Beloved librarian

Written by Winnie Bell, Brackett Library director from 1975-90

When Annie May Alston Lewis moved in 1962 to Memphis, Tennessee, to be librarian at the then Graduate School of Religion, Shirley Birdsall was chosen to be the new head librarian at Harding, and I was her assistant. Shirley had experience as a law librarian in Louisiana. She moved into Sewell Hall apartment building where my sister, Mildred Bell, and I lived. We became friends and eventually formed the Best Cooks Possible (BCP) club made up of the Bell sisters, Shirley, Geneva Combs and Edwina Pace. Each week one of us would prepare supper for the group, and all enjoyed the fellowship as well as sharing recipes and life stories.

When Shirley was still new to the position and wanted to go home for the weekend, she hesitated, asked me about it, and at my urging, decided “I’m the head librarian, so as the boss I get to decide if it is OK.” She took me with her a couple of times to her home in Texas as we enjoyed each other’s company.

As librarians we made many trips together to meetings of the private colleges in Arkansas, going yearly to the Arkansas Library Association where we both held offices, and made a few trips to National Library Association meetings. Shirley shared with me the money Harding paid for her to attend the meeting so that we each only had to pay one-half the price. One year we attended the American Library Association in New York City, traveling there with a bus of Arkansas librarians and staying on the seventh floor of a large hotel. The bus was loaded with librarians, only two of whom were male, making for interesting rest stops and restroom lines. Most of us could laugh at the inconvenience instead of being upset. We shopped on Fifth Avenue in New York City and ate at an underground restaurant. Another trip was to New Orleans to the Southwestern Library Association convention. Shirley knew people in both places, and she saw to it that we had every opportunity to see and do everything possible.

When at 42 years old she decided to marry Cecil Alexander and move to his home in Rochester, Michigan, it was a shock to all her friends. Another shock was that she was recommending me to be her replacement as library director. After much prayerful debate with myself over a two-day trip home, I accepted with trepidation as the alternative of someone who knew nothing about our library was unacceptable.

In later years, after Shirley had a long serious illness and spent weeks in the hospital, she finally improved and was able to do some fun things again. I sent out an invitation for someone to come stay with me in Crossville, Tennessee, while I was going to be alone for 10 days. My good friend responded and flew from Abilene, Texas, to Nashville, Tennessee, and I picked her up there. We had a great time and lots of memories to discuss, and she had McDonald’s coffee most every day. She was such a great friend to me and many others.

Shirley Birdsall Alexander (’54), 84, of New Braunfels, Texas, died Sept. 11, 2017. She earned her Master of Library Science from Louisiana State University in 1959. She was head librarian at Harding from 1962-75. She also served as a librarian at Louisiana State University Law Library, Oakland University, Rochester College and Abilene Christian University. She was preceded in death by her husband, Cecil (’58). She is survived by two stepchildren, Lisa (’86) and Mark; and a brother, Graham Birdsall (’58).