The Park Library - ALAN TUTTLE: A Career Celebration

Before we cut the book cake, I want to salute my wonderful boss of 19 years. We are so glad to have such a large group here with us to celebrate Alan as a librarian and a person. I am going to take this rare opportunity to ask such a distinguished group of librarians a question. Have you ever come across a book composed by 90 prominent scholars, from here and abroad, who were in absolute agreement about their subject? (I never had either.) But I have such a book right here, and it's about Alan Tuttle. Alan seems to be able to make miracles happen, and this book by all these scholars is jargon-free, it is readable, it is both serious and amusing, and everyone got his or her contribution in on time. And it's a page-turner, because the subject, Alan Tuttle, is a fascinating and worthy one.

A few months ago I was thinking how much Alan has enjoyed working with our Fellows over the last 24 years. I decided to write to as many as I could and ask them for their memories of Alan. So far 90 of them, representing every class, have written from the U.S., Germany, Norway, England, Australia, Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, Israel and Mexico.

Many thanked me for the opportunity. They wrote expressing great gratitude to him, with serious and funny stories and even with an original poem. They invited him to come and visit. One Fellow described Alan's librarianship memorably, saying, "I think he was something of a cross between a priest and a pusher, in the way he proselytized our making effective use of the incredible library resources he put at our disposal. 'Try it.' 'It's good for you.' 'We'll do all the work.' 'It's free!' I don't remember his using those exact words, but there is no doubt that he exuded their sentiment with unwavering enthusiasm and cheerfulness. Alan wanted to be of assistance. He wanted us to make full use of the library and other resource materials. He wanted us to succeed in our research projects."

Foreign Fellows were particularly stunned by this can-do American librarian. A Mexican fancied him as "a large angel, blond, smiling, with glasses, an angel who was flanked by Jean and Rebecca." He called Alan "a perfect model of a type of human that, every time I meet, awakens the admiration I felt from the first day: the librarians of the United States." In a piece entitled "Culture Shock! Meet Alan Tuttle!", a German wrote the following: "For somebody coming from Germany, a librarian is an imposing, fear-inspiring figure, ranking somewhere up there with high authorities with whom one has to be on good terms. To be sure, German librarians are basically good-natured people who value books highly and take their jobs seriously. But most of them still regard the library as a castle which they have finally inherited after a long apprenticeship ranging from junior-librarian to not-so-junior-anymore librarian to when-in-the-world-is-my-boss-retiring librarian. Then, one day the boss finally retires and the castle is theirs.

"Only one thing disturbs their happiness, those pesky alien invaders called library users who disturb the peaceful quiet of the castle and keep the librarian from devoting all of his time and attention to his beloved books. The library-user, on the other hand, notices that he is actually considered a nuisance and tries his best to soften the librarian's cold heart by playing the helpless child who needs parental guidance. The alternative--complaining about the librarian's lackluster attitude or unfriendly behavior--is not advisable and may be hazardous to your health: the librarian turns into a formidable dragon who is rising from the castle's moat to defend his territory.

"Imagine our culture shock when Brigitte and I first met the head librarian of the National Humanities Center, one Alan Tuttle! The librarian-as-dragon reborn as friendly Southern host! No hostility, no unwillingness to serve, no scowls of disapproval, no 'not today,' 'impossible,' or 'I will have to check with the ministry of education.' Instead, genuine friendliness, an American can-do attitude, and an amazingly good will to be of help. Motto: we will do the impossible today. Miracles take up to three days! And in between, always time for a small-talk and genuine interest in other people."

As another Fellow said, "The real pleasure of having Alan on my side as I struggled with writing and research came from the pleasure he so manifestly felt in the life of the mind. Alan joins a long tradition of scholarly librarians who have kept learning alive through the centuries." In the words of still another, he was "the ultimate librarian."

But the Fellows saw Alan as far more than a librarian. The letters spoke as one of his good cheer, his helpfulness, his modesty, his generosity, his gentlemanly ways, and his humanity. They appreciated the way he went far beyond his librarian role. For a time here at the Center, Alan was the only one of us who knew much about computers, and he dove in and helped the Fellows set them up, retrieved their books when the computer ate them, drove them to computer repair shops, and shared his knowledge with them. (Beverly knows well the many evenings Alan spent here at the Center unraveling computer problems.) Several said they could not have written their books without him. But even more than that, they came to regard him as a colleague and a friend.

They recognized his ravenous intellectual curiosity and his total unselfishness in wanting to help them. As a Fellow wrote, "He pursued his simple goal of providing everybody with everything they needed even if they did not yet know they needed it." They delighted in his storytelling talent and his knowledge of local history and attractions, as well as his amazing knowledge of any other subject that might come up in conversation. He helped them buy cars, and he helped them fix cars. He found machine knitting wool for one English Fellow, and a rare edition of the Britannica which another bought and shipped to England. He gave books to the daughters of a Dutch Fellow, to help them learn English and to help them feel welcome. And he didn't stop there.

What other librarian is so versatile that in odd moments he marries Fellows as well as staff members? (Or, in the case of Bill Leuchtenburg, a Fellow to a staff member.) Alan married Rebecca and Steve Vargha at this very spot. As a Fellow wrote, "I am sure he probably never thought how much he integrated himself into the lives of the various Fellows who have passed through the Center over the years."

In observing him over 19 years, I have come to feel that there is no one with whom Alan cannot find common ground, and this may be what makes him the truly great bridge-builder, between people and between libraries, that he is. One Fellow said, "Alan's interests were so wide-ranging that there was not a single project to which he couldn't contribute his expertise and good counsel." And as yet another wrote, "A wonderful man, a remarkable librarian. He would not be the second if he hadn't been the first." She also asked me to give Alan a hug, and I will do that as I present him with this collection. I will also put out a two-volume version for you to see. This book echoes, I am sure, all of our own stories, and our deep respect and affection for this very special man. Happy retirement, Alan!

Alan Tuttle	Beverly and Alan Tuttle
Joanne Marshall (UNC-CH SILS Dean) chatting with Eliza Robertson cutting the cake.	Front: (unidentified person), Bernice Bergup, Libby Chenault (back to camera). Rear: Steve Vargha and Bob Ballard.
From left: Barbara Semonche, Rebecca Vargha, (unidentified person), Steve Vargha, and Joe Hewitt (UNC-CH University Librarian.)	From left: Jinnie Davis, Barbara Branson, Margaretta Yarborough, Roberta Schaafsma. Standing: Crystal Waters.
Left, Eliza Robertson; center: Coyla ________________; and right, Barbara Semonche	From left: Ken Shearer (N. C. Central Univ.), Cliff Small, and Bob Ballard (N. C. Central Univ.)
Standing front: Nancy Frazier and Jinnie Davis. Middle: Jean Porter. Rear: Byron Howes, Dav Robertson.	Standing front: Nadia Zilper and Beverly Tuttle (back facing the camera.
Standing: Kent Mullikin, speaking. Seated: Alan Tuttle and others.	Front from left (and counterclockwise): David Ferriero, Joe Hewitt, Susan Nutter (N. C. State Univ.), Barbara Semonche, Larry Alford (UNC-CH), and Dale Gaddis (Durham County Public Library.