Nina Payton and Tracy Williams

00:04 My name is Tracy Williams. I'm 54 years old today is January 29th, 2015 and I'm in Liberty, Missouri and I am 980 book club leader and friend.

00:22 I am nine and Norris Peyton. I am going on 92 years old today is 29th of January and them.

00:37 I am right. I may be related to Tracy because one.

00:43 When when time at book club I said that mother said don't brag about people being on the Mayflower and I found out that I was related to Brewster and them Tracy told me she was related. So we should go further about this and see if we came from the same thing.

01:06 All right. Now I know how would you describe yourself?

01:13 Myself

01:17 Where are you from?

01:21 I drive myself. Do you want my present self or all the sales? I've been prior to this. How about your present self? Okay. I am a retired teacher and that and many other careers because I've had a crew all all my life and them I am just interested in everything.

01:51 Where you from? Well and I'm a native Missouri. I was born in Missouri in a small town in marrowbone was over no one knows videos of spot in the road and I've lived in Missouri almost all my life.

02:12 And where do you currently live? I am leaving Smithville, Missouri. How would you describe that community?

02:18 Do the community LCI. I live I moved there in 1943 and it was World War. I had been it to him in California when Pearl Harbor and my brother was Pearl Harbor and the News came on the radio. There was no Stevie's back. Then that all we knew he was on the Lexington and the News came on the radio that the Lexington been sent and All Aboard had perished and our home became our apartment became the place of morning and worried we had radio and then the rest of the people did it have been a wedding present and ears.

03:08 My folks did not back in Missouri did not have a telephone and I had sisters in the in the Bay Area and two of them did but you couldn't call anyone and so it was it was really sad that was starting of my married life.

03:28 And but later much later, there's been some question about how many days it was. I had to telegram for mother and dad that said them the Lexington. It's not fun. I know Target ship had pulled in where the Lexington at Ben and them that it was sent so later. I asked my brother what what he was doing and he said they were going around the harbor picking up bodies and both telegram instead Ralph safe Lexington. He'll be home after a while well,

04:10 That's great. And what did you do for a living which part of my life?

04:17 Well

04:19 What was your main career do you think?

04:24 See when I graduated from high school 1941 a woman didn't have much choice. They give you a secretary of beauty operator or a school teacher and none of those appeal to me and them so but later in life, in fact in 1961, I enrolled at University of missouri-kansas City. It was in Kan City University. So I have a degree from University of Kansas City and one also of University Columbia. It's the same year. And did you get a teaching degree then they are too I got carried away and I I found out that I was qualified to teach Tuesday night. I took more courses and in specified and you know for child teaching and them.

05:21 And how many years did you teach in your career? It seemed like a hundred it was it was some.

05:32 Kind of sounds spasmodic. I did other things with before I talk I am.

05:42 I catered and I worked in the workbasket, you know, I was secretary to the advertising gentleman and it's so I've had many careers but teaching probably and was one of the most satisfactory except when we bought our own business and what was your business we had. My husband was a cabinet maker. He was in the Navy during World War II and the reason why he was in the Navy we have been married and they were not taking married man and they were not taking men with babies or little children, but then we had I had become pregnant and

06:33 He him he went over to join the Army because he thought he was going to be inducted and he came back a CB and those those were the ones they laugh and said that they went in before the Marines dead, then they went in first and built the right, right, but he was working in an airplane Factory and them so we left California and came back to Missouri and then

07:04 I was left alone while he went into the Navy and I am moved to Smithville in 1943 and she was born and he was in Rhode Island on maneuvers and she was born in a in a snowstorm in December 6th that he didn't know that she was he didn't know that she was was born for 3 days and he called the hospital and they told him we had a boy. So he wrote 229 and Butch for a while and them.

07:45 And then he didn't see her for a long time. He saw her. He didn't see her till she was 3 months old and then he didn't see her till she was home past 3 that he was home on leave when she was 3 months old, but them.

08:04 Oh, well, we were going to name her Elizabeth Ann after my mother, but my sister June it come down from st.joe. She was going to Junior College there and sodium have been with me all day Sunday. And if I was in labor since the last minute we decided to name her Elizabeth June.

