Comings and Goings

I had never visited the campus of Lees McRae College in Banner Elk and I could not have chosen a better day for the school to make a great "first impression."  The ride from my home to Banner Elk goes through a community called Jonas Ridge.  The sun was just beginning to rise and the tops of the mountains were glorious in color and magnificent in brilliance.  As I drove into the valley I found a campus that has preserved the beauty of her original buildings even in her newest and most modern structures.  One of those is the Dottie M. Shelton Learning Commons which has recently undergone a $2.1 million dollar renovation.  At the helm is Mollie Peuler who proudly showed off the new library.
In addition to the beauty of the Fall welcome, I also experienced the hospitality of the community.  When I arrived, I had no idea where the Library was on campus so I asked someone.  Mary Braun is a retired English Professor who lives in Banner Elk.  She immediately offered me a ride to the library.

My next stop was at Mayland Community College in Spruce Pine.  I've frequently said that my

predecessor in this job, Charlie Snider, is the most beloved man I've ever known.  Jon Wilmesherr, director of the library at MCC, may be the second!  He was running an errand when I arrived and while I waited, the two women who worked in the library sang his praises.  When he returned, I began to understand why.  MCC serves  Mitchell, Avery, and Yancey counties and offers programs for High Schoolers and at two of the local prisons.

I returned to Mars Hill University to check on a shipment of books but as is usually the case at this dynamic school the librarians were too busy to spend much time except to say that everything was AOK.









Asheville is home to three schools; one of which I had already visited.  UNC-Asheville is part of the

University of North Carolina system and is the only dedicated liberal arts institution in the UNC system.  Leah Dunn is the director.  The school began in 1927 as the Buncombe County Junior College and became part of the UNC system in 1969.

AB Tech is a school I have visited twice before.  I have never been able to see the director and the third time proved to be charmed.  Russell Taylor welcomed me to his office and I immediately noticed that he had one of those desks you can elevate to stand and work.  (www.varidesk.com/)  He showed me how easily it converts from a normal desk at which one would sit to a fully functional desk at which one would stand.  In the course of our conversation, I mentioned that I had been to Lees McRae that morning and I learned that he had been the librarian there when the project to remodel the library had begun and had returned for the dedication.

Lunch was at an old favorite, "Five Points."  The Five Points neighborhood is a suburb on the

northern side of downtown begun in the late 19th century.  Most of the houses were built before 1920, some designed by significant architects of the era. Notable Asheville businessman and benefactor George W. Pack built his home there called “Manyoaks.”  The Five Points Restaurant has been in business there for many years.  While they offer a wide variety of American food, they specialize in Greek food and I was quick to order Spanakopita and a Greek Salad.  It was delicious!

My final stop was at South College.  It is a campus of a school located in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Prospects for helping them with books are not bright because all of their books come from the Tennessee campus.  Nonetheless, it was a delight to visit the very modern campus and the meet the director of the library, Marissa Deziel.  

I thought about the comings and goings of Russell Taylor at Lees McRae and AB Tech.  Who knows where any of us will be in a year?  Who knows what our nation will be like after November 8th?  This much we know:  Somethings in life will remain the same.   The love of a family and the faith that sustains us will not be cahnged by the comings and goings.