About a year out of college in 1976, I came to work at the Smithsonian for James Goode, the keeper of the Smithsonian Building. At that time, our office dealt exclusively with concerns about the building: for example, preparing for the visit of Queen Elizabeth II, purchasing a piece of antique furniture , ordering carpet for the Great Hall, taking care of barn owls. The last job was clearly in the category "other duties as assigned," often seen on Smithsonian job descriptions.