to search for books, order them, pay for them and have them delivered all in one fell swoop! I had lunch at "Abiding in the Vine." They feature lots of different kinds of tea. I had a sammich named after Jackie Bruff--a lady that comes into the restaurant every Wednesday. Since I was there on Monday, I did not get to meet Ms. Bruff. I had dinner at the Tanglewood Restaurant in the Comstock Inn with an old friend from Evansville, IN and I ate my first walleye fish. I have always thought any fish that swims in cold water tastes better than any fish that swims in warm water. That generalization was, once again, proven true.