The University of Memphis lost a 22-year library employee, whohis coworkers said provided leadership and friendship to many.
Phil Smith, a cataloger at the McWherter Library, died Nov. 11of an unspecified illness.
"I interviewed him for his first and second job," said JohnEvans, head of the library systems department. "From 1983 on, weintegrated the library from the first to the current system. Everytime we worked, Phil was always on topic and fully in command ofall details."
Smith started working at the library in 1982 and had justretired Aug. 28.
"Phil was very interested in helping the library move forwardand to be more effective in helping the library serve the facultyand staff," said Sylverna Ford, dean of University of Memphislibraries. "He was well liked and well respected and certainly hada lot of friends here at the library. He was with us for 22 years,so we will definitely miss him."
A talented organist, Smith went to school at the University ofKansas, where he received a bachelor's and master's in music. Hewould go on to earn a master's in library science and a doctoratein medieval studies at Florida State.
"I remember Phil being quite fond of Bach, while I was always afan of Mozart," said Evans. "That was always intellectual tensionbetween us."
In his work with The U of M, Ford said Smith was instrumental inthe library's workings.
"Catalogers develop the information that describes the librarymaterial in the catalog records you pull up when looking formaterial," Ford said. "Phil created the unique records that no oneelse created. He did the original catalog."
Smith also provided great assistance in formatting the library'scatalog to be adaptable to computers, Ford said.
"One of Phil's greatest achievements was helping this currentlibrary become automated in the early 1990s," said Ford. "Heprovided a great leadership role during those times."
Smith was a systems librarian as well as cataloger, said TomMendina, assistant dean of libraries, who said Smith was brilliantman who knew computers very well, enjoying the eccentricities andalways finding way to use their services.
"Phil Smith was a great buddy of mine for more than 20 years,"Mendina said. "Of course, I knew him as a baseball player as well.We talked sports a lot."
Smith was a big Kansas City Royals fan and a Jayhawks fan, theteam of his alma mater. He and Mendina played softballtogether.
"He (was) a great third baseman, I can assure you," Mendinasaid. "Phil was overall a great guy and very courageous."
Evans said Smith never had a bad attitude toward life or anymisfortune in his direction.
"Even at the end of his long illness, he would do the best hecould until he could do nothing at all," Evans said. "I wouldalways approach him, asking how he was doing. Phil just smiled atme and said, 'Fine.'"
