| Gwyn Anderson |
My journey with RMM as a member of the Law Library staff began in August 1970 when he hired me as his secretary. On my first day at Tarlton, I realized that I’d never worked for anyone like him. He wanted everything done at once. He wanted messages passed along immediately. Every morning on my desk was a stack of “SEE RMM Notes” that were to be distributed immediately. How were these notes to be passed along when I was supposed to be at my desk at all times. There was no staff listing; there wasn’t a telephone directory. At this point, there was an office pool about how long I would last. He expected results, no excuses, and I accepted the challenge. I found myself able to accomplish my assigned tasks but only with the support and help of my wonderful co-workers. Eventually RMM and I developed an effective work relationship and eventually a close friendship.
Today 37 years after RMM and I began our professional journey together, I celebrate the remarkable life of Roy M. Mersky or RMM as he is familiarly known among the staff. I reflect with pride on his professional and personal achievements. He made me and the staff of the Law Library, both present and past, proud to associated with the “seventh largest law library, housed in the largest law academic facility under one roof in the country,” whose director was recognized nationally and internationally as the premier law librarian in the world.
A charismatic leader, RMM cajoled, harassed, encouraged, intimidated, inspired, mentored, and constructively criticized on occasion, always demanding our best. His business was about selling the Law Library, its services, its staff, and its facility. He created a community of believers in the Mersky tradition of excellence. He involved the staff in his professional activities. He wanted the faculty and the university community to recognize the professional excellence of our staff. He initiated the first staff-faculty-student liaison program in the county. He taught legal research and writing in both the law school and the School of Information, and our librarians also taught. He directed conferences and we helped with the intellectual and organizational details. The most recent conference was last October, Teaching the Teachers: Effective Instruction in Legal Research. Over 200 persons attended.
RMM, along with co-authors Jacobstein, Dunn, and now Barkan, produced the mostly widely used legal research text in the country, Fundamentals of Legal Research. He invited professional staff to write chapters to the book, providing them an opportunity to contribute to the intellectual legal research community. With the assistance of the staff, he wrote passionate pleas to a succession of deans, urging increased library funding for books, services and staff. He chronicled the activities of the library and staff through elegant annual reports. During the University’s sesquicentennial celebration, the law library received a grant to do oral histories of individuals who had made significant contributions to the legal community. Oral histories began a passion, and twelve oral histories have been published. He was finally persuaded that he should be the subject or an oral history, and it was completed last fall. Bill Chriss is doing the final editing of RMM’s oral history, and it should be published soon.
RMM felt that the Hyder collection enriched the educational environment of our facility, while providing a warm and pleasant ambiance for students. He was proud when the Tarlton Law Library became a part of the Joseph Jamail Center for Legal Research and was honored by the support of Mr. Jamail. When the library approached the addition of its millionth volume, Mr. Jamail provided the funds to purchase that landmark volume, the Rastell Dictionary. RMM was the first law librarian in the country to be given a law school chair, and he was pleased to hold the Harry M. Reasoner Regents Chair in Law.
Tarlton was certainly not a provincial law library. Truly, under RMM’s leadership, the library became “Tarlton without Walls.” He embraced members of the legal and library communities in his circle of Tarlton outreach. Most of you received one or more letters from him; many of you received notes and articles about things that he thought would interest you. I was supposed to visit with him on Saturday, the day before after his accident. In my folder for him, there was an article on ACLU and a letter to the editor mentioning David Richards. When one received an award, he usually knew about it, and he would send a letter of congratulations. When there was a death or illness, he sent a letter of sympathy or of good wishes. He remembered birthdays. He wrote recommendation letters. Of course, RMM did not accomplish all of these things without staff assistance. When he accepted the American Association of Law Library’s highest award for professional achievements, he expressed appreciation to the staff, present and alumni, whose help he relied upon to accomplish his dreams and his goals in the profession.
The staff is known as hard-working, productive professionals, a professional climate that RMM shaped, but we have fun and there is good camaraderie. Our parties are great. Each October 31 we celebrate Halloween, dressing in costume, carving pumpkins, and playing games. RMM always participated. He had a favorite President Nixon mask that he wore on occasion, and he dressed as a clown several times. He even bobbed for apples. Now Federal court judge Morris Arnold won one of our watermelon seed spitting contests. He cared about all of us and protected us. He took pride in our accomplishments and sympathized with us in our disappointments and in our personal tragedies. His friends became our friends; his family became a part of our lives; and our families became a part of his.
click to enlargeWhen I realized that RMM was nearing the end of his physical journey, I remembered something from Randy Pausch’s Farewell Lecture that had recently appeared again in the Wall Street Journal. I had been moved by a statement made by an Indian spiritual leader. When asked how one says goodbye to a friend, he said: Tell your friend that in his death, a part of you dies and goes with him. Where he goes, you go. He will not be alone.
