Touch of Gray - September / October 2002

Books and Beyond - the Story of the Carolina Meadows Library
Dr. Frank Press

Books and Beyond - the Story of the Carolina Meadows Library
   The library at Carolina Meadows is "front and center" for the many activities and programs offered to the retirement community’s residents, staff, and visitors.

   Anyone entering the main building -- the Club Center -- is first welcomed by an inviting lounge with comfortable chairs, a puzzle table where there is usually someone working on the latest puzzle, and the main desk staffed by a cordial receptionist prepared to help visitors and residents. Straight ahead lies the library facility with double doors open wide to accommodate the daily traffic. Those entering the Club Center lounge often stop before they move into the library to admire the handsome stained glass window above the library entrance, which was a gift from the family of a former resident.

   A well-lighted interior, as well as the comfortable chairs in the library, provides an inviting place for reading, selecting books to take home, finding a video. Looking up the daily stock market report in The Wall Street Journal, or browsing through a magazine while waiting for bus transportation. Peg MacInnes is responsible for the display of newspapers and over 40 magazines. The library offers a yearly subscription to the The Wall Street Journal, Pauly Dodd gives a subscription to The Christian Science Monitor, and local newspapers are also on the window ledge. Paul Ferster, Bob Parker, John Russell, and Elizabeth Tate’s magazine subscriptions are welcome additions to the magazine collection. Most magazines are donated.

   The Carolina Meadows Library was first located on the second floor of the Club Center in a room designated in the original plans to be a library. It outgrew that space, and when the center was enlarged in 1993, the library was moved to its present home off the center’s lobby. This growth reflects the growth in Carolina Meadows population and the recognition of the library’s contribution to the quality of life at Carolina Meadows.

   Open seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m., the library is operated and staffed by a committee of approximately 25 resident volunteers. The first head of the library was Ariel Bruce. After her death, Marge Oakley became chair of the volunteers, and upon her retirement in January, 1997, Mickey Marshall and Vickie Badrow served as co-chairs until Marshall’s death in June, 1997, when Badrow became chair. Starting in 1999. Marj Vaiden became assistant chair. Many volunteers share a library background. The residential volunteers all have specific jobs and are responsible for the library when "on duty."

   The library houses a collection of about 7,500 hardcover books (fiction and nonfiction) approximately 2,000 paperbacks, over 40 periodicals, newspapers, and an encyclopedia. For help in locating a specific book, the library maintains an up-to-date card catalog that has separate files for large-print books, biographies, and reference books. The library keeps the records of campus committee meetings and Board of Directors meetings. Residents who want to know more about next year’s Carolina Meadows, Inc., budget, will find it in the library. Videotapes of all Residents Association meetings and other special events are also located there.

   The books on the shelf are constantly changing as new books are purchased, donations received, and shelves "weeded" to make room. The biggest problem is finding room for new books, videos and audiotapes, as well as more paperbacks. The librarians are grateful for the work of Hugh Steele, resident carpenter from the woodworking shop, who is continually finding a way to enlarge the capacity of a bookcase or to build a new one. The Chatham County Bookmobile is at Carolina Meadows two times a month, giving residents access to books, which may not be on our shelves. Residents at the Meadows can get a library card from the Bookmobile for use in the Chatham County libraries.

Volunteers -- the "backbone" of the library

   There is no way that the Carolina Meadows library could function without all the dedicated and willing volunteers who contribute time and expertise to their jobs. Seven days a week in the morning, you will find either Beth Duncan, Irma Eisenbud, Ann Ligett, Alice Lash, Nancy Post, Ruth Morrow, or Bob Rabb at work in the library. They have come to "card" and "shelve" books, answer questions, and find books or videos for residents. They are the "librarians on duty." They have a crew of faithful substitutes -- Lee and George Thurnher, Jean O’Connor, Esther Bovarnick, Ruth Goldwasser, Nan Melcher, Barbara Young, and Janet Welanetz to call upon when they are away. Helen Edgar Hicks, who worked for many years shelving books, now helps with the "weeding" of books. Phyllis Dowd has helped with the paperback collection for many years.

