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Good Luck, Regina!

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Regina Green, Library Technician since 1983, will retire in early 2010. At a recent reception in her honor, Sheila Riley, Catalog Management, said a few words which are excerpted here:

Regina came to the Libraries 26 years ago, when Special Project Manager Vicki Avera asked her to join our staff in the Automated Bibliographic Control Dept. As many of you know, at the Libraries Regina has assisted with all levels of cataloging, database maintenance, and contract review duties. What you may not know is that,  prior to her work here, Regina worked with the Dept. of the Interior’s U.S. Geological Survey, for offshore drilling operations.

As a library technician there, she kept track of data logs from oil wells. Oil rig engineers would send them core samples, dry and wet (the latter they referred to as “mud”). The samples were logged in, then examined by geologists for types of sedimentary rocks to determine potential for finding oil. Regina would then file the geologists’ reports. She even got to visit the oil rigs and has pictures to prove it. 

Before the Geological Survey, while still in school, Regina worked part-time for three years with the U.S. Coast Guard. 

It seems like a natural jump, from geologic and coastal concerns, to the Natural History Museum . . . and the Smithsonian Institution Libraries. 

In the mid-80’s, when the Libraries began barcoding its collections, Regina was asked to oversee the retrospective barcoding of all the branch collections. She trained new hires, who visited each branch to apply the “intelligent barcodes,” and she resolved the many problems that were encountered. 

Regina has always had a special aptitude for automation and computers. In 1987, she trained new Original Cataloging staff to search OCLC. The same year, she learned to operate an automated labeling system and formatted the software to fit the Libraries' needs. A few years ago she set up a Word software program to create and print rare book tags. Over the years, she was instrumental  in the testing and training needed for every iteration of the Libraries' online catalog, from BPS to GEAC to NOTIS to Horizon. She served on the Macro Task Force team since 1998, working to create macros that speed catalogers’ work.

Regina served all these years too as an excellent trainer of both Cataloging Services Department staff and contract staff. So many people trained by Regina have made a point of telling me how gifted, patient, and knowledgeable she is. She combined her training gifts with her computer skills and also served as the department’s computer-based training liaison. 

Along with her direct service to the Libraries, since the early 90s Regina has also served the Smithsonian as a representative of the American Federation of Government Employees, Local 2463.  She has served as an Officer of the Union and has represented cases before the Merit Systems Protection Board. She currently holds the double officer position of Secretary/Treasurer.

Those of us who have been fortunate to get to know Regina know her to be a level-headed, rock-solid, common-sense, reliable person, of great character. The Smithsonian’s Labor Relations Officer (on the management side) said that Labor Relations would not want to lose Regina as a union representative. He told me (and Libraries' Director Nancy Gwinn), “She is one of the best union representatives we’ve got.”

Well . . . the good news? Regina’s retirement plans include continuing her union work at the Smithsonian. This means we may still be lucky enough to see her around . . . but we will also surely miss her.  For all that you have done for us, Regina, we THANK YOU! And we wish you all the best."

Images:

Top: Regina Greene at helicopter launching pad

Middle: Regina Greene

Bottom: Sheila Riley speaking at reception for Regina Greene (far left Regina Greene, Lowell Ashley)

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