When Rosemary, Lisa, Deborah and Ruth gave me an opportunity to say goodbye to RMM at the Hospice Center, I remembered these words. I wanted RMM to know that he was not alone; a part of me was going with him. I also wanted him to know that a part of him would not die, that he was going with me, his family, Tarlton staff and alumni, and a host of friends and admirers. Whenever we go, he goes with us and we are not alone. Our journey with RMM continues.
Rhea Ballard-Thrower
Director, Howard University Law Library
I still remember the first time I met RMM. I was in library school at the University of Michigan and I met him in Detroit. Gwyn had called to say that RMM would interview me sometime during the ABA convention. Thus, I drove from Ann Arbor to Detroit to meet the man who would later become my boss and mentor. Before I left for the interview, I vividly remember asking my roommate to quiz me with possible interview questions. I tried to master as much information I could about the law library profession. I was rather impressed when I did research on RMM and found a wealth of publications, professional activities and such.
Well, the day arrived and we sat down to talk. As details raced through my head, RMM asked me his first question, “What is the latest trade paperback book you have read for fun?” – What??? I was thinking, “Are you kidding me?” I think I got around to saying something about a book written by Toni Morrison. But, truly it is a blur. After two hours of interviewing in which I think he may have asked two questions about law librarianship, RMM said I was hired. What??? He then said, “I am going to pay you low wages and work you to death. But, it will be the most rewarding job experience you will have. Do you want the job or not?” Seriously that’s what he said. I remember responding that, “I think your staff should get to interview me to see if they want to work with me or not.” -- upon hearing that he smiled.
Well, as they say, the rest is history. I did later fly to Austin to interview with the staff and take RMM up on his offer. Yes, he did pay me low wages and I worked to the point that I got really sick the first month I was there. But, I also had the opportunity to work with an amazing group of library staff and librarians, including Lisa Stafford, who would become one of my best friends. Yes, it was the most rewarding job experience I have had. I will truly miss the man.
Bob Berring
When I arrived at the Tarlton Law Library in the summer of 1977, it was indeed "Roy's Place." RMM was a whirlwind of energy and ideas. He would hire new lawyer-librarians without having a real job description for them. "When you arrive we will see what we need," he would say.
When he offered me a job he said, "You have to promise to stay at least three years or you will waste the training I am going to provide, but you better leave before six years, because I don't want someone who is not on the move up." The place had that kind of energy. With Gwyn's steady hands at the tiller, RMM plunged us all forward. He would make us get coffee in the Faculty Lounge because "if you act like you belong there, you WILL belong there." The faculty liaison program meant going to your faculty member's office to seek out questions, not to wait for questions because "you have to make them see what you can do." You had to come back with a list of ten new people that you met at a conference if you wanted to get reimbursed. RMM pushed us all the time.
Of course part of his secret were the folks who were permanent staff. Barbara, John, the courtly Guido, Twyla, the amazing Adrienne, the ever-surprising Pierrette, Manuela, Mary, Nash and the amazing Cogswells saved our bacon on many a day. While Jim, John, Dan, Michael, Virginia, Anne, Pat and I were paying a visit for a few years, they kept everything on track. And Gwyn, of course, who made sense of everything. RMM stood at the center of it all, full of ideas, chomping a cigar and telling us where to go and how to get there. It was quite a time.
Nelson Block
Shareholder, Winstead PC
In February, Nelson co-chaired "Scouting: A Centennial History Symposium" at Johns Hopkins University. The Symposium was the first scholarly meeting in the 100 years of Scouting to investigate its history. Thirty scholars from ten countries delivered papers or comments. A volume of the papers is forthcoming.
Lana Caswell-Garcia
In the spring of 1977, I enrolled in Professor Mersky’s law librarianship course because a friend did not want to take the course alone, as she had heard that the teacher was very intimidating. I did not have a particular interest in law libraries, but I needed three more hours for my MLS, and my husband was in his third year of law school so I agreed to enroll with my friend. On the first day of class, I volunteered to answer a question, and RMM, whom I had never laid eyes on before and who did indeed seem intimidating, looked me right in the eye and said, “Oh, no, Mrs. García, I am saving you.” Although I was scared to death at the time and had absolutely no idea what he meant, I realized very quickly that that moment would truly change my life – both personally and professionally.
Almost from that second on, I considered Professor Mersky both a friend and a mentor. He fostered and developed my love of law libraries and even found the first two jobs I ever had. In addition, he never failed to express interest in both my life and my husband’s. In the 31 years that I knew him, he treated me – always a small firm librarian in a small town—as though he were as proud of me as he was of the dozens of high profile law librarians whom he trained and mentored, and I will never forget him and will always be grateful for his friendship and encouragement.
Usually I don't have much to write. For almost 15 years my husband Ken and our son Gordon have been back in New Orleans. Gordon is now 20 years old and is in college. But my news for this year is that in September 2008 I was made director of the Law Library of Louisiana. Carol Billings who had been director for almost 30 years retired in August.
