Photo by Krystal Hicks

With today's students desperately lunging at the Internet to solve even the most minute inconvenience, it is hard to remember a time when information was not so easily attained. With the click of a button, one can figure out everything from how to tie a Windsor knot to cooking a gourmet dinner for less than $10. Back when hard copies of files were all that were available for massive amounts of information, solving one of these problems might have required a trip downtown to the library or at least a little bit of digging. And as this might seem like a lot to ask, try and think back to the pre-google.com days when a broken laundry machine would easily set you back a couple hundred dollars just on having a repair man stop by. Or what about the first time you blew a headlight and could barely find the latch to pop your hood? When issues like these arose, the library was not only your best bet, but also your own personal financial advisor, especially for students who didn't want to call home for another loan.

As the Services Assistant at the Engineering, Mathematics, and Computing Library, Barbara Morris spends her day by not only maintaining and processing a periodical collection of about 800 titles, but also by helping students and faculty search wide assortments of databases in order to find what they need. "I especially enjoy working with students who don't know how to find or use these resources," explains Barbara. "Someone who might be looking for articles on say, wind turbines, can find this information through the database link on the library web page. It seems like magic to them and makes me feel like a wizard."

Before her library adventures began at New Hampshire Hall, however, Barbara, a non-traditional student, transferred to UNH from Gilford College, a small, private school in North Carolina. As her love for plant sciences grew, Barbara took a position as a Laboratory Technician within the Botany Department. A little after graduation, she decided to take a break in order to care for her family. "I really enjoyed that job," she smiles. "I prepared laboratory materials for the introductory botany classes. There were about 300 students, so from week to week, I would either be mixing up solutions for some kind of experiment or going out and gathering acorns or leaves to make sure there would be enough for everyone. There were ten lab sessions a week and you would have to have enough Elodea to go around!" she laughs.

In 1991, Barbara took a position at Dover Public Library. "I actually never wanted to be a librarian," she explains. "I have a few in my family, and when I was growing up, it was all about old, dusty books. Now it is quite a bit different." Barbara also mentions how advantageous her job was during that time. "I really enjoyed my position there and it was so perfect for those years where my children were in school." It wasn't until 2001 that Barbara returned to UNH and began her current position, which also benefits her eldest son, a sophomore, here at the university.

A couple of influential places that had a positive impact on Barbara's life include the greenhouse, where she can enjoy the ferns and exotic plants, and, yup, you guessed it, the library. "When I was an undergraduate here, I lived in Dimond. I had a particular karrel upstairs where I hung out until closing." She recalls. "Then I'd ride my bike back to where I lived, all the way down Main Street to Bayview Road, no hands. Boy, life was a lot simpler then." As an alumni and a faculty member, Barbara has always loved the diversity on campus. "I really enjoy the academic community here. There is always so much important work being done in research areas and also in the libraries," she states. "Not only that, but there are also the student dance theater productions and hockey and football games to see. There is never a reason to be bored."

When she is not organizing periodicals or helping students find materials for their research, Barbara loves to read, cook, garden, knit, swim, and ski. She also enjoys singing in the Seacoast Choral Society, which she's been a part of for the last three years. "We're actually working on the Mozart Requiem, which just so happens to be what UNH is singing on Sunday night," she laughs. One ambition that seems to be growing for Barbara is her writing.

"There are a couple of local legends in and around my neighborhood of Barrington that tickle my imagination," Barbara says, referring to the story of, 1819 and Froze to Death. "The house that I live in was occupied by a farmer who planted corn," she begins. "He harvested his crops and sold it for a silver dollar a bushel [when no one else's harvest survived the cold summer.] He ended up making quite a bit of money and the following year there was a subsequent economic failure around the Northeast and he apparently loaned some silver to the local banks in order to keep them afloat." Barbara goes on and explains that the next year the man dies, leaving his wealth to his widow and their son who has a gambling and drinking problem. Afraid of what he'll do, the widow grabs a bundle of silver in her apron and buries it in the back yard. Barbara amused, explains, "I still get people knocking on my back door asking, 'Can I use my metal detector in your yard?" When asked if she had ever found anything, Barbara laughed and replied, "No! This is southern New Hampshire! There's a can or bottle dump every 20 feet! You're probably going to find car parts!" Even though Barbara has no 19th century silver to show for it, she embraces the legend and hopes to make something of the story one day in her own writing.