April 22, 2016
Friday
During my many years of research into the history of the
Nevada gambling industry, I spent several days a week in the UNLV library
reading old newspapers on microfilm and also many publications like magazine
articles. One special person in that library was Susan Jarvis, who was of great
assistance in obtaining information from other libraries across the country. She
headed the front desk and the reference room at different times during those
years. Today, I received the following letter from her, after she had sat
recalling her memories about this bygone period of our lives, while attending a
meeting at UNLV.
Every time I went to the library, I spent long hours sitting
at a microfilm viewer. This was grueling work, and it was also very lonely,
because there was rarely anyone around, so I had no communication with anybody.
On most of my library work days, I would pass by Susan, either as I entered or
as I left. If she was not assisting someone, I would stop to say 'hi.' Whenever
Susan saw me, she had the brightest and cheeriest smile, and her warmth lit up
the whole area. Her greetings were the only human interaction I ever had during
all those years in that large impersonal library setting. She has continued to
be a wonderful friend of my wife and I for almost a half century. Susan, thank
you for so many great memories!