I have actually worked at the Law Library of Louisiana for about 12 years over a 30 year time period. My very first job out of the University of Denver Library School in 1978 was as reference librarian at the Law Library of Louisiana. I met Jim McCue at my first AALL meeting and he told me about Roy Mersky and the University of Texas Tarlton Law Library. In 1979 I applied for a job with Tarlton and with Gulf Oil's law department and I decided to take the job with Gulf in Houston. I then married Ken Chadwick, and after he finished law school he decided to attend UT's library school, so I got in touch with Roy and was offered the job of circulation librarian. Pierrette was taking a leave of absence. It was great to work with Roy but I missed out on the opportunity to work with Pierrette. I was so thrilled to have the job that I forgot to ask Roy what the salary was. My husband Ken worked part time in the library in reference while he was in library school.
We left Austin when Ken graduated and lots of years have rolled on since then. But we always kept in touch with Roy and enjoyed seeing him in various cities where we were living and during our visits to Austin over the years. Roy always remembered Gordon every year on his birthday by sending him a post card. Gordon always looked for it to arrive.
Roy wrote a great letter to support my application for this job and I told him right away when I learned that I got it. I spent a lovely day with Roy and Rosemary in New Orleans when they came for AALL last year. I can't say how much he will be missed.
Sofia Chamberlain
Senior Administrative Associate, Tarlton Law Library
As I’ve only recently joined Tarlton I thought I would take this opportunity to share a little about myself. I grew up in South Texas, mainly Brownsville, and attended UT-Austin as an undergraduate. After graduation and brief stints working in Washington DC and Orlando, I moved to New York City with my husband, Aaron. We lived in Park Slope, Brooklyn for the past 4 years, and I went to school and worked at NYU. Once I completed my master’s degree I continued working at NYU School of Law. We decided to leave New York in the fall of 2007 and went on a 10 week trip through parts of Western Europe. We are members of a world peace hospitality organization, SERVAS, and through it we were able to meet many locals and get a better feel for the local culture. Upon our return, we moved to Austin and began job searching. I was fortunate to find my current position with Tarlton as the Senior Administrative Associate.
I am glad that I had the opportunity to work with Professor Mersky; in the short time I worked with him I came to like and respect him very much.
John E. Christensen
Library Director and Professor of Law, Washburn University School of Law
Last November I had several pleasant conversations with Roy during the annual meeting of the Mid-America Association of Law Libraries in Lincoln, Nebraska. Rich Leiter, chair of local arrangements, had suggested Roy as the keynote speaker. In a sense it was a tribute to RMM. It was also a tribute to us that he came for the whole meeting. Unknowingly, we said our goodbyes then.
I arrived at Tarlton for a three-year stint beginning August 1, 1976. I had completed law school at the University of Utah in 1975 and received the M.L.S. from UC-Berkeley in May 1976. Myron Jacobstein at Stanford (RMM's co-author on Fundamentals) taught a law librarianship course at Berkeley. I drove down to Palo Alto to meet him, share my resume, and seek his advice as one interested in pursuing a career in law librarianship. He sent my resume to RMM and in early 1976 I got a phone call from Stella Chiang inviting me to come to Austin (at my expense) for an interview.
Working at Tarlton is one those experiences that only those who have done so can understand. Perhaps Nietzsche describes it best: "That which does not kill me makes me stronger." Counter-balancing the demands are the delightful staff. Just mentioning their names brings a flood of memories: Gwyn, Mary, Manuela, Nash, Guido, Barbara, Malo, Twyla, Rob and Betty - to name just a few.
While RMM was professionally demanding he was also flexible. When Carol (my wife) was in library school, he let me keep baby David in my office (across from gov docs in the old library) while Carol took an afternoon class.
When I left Tarlton in 1979 to become director at Washburn, it was because of a chance meeting of RMM and Carl Monk in a cab in Chicago. Monk was then the interim Dean at Washburn and asked Roy if he knew of anyone who might be interested in the library directorship. When he got back to Austin he told me of the opening and encouraged me to apply. This coming August I will begin my 30th year.
Betty Cogswell
I remember the parties. 30 of us at one long table at Casiraghi’s in Clarksville. A bar party at Charlie’s Playhouse on East 11th, where the dance named Do Anything was topped by one named Do The ADV. (Both places are gone now.) Becky Phelps’s going-away party was at The Barn on MoPac, and Bernice brought the cake. (Now a clothing store; no girl in a red velvet swing.) Steve Thieme’s recipe for ice-cream beer floats, at Phil’s on North Lamar (there’s a post office there now). Nissenbaum getting Erika’s help with his Halloween costumes.
Rob has now been free of pre-packaged social life for one year and 2 months, and he is gradually filling in his (our) calendar. As you cannot fail to have heard, he has been writing a poem a day, and has pulled out all the ones he put into boxes all those years. He is working on getting someone to publish them in one of the countless little magazines that sell subscriptions. I never knew so many people “did” poetry. So, Rob swore he didn’t like trying to understand poetry read to him and he needed to see it on the page. Then last spring he had to go to Ruta Maya and read into a microphone a poem about quill pens that he had sent to the local anthology. A crowd of about 50, and his moment lasted about a moment. Now it’s a year later, and he is reading his stuff at people all over town.