   It takes many hands to process the books. Librarian Vaiden catalogs each book and types the appropriate cards for the card catalog files, while Melcher types pockets and book cards. Jane Ragland then arrives on the scene to paste the pockets in the new books. Both Mil Peterson and Frankie Fisher do a beautiful job covering the books, and last, but not the least, Stiles Stribling files all the cards in our card catalog drawers. And then at last, the books are ready to be put out for residents and staff to read and enjoy.

   The video section of the Carolina Meadows library began from an expressed interest on the part of some residents in 1995. The collection has grown over the years to its present collection of approximately 800 videos. These are color-coded by subject and interest and can be checked out the same as a book. Evelyn Greeley catalogs and processes all videos. There is a drop box (built by Steele) for videos and donations. The video committee -- Greeley, Fisher, and Russell -- have a separate fund from the Residents Association to purchase videos and always welcome the donation of a new video.

   New books come into the Carolina Meadows library from several sources. Books are purchased from local bookstores, through the internet, and from book clubs. The library receives donations from residents and staff -- these donations may be just one book or, in the case of a resident who recently moved to the Health Center, as large as 800 books! The majority of paperbacks are donated. Alice Patterson catalogs the paperbacks, which do not have pockets or cards, but are marked each time they are taken out for future reference in removal to make more shelf space.

   Librarian Badrow is proficient in her selection of new books that have appeal to a wide range of residents’ interests. Large-print books comprise the majority of purchased books.

   Residents donate most of the video and audiotapes. The library appreciates all donations, which may be bestsellers, well-publicized books over the past several years, or classic oldies. Donations may go into the library collection immediately, or if the book is already on the shelf, it will be placed in the annual book sale.

   Now many residents are requesting large print books, which are shelved in a separate section of the library identified by a yellow stripe on the binding. This collection includes fiction, nonfiction, biographies, story collections, and mysteries, which are especially popular. A color telesensory machine has been donated by a resident, Margaret deWever. A reading aid that is available to everyone with vision problems, it is in use every day. At the same time, there has been an increasing interest in audiotapes. The library continually adds to the collection by purchasing at least two new audiotapes each month, which supplements the many donations of tapes. The audiotape collection is organized by Dodd who catalogs and processes the more than 200 tapes within the confines of limited space.

   Circulation has increased over the years as the community’s population has grown. On an average approximately 425 hardbacks, 300 paperbacks, 140 large-print books, and 200 videos are checked out each month. These numbers seem to change with the seasons. All of the hardbacks, fiction, nonfiction, biographies, large-print, selected paperbacks, videos, and audiotapes have a pocket and card.

   Inasmuch as the library is open all day, it is therefore the responsibility of the resident or staff member to fill out the appropriate card and leave it in the box on the desk. At the end of the month, "Just a Reminder" slips are sent out to residents and staff who have not returned their books. You can find Bovarnick in the library the last day of every month searching the shelves for overdue books and sending out reminder slips. Sometimes library volunteers have to be detectives to find a book! Dodd also sends out overdue slips for the audiotapes and Russell does likewise for the videos.

   In July 1997, a second library was opened in the Fairways, Carolina Meadows assisted living facility. This library has a collection of large-print books, paperbacks, audios and videos, and includes a telesensory machine donated from the main library. O’Connor helps to keep this attractive library accessible to residents and at the same time keeps track of new books. Two residents of the Fairways are active in this library. Nan McMillan is responsible for the video collection and Andy Lunde uses his computer to keep an update list of books and audiotapes.

Sources of Support

   Financial support for the Carolina Meadows Library comes from three sources: (1) an annual budget allocation of $1,100 from the Carolina Meadows Residents Association, which covers operating expenses and new acquisitions, such as large-print books and hardcover best sellers; (2) the library’s annual book sale every November -- in 2001, the net sales were $2,089. The proceeds from the book sale enables the library to purchase extra books throughout the year for the main library and Fairways, audiotapes, books requested by residents, and the yearly subscription to The Wall Street Journal. For instance, when Richard Sampson’s foreign affairs group is discussing a certain book as part of his weekly class, the library is able to purchase that book for the residents.