08:31 And

08:33 What is your earliest memory of the library? Did you have a library when you were a child to go to we always red and we mothers to buy this with books because she was a school teacher. She had to quit teaching and 1906 because she got married and women married. We're not allowed to teach back but I did have but yes, we had things to read and we also had a battery radio, but Dad listen to the farm Report in the morning and mother listen to Kate Smith and we could all listen to Lemonade in their butts into is battery operated often times the battery to Stan.

09:20 How did you get your books before the library came into the community?

09:26 I bought the first book I ever had in 1945 and it was Treasure that familiar and my husband worked.

09:38 Oh, no that comes later and we will the capper's weekly was Atlas paper and we took the Kansas City Star it was morning and afternoon and most of us could read before we ever started school, but there was lots of things to do when I was a child lots of things lots of things as skating in the winter building a log house and we lived in the country for there was lots of and we also did chores lots of chores picking bugs off of the potato worm picking potato bugs off potato plants and put him in a container of kerosene to kill him and doing doing farm work standing at the gate.

10:30 Well that the animals were going through and we were never for a lack of something to read or do so when you had children and I know it was important for them to be readers. Also, how did you get books for them? Did you have a library by that point know the library came in Smithfield in the sixties? All my girls were born in the 40s. And so before the library came in my husband had a library card because he worked in Kansas City and we were able to check out books out of the library. And then the State Library. We were allowed 10 books each month. So we would get the books from me. They had a list that we could go by and we would that check out the books and we could get that many a month 10 each. So when the books arrived and we had a list of the books we can choose from and did they send them to you you say something to me.

11:30 We sent them back for your charge. So the day they arrived we pull the window shades down and that we'd read all day. So the girls have an early start on reading. Okay, and when they finally did bring the library in to Smithville Where Your Children grown by that point? Well, in fact the first book I checked out was the app when it first opened up at that time. My older daughter I was being married and I needed some information from I needed some information. It didn't have a bad habit cuz of that weddings and so that's when that was my first introduction to that. So

12:15 Prior to the fire to the library in Smithville, we had other reading sources, but it was such a convenience to have my grandchildren benefited greatly from it.

12:32 Can you tell me the story about David going to the library and Smithville unusual child computer at programmer? And he also teaches College two nights a week, but he was precocious and she just his mother I would drop him off at the house at the library and he was always reading in advance and ever needed to freeze at what her name is Penny daddy right now. I'd I live next door in the early forties. I live next to her family and I still call her she was going to achieve with the second a librarian in Smithville.

13:22 At he he he had already read all the children's book that you can read between 10 and 11 and he he he had to heavy books probably 800 pages when was science winners electronics, and she said, oh honey, these are not for you. These are adult book and she said here's your section and cheese his he said them that I read all those so she said you have so she reached over and got a larger book on the top shelf and he proceeded to tell her how it was in it. So cheap living check them out. She took them she laughed and took him right to Destin from then on he was free to check out books in The Dope section. That's great.

14:10 And

14:12 What is your earliest memory of the library when it came to Smithville? Oh, I remember that. My husband didn't at the it was okay with him first tech pay taxes because he knew how important it was for them to have the library great.

14:36 And what is the what's the biggest change that you've seen in the library through the years since it's come to Smithville the grocery store. It was called the Big D and that replaced five little grocery stores and and Pop's Market, but it was it was large if you went in one door and out another one and they had quite a library and it was great to me feel has grown constantly since I was there in 1943 to begin with the it's been we've had three libraries that one and then when we had the one up across from the post office and then our present on hitches, it's it's a large Library really like the market.

15:36 Life is great books that we have and the library people they cannot be beat. You never heard of a bad word. You've never heard. You've never heard anything but compliment you've there they help you. They want books. You can call him and just say I want a book on a subject and in there their and they see that you get them the whole town has grown the school's when we were first they're my girls are there was a three-story brick building and at the house had to have helped all of this dude. The younger class was on the first grade. I mean on the first leg in the medium grades are in the middle and the high school was on on the top level. Okay, then they had another and then the high school was built.