This spring I observed that being retired makes it all too easy to put off till tomorrow whatever you don’t feel interested in doing today. We managed to start going for walks again, and now that the weather is nice we have been mixing with tourists downtown. Once a month we go to Kinko’s after midnight and print up a 4-page poetry newsletter and then fold 200 copies and put them into envelopes with address labels and stamps and get them to the 290 post office before 8 p.m. the next day. The following Saturday is the monthly meeting of the Poetry Society, and, just as I always thought, Rob turned out to be dangerous as soon as he got a little power. Veteran members of this group are frantically trying to stop him from running everything.
We get to the beach 2 or 3 times a year. The lovely June convention trips we used to take to northern cities don’t happen any more, but when Austin has a day of nice weather in January, we can talk about how it reminds us of Chicago in late June, or remember the flowers in Vancouver, BC. We try to stay aware that our income is dependent on the health of the economy. We’re thinking about getting rid of the car again. Parked, it costs more in insurance & repairs than the gas would cost. I’m not entirely sure that two greyheads living in a more crowded neighborhood on a street that is a shortcut for I-35 during rush hours will be as happy on bicycles as the same 2 people were in the same neighborhood 30 years ago. Hancock Center has changed so much, we hardly go there any more. HEB is just so busy it’s tiresome. Austin has changed a lot since the students complained that there was Nothing To Do here. No more vacant lots. There’ll soon be houses instead of pastures all the way to the border.
We see Tarlton people sometimes. And millions of ex-law students who sometimes can figure out where they know us from. Guy Hermann was at our precinct meeting. The ex-students of the Seminary are less numerous, but ...they’re everywhere too.
Advice from a very oldtime Austinite: don’t get rid of your window screens. The new formula will be fenestration, fenestration, fenestration.
And advice for wives of newly retired husbands: stick with Because I Said So. Giving your reasons is just asking for a veto.RMM Reminiscence: I'm standing behind the loan desk in the old building when Charlie Wright comes stomping in through the front door. Mr. Mersky is right behind him. They're together but Charlie is faster. He calls out over his shoulder, "Where are the U. S. Reports?" RMM shoots me a wild look and wrings both hands up and down, twice. I cut my eyes to the right, and Mr. Mersky, keeping the rhythm, answers calmly, "North Reading Room". They disappear through the double doors.
Twenty years later in the new building, I happen to be passing the loan desk when a patron asks, "Where is the Reserve Room?" Alone behind the desk is an undergraduate, first day at work, who doesn't know the answer. I hold up 4 fingers and keep walking. In that same calm voice, the desk persons answers the question, "Fourth floor." I wonder whether today that kid is running some law school library somewhere.
Rob Cogswell
I retired as Director after 27 years at the Booher Library of the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest, three blocks from Tarlton. Betty and I were both working in Tarlton before it became Roy’s place. We met him as the new librarian who promised that every staff member would have an IBM Selectric and a book cart. He kept his promise.
We could fill a book cart with anecdotes about Roy’s place, but what should be remembered about our tenure is probably the 24-hour experiment. At the beginning of the 1970s, Dean Keeton and Professor Mersky asked if we would be willing to work a graveyard shift to keep Tarlton open 24 hours a day. We agreed, and did that for two years. During that time we counted, once an hour, the number of people using the library, a survey which gave Rob his aerobic quota for the day (night). After two years, Rob also surveyed all the other accredited law school libraries in the country, asking about their use of extended hours and after-hours access. With Bardie Wolfe, he then authored, “Hours of Opening and After Hours Access,” Law Library Journal 66:1 (Feb., 1973). They concluded that significant usage of the library between 11:00 and 7:00 was pretty much confined to the first two hours and the last two hours, but that the value to an individual student with a deadline was immeasurable.
There was never an hour in the two years when there was not at least one person using the library. The experiment ended when the University had to close all buildings overnight because of a fuel shortage.
I am busier than ever before, mostly with poetry. In poetry I use my full name, “Robert Elzy Cogswell,” so you may access some of my online poetry by searching for “Elzy Cogswell.” That search also evokes some other details about Roy’s Place. I would gladly add any Tarlton poets or poetry lovers, present or past, anywhere in the world, to the mailing list of the Newsletter of the Austin Poetry Society. For those in town, every fourth Thursday I host an open microphone for poets at 7:00 in the NeWorlDeli, 4101 Guadalupe (once a Co-op Bookstore and before that a grocery). I still prefer reading poetry to hearing poetry.
We both place a high value on walking in Hyde Park, listening there to white-wing doves, and picking up tons of pecans. We also place a high value on the friendships we made among the staff of Tarlton, and most particularly with Professor Mersky, whose intense concern with the quality of library service was always grounded in his broader humanitarian interests, especially for the underprivileged.
