The End and the Beginning

No, this is not going to be an eschatological blog predicting the end of the world.  On my travels today, I visited the last of my schools and made my first "cold call" on a school we had not helped in some time.  Usually, the reason libraries stop using our services is because of a change in directors of acquisitions.  When that happens, I want to try to introduce our services to a new client.

I began my day with an old friend and the school I have visited most--Barton College.  I had the privilege of meeting with their library staff.  Under the leadership of George Loveland, they are seeking to streamline their work flow in order to free up more time for a momentous task of archiving historical material for the College.  After listening to their questions, I have no doubt they will be able to accomplish the work and make the library more efficient at the same time.  I hope we will be able to help them.





Smithfield is the home of Johnston Community College and was my last, first-time, call.  Jaxie Bryan is the Director and clearly has a strong hand in the direction and future of the library there.  

In the town of Smithfield, I ate lunch at "The Diner" run by Amy and Larry Holt.  Amy waits tables and Larry does the cooking.  I was one of only a few customers and while I was there a "regular" came in and asked, "Where is everybody?"  Larry said, I guess they are all at "Mule Days."  Before I knew it, my curiosity inserted itself into their conversation.  "Did you say, 'Mule Days'?" I asked.  They explained that the nearby town of Benson celebrates "Mule Days" the 4th Saturday of September each year.  The festival draws 40-50,000 people and features rodeos, a mule pulling contest, arts and crafts, vendors, street dances, carnival rides, camping, parades and bluegrass shows. A mule is the offspring of a male donkey (called a 'jack") and a female horse (called a "mare").  Smithfield is a farming

region and mules were used as work animals before the advent of tractors because mules are more patient, hardy and long-lived than horses, and are less obstinate and more intelligent than donkeys.  I say, "they explained." Actually, the "regular" explained.  Larry description of Mule Days was a bit too anatomical for this blog.

My final two stops for the day were my first two "cold calls."  Duke University Law School Library and the Fuqua School of Business Library are side-by-side on the Duke Campus.  At the Law Library I met Shyama Agrawal who is in charge of acquisitions.  Shyama is of Indian descent and my brother-in-law is from Orissa.  We talked some about India and the differences between there and here.  I was unable to see Dave Connelly next door.  Duke University is one of the finest academic institutions in the nation and is sometimes referred to as the "Harvard of the South."  They have, however, a basketball coach whose picture accompanies the word "annoying" in Mr. Webster's Dictionary.