16:36 Slater like the library if it has thrown the library is gone. We had a hospital and there's been three three libraries 3 building schools at different times. And so the whole town of Smithfield has grown it has not grown as much as the town of the Platte City that 3 was a respond by the way to have a library that are part of them library system. Now, did you use that library and flatten out? He was too far out of the way, but the whole town has grown up from One hospital and we had a second one in the third one in my lifetime.

17:23 Three libraries three different sets of stools always improving and in the town has grown accordingly. We had less than a thousand people probably about 500 1943. I don't know what it is now, but everything has grown Everything Has Changed.

17:50 What is your favorite thing about the library now?

17:56 Are there so many. Oh, it's it's just the nicest place. You could go to the programs for their programmes River programs for the children at little kids nurse programs for adult are there is programs for elderly people and have people brought in. I know I enjoyed lately and of the Orchid Orchid bedtime bedtime, Iris Iris found

18:35 It's a big iris farm and they had him come in and instilled movies and in for adults, there was all kinds of programs all the time going on somebody.

18:49 There's there's no end of what you can talk to you about the library.

18:55 It's so it's for everyone.

19:03 It's not only is it an attractive place to be but it's a building but the thing that makes it more important are Librarians and the people that work there and I don't know where they get them because it's never there's never any thing but happiness and learning going a library is only a building unless it has people employed there and that's what makes the library the librarian is for learning. I mean in reading and it's also for recreation.

19:45 I have nothing good nothing, but good to say about the library and I love to hear that too. That's very nice to hear.

19:55 And there's something that you sent me that there was a lot of technical things about the library, but there was something that I thought was very important.

20:10 About the operating cost. There was a lot of material that wouldn't interest the average person the operating budget for 2013-14 was approximately 41.8 million dollars with material budget of 9.4 million dollars and the collection consists of over 3.4 million volumes of material circulation total over 9 million. Annually now, that's a lot of money and that's a lot of books to get a lot of us in there so you can always get in anything you want but I've had books ordered in and if you call for a book and they say it's not in our system, but let me see it check and see and you know, you're going to get that book. I recently asked for a popular one. My doctor recommended the book.

21:10 When I go into the doctor, that's what we talked about books. I never talk about my health, but I was 336 on the list and that was pretty much so I just last week. The book crate that had recommended. The 500000 patrons are registered bars. The system serves the population of over 770000 in 2012-13 a year. There were 4525760 patrons who visited the facility now that's impressive. I thought that was an interesting thing that we went from just a small Library.

22:00 Something that serves as many people there are 31 different libraries in the in the whole system Ray the genealogies its independence, right?

22:15 Do you have a favorite funny story maybe about the library or about a book? We've read your book club or a book. You've gotten from the library.

22:26 You're not supposed to give the one that we recently read. And by the way, you're perfect leader. Everybody feels free to talk about the book. Some people I have read the book, but they want to know what the book was about they come they feel perfectly free to run to come and say I read the book. I haven't read the book. I like the book. I didn't like the book. I like characters with book. I didn't like it and how it ended. I like the description and then and everyone feels free to talk about what the book says. When did you answer I asked if you had

23:12 ARP Community is rather naive and they are good Christian people and this book happened to use the F-word is that pretty head reference to that would be yes, so they kind of jested to me that I can't you do it first you had started reading the book and you question because I believe I found 9f words by page 12. Yes, but the page 26 and I had more than that so they tease me a little bit and then isn't it was I going to count the words what when I started reading at grade 28 pages and I stopped and thought and I didn't remember a thing of the story. I just had the number of F words.

24:02 So they're total number of F words were 71 and one of the book club members said that it was mostly by one character. Well, I had kind of the characters and eight characters had used the F-word in the book. Okay, there were two people that refuse to read the book. They are both Christian women and their they didn't think that they read everything and they're good, but they did not participate in the in the conversation and I had a kind of 71 words if my grandson came in he had looked it up.

24:46 On the computer and he had 13 pages of description. It is slang word word in all languages. It's a thousand-word old it started and I was in years old. Yes. Yes over a thousand in and it's still considered slang it still considered a quote dirty word. So our book club turned into a lesson on the f word.

