Volume 13, Number 6
Oct 1989

Personnel Changes at the Smithsonian

Karen Preslock resigned her position as Chief of the Museum Support Center branch library in August 1989. Karen and her daughters are moving to Atlanta, Georgia, where her husband, Timothy, has established a business. Karen has been with the Smithsonian Institution Libraries [SIL] since 1979 and has been particularly active in expanding SIL's use of online commercial databases. For the past several years, she chaired an informal group of online searchers which meets periodically to exchange information and tips on search strategies. Karen was the first librarian of the Conservation Analytical Laboratory branch library and moved with it to the Museum Support Center where she also assumed responsibility for providing library service to the Oceanographic Sorting Center, the new program in molecular biology, and other natural history units. Karen and two partners have received funding to start an on-line commercial data base for buying and selling rare and out-of-print books. The company will be a subsidiary of Faxon. She will also continue as Publications Editor of CAN.

SIL staff, volunteers, and some staff from other units of the Smithsonian gathered for a farewell luncheon for Margaret Child on her birthday, July 14. Entertainment included an original farewell ode by Nancy Gwinn and Mary A. Rosenfeld, and a birthday/farewell speech in French by Nancy Matthews.

Nancy Gwinn is serving as Acting Assistant Director, Research Services, until a new Assistant Director is hired. She continues with her duties as Assistant Director, Collections Management.

An eight-member Task Force under the chairmanship of Vanessa Piala (Head, Preservation Services), is working on a proposal for a Preservation Replacement Program, to preserve the contents of brittle books in SIL collections. Replacement formats will include microfilm, photocopying and purchase of replacements. The Task Force will make recommendations in a number of areas, including selection for preservation.