Barbara Null Potts, above, and the reading room as it may have appeared in the 1940’s.

Photo Courtesy of IU Archives

See how times have changed by viewing clips from a recruitment film produced by IU in the 1940s and 50s.

Memories of Past Employees

Remembering the Reading Room

Barbara Null Potts, now living in Lafayette, Ind., remembers working in the IU library as a student in 1942. About 20 current library employees worked for the IU Libraries as undergraduates.

Dear Sir:

Receiving the latest The Source brought back many memories of my first job in my freshman year, which was 1942.

I was escorted to the very bowels of the library and introduced to two old women right out of a Dickens book. They were sisters of the old, old school—green eye shades, a wardrobe dating back to the early 20th century, and faces which would frighten little children.

My job was to file cards from Russian literature. With the Russian alphabet before me, I worked two hours every morning with never a word or smile from my mentors. The only bright spot was my daily meeting outside the administration building with H.B and the other executives on their way to the commons. They smiled and spoke. After release from the dungeon, I was welcomed back to the real world.

Later I worked in the reading rooms. I loved the big room because of my frequent encounter with President Bryan who always had a loud greeting on his way to and from the stacks with the oldest volumes we had.

I worked all through my four years in the reading rooms. If I had not worked, I could not have finished my education. I bless even those two sisters for making it possible.

I worked for six years in social services before going back to get my masters in Social Work. that was possible because of saving for a wedding which thankfully did not take place. I found my prince in my hometown of Muncie after working in California, South Bend, and West Virginia. It all started in the basement of the beautiful old library.

Sincerely,
Barbara Null Potts
P.S. I must credit the Gables for stretching my meal ticket to cover all my meals for the entire week. This was my sophomore year when I was living in town. I wasn’t the only student given this help.