September 19, 1976 (Letter from Bev)

Hi.  It was so good to see you again and I really enjoyed spending the day with you and Diane. Possibly you'll be coming down this way again soon?  Diane said that you might and I suggested that you come to New Castle.  She also mentioned going to Chadds Ford.  Have you ever been there to the Brandywine River Museum?  There's a very good Wyeth collection there.

It looks like I'll be at my same job for awhile.  The Wednesday after Labor Day I called the Hampton V.A. Hospital to see why they hadn't called me for an interview as they said they were going to.  Well, they hired someone else without even interviewing me!  What a bummer!  Then I called the Wilmington V.A. and they, too, hired another person.  It seems almost impossible to get into that system.  I was so disappointed that week and very depressed.  But, I guess that something will come along sooner or later.  I have just applied for 3 more positions.  One as Anglo-Germanic Bibliographer at the U. of Va. in Charlottesville.  I've received a reply already from them saying that I'll be hearing from them again in the coming weeks.  Another position as a reference librarian at George Mason Univ. at Fairfax, Va.  The third at Virginia Medical College in Richmond as a periodicals librarian.  All sound good.  I think that I would enjoy working in a university setting and plan on heading my job looking in that direction.  My hopes of getting a V.A. job are very low, but my application is still good until June 1977.  Who knows what will come up.

The day after Labor Day the nursing students came to the hospital and now business has picked up again.  Whenever any come into the library I have to stop what I'm doing and help them.  I do enjoy this and it's good practice for me.  I remember where to look for a lot of little things that often make explanations easier.  It's amazing, though, how helpless some of them are.  I just can't remember getting such help from my college librarians!

On Thursday, Sept. 16, I was at my job for 2 years.  It sure went fast and I think I've learned a lot. I just don't think I can learn much more in this job and do want something better.  I am thankful, though, that I have a decent position.   Last week I had a letter from Ruth Taylor.  Remember her?  She hasn't found a job yet and isn't working anywhere! She said that she soon would have to find something, even work as a clerk.  After reading her letter, I decided not to complain so much anymore.

Last Sunday Diane came down and we went to the Brandywine Arts Festival, the largest art show in Delaware.  There were 200 craftsmen and 250 artists participating.  It was really a nice show and I saw many things that I wanted. I bought a hand-made framed mirror with a planter at its base.  It's quite unique and made a nice addition to my apartment.  This Saturday is Art-on-the-Green in New Castle and Diane is coming down for this, too.  It's much smaller than the Brandywine Arts Festival, but nevertheless it'll be a good showing.

On Saturday, October 2d, the Philadelphia Regional Group of the M.L.A is having their fall meeting in Wilmington at the Academy of Medicine.  Usually the meetings are in Philly, but the program committee chairperson is from Wilmington, so she got her way this time.  The speaker is the copyright specialist from the Library of Congress.  It should be an interesting program.  I'm not too clear on the new law, so this meeting should be quite explanatory.

This Tuesday I'm starting an adult education class at the local high school.  I'm taking beginning Italian.  Why?  Because it was the only language course being offered and since I don't know any Italian I figured that it won't hurt to learn some.  I was the 9th person to sign up for it, so we should have a nice-sized class.  All the names on the list were typical, 3 & $ syllabus Italian names and here I am with my very un-Italian last name.  I'm looking forward to it and I"m sure it'll be more fun than work.

This week is the 1st of the Ford vs. Carter debates.  Things still aren't settled about the telecast and it seems to me that the League of Women Voters is being too picky about the whole matter.  I hope it gets televised. If not, I wonder if it'll be on the radio?  I'm really not too interested in politics, but for some reason this presidential campaign has me intrigued.  I'm most sure that Carter will be the next president and I only hope that he's as sincere as he seems to be.  All at the hospital are hoping for more money for mental health.  Maybe then some real treatment for the patients will be a reality.  Tomorrow the continuing education lecture at the hospital will be about treating the alcoholic.  Although the alcoholism unit is a separate entity from the mental hospital, the staff is sometimes interchanged.  The staff from alcoholic services use the library an awful lot.  Maybe they have more time than the psychiatrists have.

Did you plant the coleus that I gave you?  I hope they grow for you.  I just transplanted my coffee plant.  What a time I had!  I really should have had some help. It's getting very tall and is supposed to grow to 6 feet!  I hope not!  Some of my other plants need repotting soon.  It seems that they doubled in size over the summer.  Some of them will soon take over my apartment!

I hope that all's well with you and that I'll be seeing you again soon.