25:20 Where do you think the library will be in 10 or 20 years to think it'll look much the same as the Mills today. It's such an impressive building now. It's not going to be obsolete. There's in and doing different programs all the time and doing it for everybody 10 or 20 years with an o with a modern electronic some things it's hard to predict. I predict in the schools are not teaching like they did when I talk to school, they're not teaching penmanship and the other using computers and the children are not going to be able to right now. This is a prediction that everything will be so much more electronic.

26:14 It's it's it's hard that it's hard to predict that because look at the changes. I've seen for a lack of telephones and radio that we didn't have a library and now there's so many electronic things. It's it's hard to keep up.

26:30 In 1994 Midcontinent became fully automated when they put the computers in. Do you remember that? Do you remember the card catalog before then? Yes, and yes everything he has a computer. This doesn't bother me that I am not up to date. My grandson gave me a tablet that when I get caught up. I mean when I get hung up, he set me straight because he is a computer programmer, right? I have found out the people my age in the late seventies and eighties and very few people are still living in the 90s, especially when you know, they're not as

27:16 They don't use these things as much as he is the younger generations of kindergarten children and everything are using computers and everything is becoming technical.

27:29 Are downloaded a book on your tablet.

27:32 With his help these are you have you have to guess what do you think do you like it or do you like do you prefer in a book? I like to handle pages. I left and besides that I like a certain kind of book and I've discovered that on my own to the library. I have read everything. I read that under the covers at night with a flashlight in the forties. I read Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights and Gone With the Wind and ran the battery is down on the couldn't use the lamp because mother sees a shadow and she'd say blow out the lag. So I read these books under the covers with a flashlight. So

28:21 What you asked I asked if you like the tap the book on the tablet better we help but you said you like the I like that feel the book and books. I like I discovered that I'd I don't like

28:38 A novel based on true stories with when it's mixed up with the author and I've always questioning whether the author's Taking Liberties and how much cavities actual fact I want to look to be all fact, like I believe I I like I like the Truman book that he wrote after he was out of all five like the Kennedy book. That was a lot of pictures in the books like that. I I like the ones other than the ones that they mix it up. We had one lately mixed up and fly like a book today. I like a story and things that has happy endings.

29:22 How did you get involved with the book club?

29:27 Must have been 12 13 years ago for my neighbor invited me to go and this those people are no longer they are they are all deceased enabled not able to come because it was you know Elder people and then gent husband passed away and she moved to a Texas and so I am a man and I have not missed book club, but four times that I know of and 12 years before it was a small group then and I remember particularly one lady call the news in to Kansas City and the weather what was going on Smithville and she stood up and walked around all the time. She was there but as I said all of those ladies, I'm the only one that's left.

30:23 And we don't have people leave we have we had so many people come in but we had that divided the book and have a morning looked up and an afternoon but have and that's because of your leadership out. Thank you. And yeah, we can accommodate with the space we have now we have plenty of in the middle Library. We had we were kind of between the stacks right and we didn't have room for 17 people to 20 and it was always Rowdy in the library on wouldn't book club is meeting. Yes, but it was still enjoyable his but we have this lovely meeting room and it's huge and we accommodated 17 for the Christmas meeting.

31:10 This year. Yes, and I have plenty of room left over me. I could have had many more yet.

31:21 Well, let me think.

31:24 Can you tell me how the library has influenced your life?

31:29 Reading of all kinds of has influenced my life. Have you ever taken a class from the library? I have offered at a writing course and I have written some things that you know are probably printable and then after that we had a poetry class and I've enjoyed that.

32:07 What any classes you take a nap but those were your two favorites on yes, then favorite one of their other things at the library, but see my life has been busy and I can always take it apart and something that I really want to but the writing class in the portrait class. I still I'm keeping in touch with some of those people still. In fact, I have I I don't know is that my favorite I brought with me today something that I wrote the kind of tales a little bit about me. Can you read it?

