UP!

In my previous travels, I have gone west and east. This time I went UP! I boarded an American Airlines plane bound for Orlando, FL and the American Library Association.

The ALA is the oldest and largest library association in the world. Founded on October 6, 1876 during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, the mission of ALA is “to provide leadership for the development, promotion and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.”

Imagine 25,000 librarians and 6,000 vendors in the Orange County Convention Center!

My partner in crime at the convention was a robot named Oscar T. Robot. Oscar and his handler, Jack Prather, made the event both fun and valuable in helping librarians get the books they need.

While there, I stayed at the Sheraton Vistana Villages. It was only a few minutes from the convention and was the lap of luxury. It was, however, a very short trip. The city of Orlando has had some difficult days prior to my arrival. The people there had experienced three significant tragedies in a few short days. Two were acts of violence by people and one by a wild animal. Whenever our peace is disturbed like that, we seek solace in each other. The gathering of people interested in books provided just such a salve.

I, once again, traveled east but this time I drifted north as well as I flirted with the state line of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It was there I discovered Chowan University in the town of Murfreesboro. Chowan began as a Baptist School for Women. It is now a strong four-year, co-ed School. There I met Georgia Williams, the director and Will Metcalf, the tech services guy. Students are not yet on Campus again but I did see some parents who were evidently there for orientation.

Driving back the way I came brought me to the town of Weldon and Halifax Community College. Established in 1967, the college is one of the oldest in the North Carolina Community College System. The Taylor Learning Center is the center of the campus and houses the library. Lynn Allen is the new Director and by contrast, Jean McGee is in charge of circulation and is completing 40 years of service.

Scotland Neck was settled in 1722 by Scots Highlanders led by Lord Nairn. They settled in the "neck" of the Roanoke River in the eastern part of Halifax County. I went there at lunchtime and looked for a restaurant that served "haggis." Fortunately, I didn't find one. Instead I found am italian restaurant where I enjoyed an eggplant parm paninni. My purpose in going was to go to my first public library. I was greeted by Tiffany with one of the greatest smiles I've ever seen. Brenda Mills is the director and sees her job as providing a place where children and adults can continually learn.

My meeting with Kathy Winslow at North Carolina Wesleyan University was very brief because Kathy was on her way to catch a plane to London. Bon voyage, Kathy.

My final meeting of the day was with the new librarian at St. Augustine's University in Raleigh. She is Tiwanna Nevels. The trip home was uneventful but long.

West to East

My second voyage was in the opposite direction from my first. I left home very early knowing that I would be driving into the sun. I was also without my faithful guide, Zelda. She had taken ill the previous night (some sort of computer bug) and so I was led by a nondescript voice who was equally helpful but not nearly as entertaining. I originally intended to drive to Morehead City but traffic so delayed my progress that I began my day in Kinston at Lenoir Community College. There I met a delightful young lady named Beth Sheets. Beth is from Michigan and her husband is stationed at nearby Seymour Johnson Airbase. On this Memorial Day Weekend, I want to thank him and all who serve.

James Sprunt Community College is located in the town of Kenanasville and is named for, of all people, James Sprunt (1818-1884), a Scottish immigrant who became a teacher, Presbyterian minister, and the longtime pastor of Grove Presbyterian Church in Kenansville. The librarian is Christine Vasica and she demonstrates the dedicated service of librarians who see there work not just as "running a library" but as participating in the education of students. She was a very impressive young lady.

There's a town in South Carolina named Clinton but there they pronounce it "Clinnin." It is the home of the Presbyterian College Blue Hose. Sampson Community College is located in Clinton, NORTH Carolina. Shelly McCullen is the Acquisitions Director and serves on a very beautiful campus.

It was time for lunch and I happened upon a Honduran restaurant called Las Brasas (The Coals). I had the Carne Asada and it was absolutely delicious. It was served with a white cheese that was excellent! When I walked in, there were no customers. While I ate, there were no customers. That's usually not a good sign but the food was good and, obviously, the service was impeccable. I don't know why there were not more people there but I'm glad they were there for me.

My biggest surprise came immediately after lunch when I visited Mt. Olive University. Mt. Olive claims to be the "Pickle Capital of the World" with good reason--their market share approaches 70%! On New Year's Eve, a 3 foot high pickle is lowered to mark the new year. The event raises money for the Food Bank of North Carolina through donations of canned goods from guests. Too be honest, having lived in North Carolina most of my life, that's primarily what I knew about Mt. Olive. Allow me to regress a bit. All day, I had noticed more "Free Will Baptist" Churches than I had ever seen. FWB Churches are more like my brother in theological belief but more like Baptists in local governance. In Mt. Olive, I learned why there were so many Free Will Baptist Churches. They have an absolutely beautiful campus and a strong school. The librarian is Pam Wood and she is one of the most universally loved librarians I've met in my travels. She was a student at Mt. Olive when it was a Junior College and returned to serve the library for many years.

Goldsboro is the home of Wayne Community College and that was my next stop. All of my travels thus far have been a bit inauthentic (like finding a place to park my car has been no problem) because most schools are between graduation and the beginning of summer school. The Acquisitions Director, Terri Smith greeted me as I entered the library because she was working the front desk! What a servant! My final stop was in our capital city, Raleigh, at St. Augustine's University, an HBU founded by the Protestant Episcopal Church shortly after the end of the Civil War. As I said, it's between semesters and the library was closed so it was an anti climactic end to a great day.

It is a long drive from Raleigh to my home in Gaston County and I was glad to interrupt the trip for supper at my favorite place to eat--Lexington Barbecue. Lexington Barbecue was established in 1962 by Wayne Monk and has grown from a small cafe to a nationally known barbecue restaurant. When you get close, you can almost follow your nose for directions.