Nancy Cowden
I worked at Tarlton from 1978-1980 in acquisitions/serials dept. with Manuela and Mary. My boss was Anne Rimmer. Pat Harris was the serials librarian until she quit to go to law school. I would say that these 4 people stand out in my memory more than anyone there. Anne and Pat were very generous with their insight and advice as I was a brand new librarian. I still use some of the procedures that I learned at UT at OCU. I am still Head of Technical Services at the Okla City Univ Law Library where I have been since 1980. I now have 4 grandchildren and spend a lot of my time with them when not working. They are such a blessing.
| Mark Giangrade |
I spent a mere two years at Tarlton, but those two years contained a lifetime of experience. There are plenty of moments I can describe though one that stands out for me personally is working on the oral histories of former Justices of the Texas Supreme Court. I spent a series of months working with Mike Widener on editing the transcripts contained in the Tarlton archives. The one that stood out for me was by former Chief Justice Jack Pope. What I found most interesting was his storytelling about life in West Texas, how the Court operated, and how he described the sense of mission in the way decisions were rendered.
One day in winter, I was somewhere on the upper floors of Tarlton when my beeper went off. That was always an unnerving experience because the beeper was loud, and you knew who was at the other end, but you never knew what the call was about. Mr. Mersky called me into the administrative offices, and when I got down there, he said there was someone he wanted me to meet. It was Jack Pope, who was just as friendly and casual as he appeared in text. I was floored because I knew so much about his history from his words.
I recall this incident because it came to mind when I attended the Teaching the Teachers conference last October. The luncheon address on Friday was by current Texas Chief Justice Wallace Jefferson. I was probably sitting less than ten feet away from him as he spoke. So in my history with Tarlton I managed meeting and having conversations with not one but two Texas Supreme Court members. Things like this always remind me how well the Library is positioned as a great legal institution of Texas. I can only admire the hard work Mr. Mersky put into making this happen.
I've reflected on this and many other things since his passing. The last time I saw him was at that conference. Sometimes you never know when you lose someone in your life. I couldn't imagine it back then. I really appreciate that Mr. Mersky took a chance on an untested librarian from Chicago back in the 90s and had me at Tarlton for those two years. I learned a lot from him and I will carry those lessons with me. It's a cliché to say that meeting someone can change a life. Working with Mr. Mersky was always an adventure. I will cherish those moments.
Carolyn Grimes
I attended my second AALL meeting in 1982 as part of RMM’s entourage. He was on sabbatical from Tarlton at New York Law School, and I was being considered for a promotion to Head of Technical Services. We were in Detroit, and he wanted to take a group of us to admire/critique the new law library at the University of Michigan. Georgia Chadwick rented a car, and RMM, of course, road shotgun. Joyce Saltalamachia, Joe Molinari, and I rode in the back.
As anyone who ever rode with RMM can attest, he was “driving challenged.” Within seconds of pulling out of the hotel’s parking lot, he started giving directions. Little did any of us know that we needed a real navigator, if we wanted to reach our destination. After thirty minutes of following his directions, we were driving in circles in downtown Detroit, and RMM was questioning our competence and yelling “Where’s Ann Arbor?” to inner city residents from his window seat in the car. We were all traumatized by the experience and convinced that we would lose our jobs, if not our lives. After considerable effort, we managed to get on the right highway and followed the maps and signs to Ann Arbor. When we reached the city, we made our second major mistake of the trip. Roy again “knew” his way around, and we followed his demanding instructions. Again the yelling began, and strolling Ann Arbor residents were accosted with “Where’s the law library?”
Eventually, we made it to the campus, the library and back to Detroit for the rest of the conference. I learned much from that road trip, and little had to do with Michigan’s law library. I learned that every day spent with RMM was a test – whether I was working in his library or whether it was decades later. I also learned that Roy considered every day of his life as an opportunity for an adventure, everyplace was “Roy’s Place,” and everyone better hang on for the ride. I sure will miss him. Bon Voyage, Roy.
Karl T. Gruben
It has been an eventful year for me. I teach a course called "Computer Assisted Legal Research" which is more of an advanced legal research class focused on free websites. Our students typically do not go into high powered firms so I want to show those who enroll how to get started in their legal research without having to resort immediately to one of the expensive online services. My enrollment fluctuates, generally, from 20 to 35 students, depending on the semester. During the course of this semester my staff and I noticed a certain lack of skills in our students so we started a team that taught "Legal Research Bootcamp" to develop the book skills of the students who are either going out to clerk (typically 2L) or work (3L). Sort of a work or clerk course. We had capped the class to see how it went but we had to move to a bigger classroom because of the begging and pleading that went on to get into the class (how do you say no to someone who wants to take your class?).
