Tar Heel Born, Tar Heel Read

But the room's disarray belies his meticulous planning that went into creating an upcoming conference that will exhibit one of North Carolina's earliest nature writers and naturalists.

Anthony, Wilson Library's North Carolina Collection curator, along with his colleagues, created "Lawson's Legacy: Nature Writing and North Carolina 1701-2001."

The conference, which will take place Sept. 7-9, will celebrate the 300th anniversary of Englishman and naturalist John Lawson's 550-mile trek through the state's back country.

It will feature Lawson's travel journal and natural history book, and North Carolina nature and outdoor writers will display their work samples.

A casual comment by a colleague made Anthony start thinking about creating a conference that would bring writers from across the state together.

"I found out that this is the anniversary of the trip," he said. "I started writing speakers, asking them to talk."

Anthony said the event is expected to draw people from 27 counties and will also lend conference-goers a better appreciation of early naturalists.

As North Carolina Collection curator since 1994, Anthony is responsible for collecting manuscript, encouraging public and private donations and organizing events and exhibits like the Lawson conference.

The collection ranges from a photographic archive to old maps to manuscripts written by a North Carolinian or about a state topic.

But Anthony has not always had such access to books.

He said he can remember, as a sixth-grader, devouring history books and biographies supplied by the local book mobile because his hometown had no public library.

Now surrounded by books, Anthony does not favor one particular author, but he said he leaves every work day "with a slip of paper with a least four author's names to read later.

"I've got one of the best jobs on campus," he said.

"We get to see what's going on intellectually in the state and culturally in the state."

Anthony's job puts him in touch with academia and researchers he said he might not meet otherwise.

His roots in the University were planted as a master's student in the library science program.

From there he worked various jobs that nurtured his desire to be better connected with North Carolina and kept him close to his passion for literature.

"I've worked with him since he was a student (here)," said Alice Cotten , a reference historian for the collection. "He has a good sense of what's important."

Even though the upcoming conference keeps him busy, Anthony always finds time to peruse some of his favorite items.

Decidedly maneuvering through darkened rows of rare books in one wing of the library, he knows the exact location of the earliest known book to have arrived in North Carolina.

He displays the Bible, which arrived in the 1660s and was recently used by Chancellors Paul Hardin, Michael Hooker and James Moeser in their inauguration ceremonies.

"They used it because of tradition and because it ties the University into the history of the state."

Anthony exudes enthusiasm for "Lawson's Legacy" and his job with the same excitement he shows when handling a rare book.

"It's fun to go into the stacks and pull an item off the shelf and think about the person who wrote it," he said.

"It helps me to get a better understanding of the culture and heritage of North Carolina."

The Features Editor can be reached at features@unc.edu.