32:49 It's not too long and the title of this is what's beyond that buy 9A North Peyton 2004. What's beyond that I'm happy on that? This child gazed at the blue in the sky per child on the farm all tractor hermine on astral travel. It will be a long journey with that stabs of Soul progress along the way Sunday School New Dress patent shoes. Doxology Trinity Commandments confused sweet music long sermons and rest. This is all a part of the test to learn Soul Preppers. I promise. I promise of all of a dime to learn catechism in time. Who is God got his Peter of Heaven Earth and all things who made The World God made the world on and on the dime was mine. Don't take the name of the Lord in vain mouthwash. That was so big lie so busy pain, you're not using that word again Mitre.

33:46 You're not doing work on Sunday after this cannot wait, no money. Doesn't the Bible say if your donkey is in a whole Humane good graces be so bold as to help the animal to fold this workaholic man of the house said to his defiant Mount to a defiant spouse. My ass is in a hole shot the children ran for The Last Hope Bowl be good. Be patient be kind to strangers when we might be in danger. It might be an angel in disguise message be good all times and all eyes, so it goes on and on and I survived and I sing the sweet by-and-by.

34:24 Christian baptism Baptist Church agnosticism in my search for what's beyond that so study Catholicism Unity Judaism esoteric Christianity. Leilani behind slow progress is my desire My Desire is my destiny. I'm looking forward to what we on that and what's beyond that I love that ninah. Thank you for thank you for sharing that with us. That's that was great.

34:50 If you could say anything to the Future Generations about the library and encourage them to use the library or anything. What would you tell them?

35:01 Will

35:03 I've already had that experience.

35:07 You show by example and that's that's the big thing. I would encourage reading and not only just put your interested in but the things that are available to you because at reading is for knowledge or for entertainment and you could do it all the same time. I would encourage future Generations.

35:34 Continue to read

35:38 It did that the things are going so fast. Now. It's new today in it gone tomorrow. I'm afraid we are neglecting the basic things at this particular time. The the library is a source of entertainment. And anyway, and it's also a system of learning I would encourage.

36:08 And you know, the only reason I would like to live longer would learn to be any more future Generations.

36:19 It's It's Curious look back at past Generations in the news. It's different than when I was child. You had the news you had it straight or you didn't have it at all. You had the farm Report and and you didn't have all of this conjecture politics and things like that. We were taught to respect authority. That was one of the main things that we were taught as children or lacking in teaching that now no one respects Authority. It's been in the news constantly what's going on.

36:59 It worries me sometimes lack of authority. I think even if you're Democrat or Republican or a universe doesn't learn anything else. I think whoever is in office, you should respect them because they are there by hard work and most of them at an Earnest desire you to help right?

37:26 Wright bacon

37:35 What it's like to have 9 in my book club.

37:41 You can every afternoon with it when we have a book club and I and I watch the door and I seen I not coming somebody drops her off at the door. So she doesn't have to walk walk too far and I see you're coming and I think oh good now we can talk.

37:57 I never like 990 always sits to my left hand side and depending on whether she likes the book or doesn't like the book or what she has to say about the book. She usually it doesn't matter whether she likes it or not. She always has something to say about it. But sometimes she wants to go first and sometimes she would rather hear what everybody else has to say first and I always get a grade opinion about the book from Nina. So interesting and I always have to find out if her sister has read the book because she and her sister have a little competition about the books. They read so every every month at book club. I always make sure to ask did you recommend this to your sister? And I don't know if I remember did you recommend the book with all the f words to your sister?

38:46 I didn't recommend it, but she did read it. She did read she did reeded butts cheese them long on talking about the pro edit.

38:55 Protagonist, you know if there's a protagonist in the book and I'm not quite sure what she's meaning. You know, she's so she's been a teacher to and her children are ramps. She had two lawyers and then she has a son that his Advanced a long ways. He's had two trips ones Australian one to England last two two years all paid before I will say that I have having nine in my book club. I've learned so much about life. I love her poetry. I love her stories.

39:40 She just she just brings adepts that nobody else brings to to our book club and it really is a wonderful thing to have her and I appreciate her very much.

39:54 I'm embarrassed. You're a treasure.