In addition to these two courses and the regular duties of running a law library, I also decided to go up early for tenure. That is a two stage hurdle here as our handbook requires a certain number of years of teaching before one is capable of being considered, except there is an exception that can be made for what is termed a "distinguished practitioner." Our requirements have outside reviewers for scholarship (and, of course, general "good-guyness" and appropriateness for tenure) and one of the reviewers (not of my choosing, I might add, since we know each other so well) was RMM. Roy gave me a glowing review and his comments, as well as those of the other reviewers (whose names you all know but who might not want me to reveal the fact that they do this sort of thing), were used by my tenure shepherd to paint me as a candidate for the "distinguished practitioner" exemption and, though I've only been here four years, my application for early consideration under this exception was approved. Then the tenure vote came and I was approved by the tenured faculty, by a unanimous vote, for tenure. I have two other hurdles, our President and the Board of Trustees, but since I am not controversial this should not be a problem. Those last approvals should take place this April.
I've also been somewhat busy with AALL business. James Duggan asked me to sit on his Appointments Committee (a new committee that was created by the Special Committee on AALL Committee Structure, which I chaired thus proving the adage "no good deed goes unpunished") and that was fun, going over reams of lists of names and qualifications (no, really, it was fun). He also got me to agree to be on the Nominations Committee and at this time we are going over lists of names and qualifications (no, really, it is fun - say yes if you are ever asked and, no, I am not joking) and hope to finish this in early April.
Other than that I just fall into the other old adage of which I am fond "if you aren't the lead dog, the scenery never changes" and since I'm not the Dean....
Lisa Harris
Title examiner, Stewart Title Austin & Gracy Title Company
As a good generation X-er I have worked in numerous workplaces (though I am still at the same employer that I left Tarlton for), and Tarlton is the only organization where the head of the organization always saw to it that we had the resources we needed to do our work. I really appreciated that Mr. Mersky was every bit as demanding on behalf of his staff as he was demanding of his staff. That is a rarity in my experience.
Ruth Hill
Director of Library Services & Associate Professor of Law, Oliver B. Spellman Law Library
I first met Mr. Mersky in the fall of 1969. That semester I was assigned to the Tarlton Law Library as a work-study student assistant. I remember it snowed one evening when I was working (one of the few times that Austin had snow), the Christmas party with the homemade tamales Manuela made, and that Mr. Mersky had a daughter named Ruth!
After I graduated in the spring of 1970, I didn’t see Mr. Mersky again until my first AALL Meeting in 1984. While riding on the escalator in the conference hotel, I saw a man I recognized on the other side of the escalator. I thought, “I know him. I think that’s Mr. Mersky.” Well not being shy about talking to people, I approached him and asked, “Are you Mr. Mersky and don’t you have a daughter named Ruth?” He looked quite puzzled, but replied, “Yes.” I introduced myself and related my work experience at Tarlton. Mr. Mersky didn’t remember me, but of course, this is fourteen years later. I reminded him of Manuela’s homemade tamales. He asked for my card and said he would be in touch. Several people at the Library still remembered me and told Mr. Mersky about me.
Well a month or so later, I received a very nice letter from Mr. Mersky welcoming me into circle of the “Mother Library.” Ever since then Mr. Mersky has been a source of encouragement to me as I pursued my career in law librarianship. He was a valuable resource when I was researching material on law librarians for the book, Celebrating Diversity: A Legacy of Minority Leadership in AALL. He knew everybody and had wonderful stories about the history of AALL. I consider Mr. Mersky my mentor and I will miss talking with him at the Annual Meeting
Bruce Kleinschmidt
Attorney, Austin
In 2007 I made the decision to resign from the non-profit law firm I was working for in Indianapolis. I am now an attorney in the Appeals section of the Texas Workforce Commission and work in the shadow of the State Capitol. It is wonderful to be back in Austin, after twelve years.
My sons have all graduated from college. Dale is a banker in Chicago, where he handles an average of 300 million dollars of investments each day. He and his wife Sara are going to make me a grandfather in November. Jamie works for a computer game company in Dallas and puts his history degree to work checking details on the games and designing weapons. Chris has a CPA position with PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York City. Saying that his office is at 300 Madison Avenue still impresses me.
Richard Leiter
Director and Professor, Schmid Law Library, University of Nebraska College of Law
It's been another amazing year in the Leiter's of Lincoln household. My youngest daughter has now graduated from high school and is off to college next year. I guess we're officially empty-nesters! It's about time.... On a professional front, the sixth edition of the National Survey of State Laws was published and the law college asked me to lift the student limits on both of my sections of advanced legal research. I now teach about 60 students in each semester. I also launched my "occasional" internet radio Talk Show, "The Law Librarian," in May, with special guest Ken Svengalis. It was technically so awful on the first airing that we re-did it. Despite the technical difficulties, and despite RMM's opinion that it was a stupid idea, we had about six hundred listeners and about 100 callers. Stupid it might be, but it was fun and was an interesting exercise in professional networking. We'll see how the next couple of shows goes.
I can't believe that Roy's no longer around. His presence was so strong that he always seemed to be there; sometimes, in my head. In a special way, I think that he will continue to be. Always. With the renaming of the Spirit of Law Librarianship Award, the Roy M Mersky Spirit of Law Librarianship Award, we will always have the opportunity to pay homage to him by honoring those from among our profession who strive to serve others. Many are unaware of Roy's commitment to service, which he didn't just talk about, he actually did it. It's a privilege to have known him. And an inspiration. May it always be so.
