Indiana University

More About Moira

Ever wondered how university graduates in New Zealand celebrate their commencement or what Vegemite is? How about what a folklore librarian reads for fun? Here’s Moira Smith, librarian for IU’s famous folklore collection, to answer those questions and more.

  1. On your page on the Anthropology Web site you mention that you always have "Vegemite" on hand. What is Vegemite, and why do you keep it around?

    Vegemite is the national food of New Zealand and Australia. The two countries argue endlessly about which one of them invented it first. It is a sandwich spread made from yeast extract, very salty and dark black in color--and very much an acquired taste unless, like all kiwis and Aussies, you are fed the stuff from babyhood. My American friends who have tried it are usually polite, but they don't usually ask for seconds!

    Men at Work had a hit song some years ago called "Down Under" that mentioned it. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vegemite for everything you could ever want to know about the stuff.
  2. You also say that you have two black cats. As a scholar of superstition, are you superstitious at all?

    Not me!
  3. You're also working on a book about humor and practical joking. Are you a practical joker?

    Nope--that's not my style of humor. However, I'm easily fooled by practical jokes because I tend to trust others.
  4. Why did you originally come to Indiana University?

    I came here on a Fulbright travel grant to do a Ph.D. in folklore. I came here thinking I would be in the U.S. for one or two years--that was more than twenty-five years ago! (Rest assured, I did finish the Ph.D. in less than 25 years.)
  5. If you weren't a librarian, what would you be?

    Unemployed!
    Seriously, I'd probably be either an editor or an academic. Actually, I'm currently editor of an academic journal--the "Journal of Folklore Research", published by IU Press.
  6. Since you are a librarian, what's your favorite part about being one?

    I love the variety of the job, and I love helping people. When I come to work, I never know what is going to be waiting for me--every day is different. I get reference questions from students, faculty, journalists, and the general public, and these questions come from all over the world. Every reference question is a challenge, and all of them are interesting. I learn something from every one!
  7. Why are libraries like swimming pools?

    Because they are places that you can jump into and play around in. There are many ways of thinking about libraries, and this is one of them. Digital resources bring out the playful and experimental side of libraries even more strongly; I like to encourage students to experiment and play around with online resources--it's really impossible to break them, and you can learn a lot just by playing around.
  8. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go and why?

    New Zealand, because it is still home and because it is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Mind you, snorkeling in Fiji is also very nice!
  9. What books would we find on your nightstand (or, what are you currently reading)?

    Patrick O'Brian, The Nutmeg of Consolation. It's one of O'Brian's series of historical novels about the Royal Navy during the Napoleonic wars--the same ones that were made into the film "Master and Commander," with Russell Crowe. O'Brian is a master novelist, a master of historical detail and of language. When I have time for recreational reading, I love these books because of the compelling plots, the wonderful detail about life in the early nineteenth century, and because he always comes up with words that I have never seen before!
  10. Graduation is coming up. Is there any folklore or superstitions about graduation that we should know about?

    Most universities will tell you that the academic gowns worn during graduation and other academic ceremonies originated in the medieval universities. In reality, the current style of academic garb was a nineteenth-century invention. Folklorists call this an invented tradition--a recent invention that is claimed to be the continuation of a very old tradition. Invented traditions serve to tie current rituals to an ancient past, to give the desired archaic flavor.

    Actually, my Ph.D. dissertation was about graduation festivals in New Zealand universities, where students used to celebrate graduation with a week-long festival called "capping week." Capping was a little bit like the Little 500--a student festival of fun and licentiousness, but the New Zealand version had a unique twist. Every year, students would play large-scale practical jokes on the public during capping week. For example, they sent hundreds of letters that purported to be from the Ministry of Health, warning residents about a swine flu epidemic in the area. To measure the incidence of swine flu, the letter asked residents to collect urine samples from everyone in their family and take them to the nearest Post Office. Supposedly, hundreds of people did just that!