   Residents and staff eagerly anticipate the annual November book sale. All library committee members are involved in the sale held in the lobby of the Club Center. This is a year-long project, and the sale is open to residents, staff, and friends in the community. The library has two loyal book dealers who always come to purchase books. Every week throughout the year Badrow and Post go through all donations placing some books in the library and others in the book sale. If someone donates a new book that is already in the library, it will be on a table at the time of the sale. Library volunteers regularly "weed" the shelves, and books that have not been read for three years find their way into the sale.

   Books are sorted by category. Donations are received all year, and in late October, a crew of workers will be packing the books into bags and labeling the contents. Busy with this chore will be Badrow, Greeley, Ligett, O’Connor, Post and Young, and many other committee members. A group of strong men are involved getting the books upstairs into the lobby and putting the books out on tables for the committee members to arrange. At the sale there will be hardbacks and paperbacks in all categories, games, puzzles, videos and audios. There are many special books individually priced.

   Jody Hite, a staff member in our Activities Department, assists in setting up tables and her department bakes and sells cookies in the lobby during the sale; proceeds from the cookie sale are placed in the Health Center Activities Fund. Leftover books are recycled back into the community to charitable organizations such as Chatham Habitat for Humanity, PTA stores, Salvation Army, and the Senior Citizen Housing Complex in Carrboro. Although the book sale is a busy time for all, it is enjoyed by residents, staff, and friends.

   Staff at Carolina Meadows always come to the book sale and frequent the library daily. Staff from all departments check out books, videos, and audiotapes and often come to search for information. Beginning in 2001, the library became part of the staff orientation day, which is held on the first Wednesday of each month when all new staff attend a daylong session at Carolina Meadows.

   The library also houses the selections for the Campus Book Discussion Group. This activity is open to all book discussion veterans as well as those who just love to read. The group meets monthly from September to May to discuss a wide range of fiction and nonfiction books. Pat Ballard and Judy Smarr, CO-chairs during the past year, attempted to find selections equally appealing to women and men. For the past ten years, Tate’s Meet the Author program met once a month, and the library has been fortunate to receive a copy of the book presented by each author. These books are processed with a red stripe on the binding signifying it is a "Meet the Author" book.

   Carolina Meadows residents agree that the library is the place to come to read, look at a magazine, relax in a comfortable chair, do some paperwork, find a video or book, look up a committee report, see what’s new on the shelf, or simply sit and wait for a friend to come by for a lunch date. This library is well used and an important part of life at the Meadows. -- Vickie Badrow, Resident and Librarian

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Dr. Frank Press
    Carolina Meadows residents who have academic and work experience in the sciences often tell you that two major attractions for settling in Chapel Hill are their younger generation family members who live here and the academic facilities in the Triangle.

   Dr. Frank Press, who recently moved to Carolina Meadows with his wife, Billie, became interested in this area for these reasons and also because several former colleagues, including four members of the National Academy of Sciences, were living at the retirement community. Press has had an outstanding career that led to his presidency of the National Academy of Sciences and Chairman of the National Research Council for more than 12 years and also to his appointment as a scientific advisor to three presidents. From 1977 to 1980 he was working in the White House as the Science Advisor to President Jimmy Carter. During his time with President Carter he was also Director, Office of Science and Technology Policy.

   Most residents in retirement communities no longer work full-time, but keep active with volunteer activities or other interests that they could not fit in during their working years. Not so with Press. At a time when he could have taken a well-deserved retirement, he became part of a group that founded an international consulting firm -- the Washington Advisory Group.

   This firm advises business enterprises, universities, and governments on various undertakings in science and technology and business development. For example, the firm consults with academic institutions in areas of technology transfer, research administration, and curriculum modernization. Four states that have received tobacco settlement monies have hired the Washington Advisory Group to help with plans for attracting business to their states to replace the tobacco income.