Frank Liu
Professor of Law & Director, Center for Legal Information, Incorporating Allegheny County Law Library, Duquesne University School of Law
Roy's passing was a total shock to me. He was such an important and essential part of my life. He was always so strong and seemingly invincible. I thought that he would be with us for many more years to come. Therefore, I was utterly unprepared for the news of his illness and passing. It was all so sudden. I also deeply regret that I did not have a chance to say goodbye to him. I think that many of you probably feel the same way.
| Harry S. (Terry) Martin III |
"The Case of the Purloined Panties"
My early years at the old Tarlton were spent in the reference office behind one of those old wooden desks that had various sized drawers, including two thin drawers at the top. I suppose these were for pencils but I never used them until Nash Lazano brought me the first pair of panties he found in the stacks.
Nash was our primary shelver, a steady, hard-working man who hated to have his routine interrupted. I also hated to have his routine interrupted as it really affected his productivity. During one exam period on his early morning reshelving round, Nash found an (apparently) unused pair of women’s panties in a far corner on the lower stack floor. Greatly agitated, Nash brought them to me in a state of high dudgeon, certain some great but unspecified crime or sin had been committed. He showed me where he had found them but there was no sign of anything else amiss. I put the panties in the top pencil drawer and promised Nash I would look into the matter. I told him to get back to work and try not to worry about it. Nash eventually did but only after sharing his deep concerns with most of the staff. When I told RMM about it, he laughed and said he would leave it to me to sort out.
A day or two later, Nash brought me another pair of panties, found in the same location but again with no other evidence of foul play. This pattern repeated itself until the exam period ended and the discoveries with them.
The discoveries resumed during next exam period and soon the pencil drawer was full. I took a few to the Administrative Dean, TJ Gibson, who became almost as agitated as Nash. He too conducted an investigation – promising severe disciplinary action on any culprits – but no perpetrator was ever found. The discoveries ceased with that year’s graduation and the case remained – and remains unsolved.
Two years later I was promoted to Associate Librarian, which entailed my moving to a windowless office in the stacks. The lack of windows was offset by a drop in traffic and by the annual presence of RMM’s collaborator, Mike Jacobstein, who loved the way I made coffee.
Shortly after my move, Charlie Dyer, who had taken over my spot in the reference office, appeared on morning with a paper bag in hand. He put in on my desk and said, “Terry, I want to assure you that your secret is safe with me. No one will ever know from me.” And he left. Greatly puzzled, I opened the bag and found half-a-dozen women’s panties. A light dawned. I went up to the reference desk to explain the whole story to Charlie. He only pretended to believe me. So I took him to see TJ Gibson for confirmation. Charlie and TJ were bowling buddies and I think Charlie eventually revised his initial impression. But I’ve never been completely certain.
James Murray
Assistant Librarian, U.S. Courts Library, Thomas S. Foley U.S. Courthouse
I worked at Tarlton from 1978-1981, both in Reference, and as the Reserve Room Librarian following the library's move into what was then the brand new UT Law School building. I have many good memories of my learning experience in Austin, the University and the law school while working with Roy Mersky and his fine crew; among them the fun Halloween parties, the dedication of Tarlton staff in providing excellent services, the swims at Barton Springs, and the unexpected and rewarding opportunity work as Book Review Editor for the Texas Bar Journal after hours.
One of my fondest memories concerns Roy's frugal nature and to never waste money on unnecessary supplies. I found out he especially did not like to buy paper clips--as I understand it--because there were plenty around if staff were to look around at all the ones being used unnecessarily, or which were scattered everywhere, but still available. So, given my youth, my penchant for having fun, and to test the waters, I began regularly asking for a box of paper clips. I received nothing of the sort even though I submitted my request monthly for almost three years.
Well, a short time before my departure, after nearly three years, I did get a box! Everyone was amazed and shocked, since no one could ever remember anyone receiving a box of paperclips! Well, to show my appreciation I decided to thank Roy in a special way. At my going away function and just before I left for my next great adventure to work at Washington University in St. Louis, I presented Roy with a framed gold-tone paper clip with the comment on the back of the frame: "To Roy Mersky, for everything he taught me".
However, Roy got me in the end! To this day, I never let a paper clip get away...I pick'em up and save'em whenever and wherever I find them...if they're in good shape and clean. Obviously, I really did learn to appreciate the meaning of the little phrase that's quite good for things other than paper clips: "waste not, want not"! I might also add that after all these years, I wonder if Roy still has managed to save that framed paper clip...
Career postscript: following three fine years as Associate Law Librarian at Washington University in St. Louis, I returned to the N.W. as Library Director at Gonzaga Law School for seven good years followed by another six prosperous years as Director of the East Bonner County Law Library in North Idaho, which, by the way, led to ownership of a condo we still enjoy. Going on eleven years now, I've held a very rewarding position at the Spokane duty station with the Federal District Court in the Eastern District of Washington as one of nineteen Satellite Librarians working for the Ninth Circuit Library with headquarters located in San Francisco.
