My Dad and the Library
My Dad and the Library
By
Erik Solevad Nielsen
It’s a nice, cool day in Santa Barbara. I am sitting in the 4th floor of the UCSB library. It is empty of students and very quiet and peaceful. It reminds me of my father and his occupation: Director of the Dana Library. I remember when he got the job. I think he had been unemployed for a while and I remember him sitting on our front stoop smoking a cigarette and telling my mom that he got a new job at the circulation desk at the Dana library. He was very happy, I’m sure, but wanted to keep his composure and maintained a very matter-of-fact attitude about it. In fact, he almost seemed displeased when compared to how happy and proud my Mom was! I’m sure my Dad was looking forward to his new job. Our house was walled with bookshelves and he remains one of the most well read people I have ever known.
Over the years, I would end up spending a lot of time at the Dana Library. I would go there with my Dad as a young adolescent and read various books and try to kill flies (a game I played on the 2nd floor). My Dad would usually be at the circulation desk at this time. Over time he would be promoted and promoted again, and his office would change. I remember it most clearly when it was located just off the lobby of the library. It was a small room made smaller by the stacks of books and papers around the room. This is where he was officially located during most of my years spent at the library. Toward the end, he got a new office that was tucked away in the back. It was larger, which meant that there was more room for more books and stacks of paper! This was his final office at the Dana College Library.
When I began college at Dana, I would see my Dad much more regularly. Usually, I would awaken in the morning to him preparing coffee and getting ready for work. Sometimes during my time at Dana, I adopted his schedule—go to bed late and wake up early. Sometimes I would get a ride with him to Dana, but usually I would meet him there at the library when I would do some research. We would step outside and smoke a cigarette together. Our conversations were usually dominated by 3 topics: 1) the politics of the day (this was the Bush era, so lots of discussions were had!); 2) the troubles my friends were getting into; and 3) my own academic tasks. As time progressed, our conversations would center on graduate school and plans to move on with life.
I often wonder what my Dad would have done if he would have lived to see Dana close down. He seemed very comfortable with his position at the library and would not have liked to commute to a job in Omaha, which would probably have been necessary. Within three days of his death, we were told to clean out his office because the bank was foreclosing on the property. It was hard enough being hit with the sadness of his sudden passing, but then to have to go immediately clean out his office was heart wrenching. However, I had not been in his office for several years and it gave me a glimpse into his daily work life. On his wall was a pyramid of pictures, topped by one of the Cuban revolutionary art piece called “Guerrilla Jesus” and a photograph of John Lennon.
My Dad in many ways was a library himself and I will always miss him and the tomes of knowledge which he would open for us.