   Included among the 15 partners in this advisory group are former presidential science advisors, university presidents, business executives, foundation presidents, and directors of federal research and development agencies such as the National Science Foundation, NASA, and the National Institutes of Health.

   Born in New York City, Press received his undergraduate degree from City College of New York and his Ph.D. in geophysics from Columbia University. Later, as a professor at Columbia, he spent his summers exploring the sea floor setting out from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution on Cape Cod, Massachusetts. He has had broad experience throughout the discipline of geophysics that has included work in space exploration and plate tectonics. At the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Press was Professor of Geophysics and Chairman of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences before he went to the White House to work with President Carter.

   President Carter, an engineer and graduate of the United States Naval Academy, took particular interest in technology. At times members of the White House staff would -- in good humor -- accuse the President and Press of speaking in a "secret code" when they conversed in scientific terms. Dr. Press appreciated his time working with President Jimmy Carter and admired his deep knowledge and his grasp of the mechanisms of government, of environmental issues, of resource issues, of national security, and of human rights.

   President Carter sent Press on a number of missions within the United States and throughout the world. Because of his expertise he went with Carter to the State of Washington during the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980. One of Press's most important trips was to visit with officials of the Chinese government with an invitation to send their students here. This was the beginning of an important exchange of young people between China and the United States and led to the opening of other diplomatic conversations with the Chinese leadership.

   Press was a professor of geophysics for the first 25 years of his career -- at Columbia, MIT, and California Institute of Technology where he was Director of the Seismological Laboratory. He has been a Senior Fellow at the Carnegie Institution of Washington and a consultant to a number of government agencies, including the Interior, State, and Defense departments and the Agency for International Development, and for Arms Control and Disarmament. Since 1993 he has been a visiting Professor at Cornell, Caltech, Stanford, and Indiana.

   Among his many honors, Press is the recipient of 30 honorary degrees, including honorary doctorates from Columbia, Princeton, Yale and the Sorbonne.

   Among his awards are the US National Medal of Sciences, the Vannevar Bush Award, and the Pupin Medal from Columbia University. He received the Japan Prize from the Emperor in 1993 and was awarded the "great gold" Lomonosov medal, the highest award of the Russian Academy of Sciences, in 1998.

   In addition to his other work, Press is currently working on a fourth edition of the widely used undergraduate textbook, 'Understanding Earth,' which he co-authored with Raymond Siever, a Harvard professor. When asked how he views the continuing role of the United States in global affairs, Dr. Press says that he is very optimistic about our country's future as the leading world power. From his position as a distinguished leader in technology, academia, and government, he cites several reasons: the uniqueness of our research universities, the entrepreneurial spirit of American business, and our government's support of research and development.

   The Presses still spend the greater part of their time in Washington because of Frank Press's commitments there. Billie Press, however, manages to be here part of each month. She comes to Carolina Meadows as often as possible because of the different phases of life at Carolina Meadows that she enjoys: meeting interesting new friends; being part of the cordial, upbeat environment; gathering for the special evening dinners; having the fun of learning about the continuing care community that is Carolina Meadows and its surroundings. Recently she completed a two-day AARP-UNC course in safe driving for seniors in North Carolina, which she highly recommends.

   Billie Press has pursued a career in education and psychology and has her doctorate in education. She has taught students of all ages -- from infants to graduate students. During her long career she was in charge of the citywide Program for Academically Talented Students, K-12, with the Pasadena, California, schools. When her husband moved from Caltech to MIT, she was chosen to serve as Boston's citywide Director of Education for Headstart. Now she looks forward to the time when her husband can lessen his workload and they both can spend more time in Chapel Hill. A major attraction for both of them in this area is being able to spend time with their daughter, granddaughter, and son-in-law who live here.

   Many long-time residents and recent retirees in Chapel Hill have had outstanding career experiences that have taken them to various parts of our world and have given them the opportunity to interact with a great diversity of individuals. Drs. Frank and Billie Press are welcome additions to this growing pattern at Carolina Meadows and in our community. -- Pauly Dodd, Resident

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