RMM Reminiscence: While diminutive in stature and despite any "waves" he may have caused in the profession, or among some overly-sensitive colleagues because of any perceived eccentricities, he was an amazing man. He was driven to excellence, an innovator and a consummate professional. He possessed a great sense of humor and had a passion for life. He inspired loyalty and dedication to our craft, especially among the many of us who were fortunate enough to know him, be mentored, and become befriended by him.
He was a true giant in law librarianship who's left a lasting legacy for others in the field to follow. While most saddened by his loss, I'm honored and proud to have known and worked with him. I'll certainly miss hearing from him. Quite frankly, I loved the guy.
Jane O'Connell
Head of Faculty and Student Services, Tarlton Law Library
Jane and her husband, Doug Schulte, welcomed the birth of their son, Gavin Glenn, on April 4, 2007.
Jonathan Pratter
Foreign and International Law Librarian, Tarlton Law Library
When I first came to Tarlton, Roy Mersky assigned me to be in charge of making exhibits for the exhibit areas in the law school atrium. I had absolutely no idea what to do. I thought I had no graphical skills whatsoever (I was partly right). That was exactly what Roy Mersky wanted – to have me do something I had never tried before and did not think I could do. With a lot of help from other members of the staff who had experience doing exhibits, I learned how to find materials, make designs and lettering (this was the pre-computer era), do arranging, etc. In the end I had done probably ten exhibits, large and small.
Roy Mersky believed in challenging people. He wanted his people to strive. It sometimes made life difficult, but it is fundamentally a good strategy for getting people to accomplish more than they thought they were capable of. Roy Mersky was the expert at that.
Mario Ruiz Jr.
Liberty Middle School, Student Council and Science Fiction Club Advisor
"My First Day"
Though I started working at the Law Library in the Circulation Department in August of 2003; I didn’t really earn my Tarlton stripes until I was transferred to the Administrative Office in October. Now in passing, I had already met RMM in the library as he was headed up to the Faculty Lounge for a Wednesday bagel run on a couple of occasions, but now I was going to have an opportunity to work for him directly and see what all the hoopla was about. Boy, was I unprepared.I remember walking into the office before my scheduled time and being notified to just be ready by Gwyn. Ready for what? Well I was about to find out. It started with the phone ringing at 8:57 am notifying me to be downstairs at the Shuttle bus unloading area in five minutes to pick up “the” bags that carried the orders for the day and to start delivering the items immediately. I remember working as fast as I could to try and decipher the names scribbled on the Post-it notes to get them delivered. Not nearly five minutes had passed as I made my way up to the office that I discovered that RMM had already been waiting and was wondering why Gwyn still had not received her tape that she would transcribe for the day. (I later learned that the tape was the most important one and to just prioritize the notes.) He said I needed to be faster and more proficient in this office because that why he paid me the big bucks.
It was from then on that I knew that I would never ever work for someone just like him and that this job was going to be a fun challenge. Over time it became a game to see how fast I could clip, sort, type, etc. and be ready for more. As I worked at the office over the years with RMM and Gwyn, I learned that there were a whole slew of individuals that were once in my shoes and were now called affectionately “Tarltonites.”
There are just too many good memories about RMM to share in this brief, but what I will miss most about RMM will be his passionate zest for life and the missed nuances of the “little things” like burnt bagels or the need for Thursday Car Wash coupons from the Chronicle, his tall-tall-tall embellished tales about growing up, and his unique advice about life.
Thanks RMM.
| Manuela C. Sanchez |
Year 2007/08 was not very good. First of all, for the past 3 years, we did not do much, we did not gamble. Eddie developed alzheimers, then in February I fell and broke my wrist. Two and 1/2 weeks later I had brain surgery.
I was getting better and Eddie landed in the hospital for 6 days; a week later I landed in the hospital again. But the worst time was on December 22: Eddie again landed in the hospital - he had 2 strokes, and on January 22, 2008, he passed away.
All my children are doing fine. But I would not have been able to go through all this if my niece Laura and brother were not with me day and night at home and hospital.
Margaret (Margy) Warner
Public Services Librarian, Scarborough Phillips Library, St. Edward's University
In January 2007 I left Tarlton and am now a librarian (Public Services, what else?) at St. Edward’s University. I miss Tarlton! My new position has presented many challenges and I’m learning a lot. This past April I attended the “Computers in Libraries” conference in D.C. I ended up going out to dinner with people (avatars?) into Second Life! I didn’t even know what it was--a very funny experience. I was also able to go to California for Millennium training. I combined that trip with a visit to my favorite city, San Francisco. Here’s a Roy’s Place moment: Who did I run into in San Francisco at a wonderful restaurant called Osteria? Professor Mersky! It’s a small world.
On a personal note, my three stepchildren and husband Dale are doing well. Andrew will be attending Ohio State University in the fall. I hope everyone at Tarlton is doing fine. Thanks again to everyone I worked with in ‘06, I really appreciate the experience.
