For 29 years, the first face people have seen when entering the Troy Public Library and the last face seen when leaving is that of Addie Green, circulation supervisor.

On Tuesday afternoon, Green was honored with a retirement reception at the Johnson Center for the Arts. Hugs were given, stories were shared and tears were shed as Green’s many friends and family members expressed their love for her and wished her happiness in her retirement years.

William White, TPL director, said Green is one of those people who make an indelible impression on the lives of others, without even seeming to try.

“The name Addie Green is synonymous with the Troy Public Library,” White said. “Addie has cultivated relationships with people for three decades. Her main concern with any policy changes and procedure has always been ‘how will this affect my patrons?’ Addie is committed to the Troy Public Library and its patrons. That type of commitment is not soon forgotten, nor should it be.”

White said Green has been the first face of the TPL for 29 years and her face will be the first image recalled when people consider the city’s library.

“And, I am thankful for that,” he said.

Troy Mayor Jason A. Reeves said, said the library just won’t be the same without “Addie’s smiling face.”

“When I’ve walked through the library door over the years, Addie was the first person I would see,” Reeves said. “She was always smiling and she has such a sweet spirit about her. I have special memories of Addie and I have mixed emotions about her retirement. She deserves it but it’s sad to see her go. Addie Green is world class.”
Every person in the long line of well-wishers had a story to share about Addie Green. Stories were told of how she committed to memory the reading habits of thousands of people, of how she was able to build a fiction collection so immediate and relevant to the Troy and Pike County communities. Stories were told of how “Miss Addie” could remember the name of most every library patron and often their children and sometimes their family pet. But most stories were of her friendliness, her quick smile and her willing spirit.

To a one, they all said, “Addie was not just the librarian. She was my friend.”

Karen Bullard, who headed the library’s genealogy department before her own retirement, worked with Green for nearly 28 years.

“Addie has been the first face of the Troy Public Library for nearly 30 years,” Bullard said. “She welcomed everyone with a smile. It was wonderful working with her for all those years. Addie has been a treasured employee and is the dearest friend I’ve ever had.”

Green greeted each friend and family member with the smile that is familiar to all of them.
“They are all a part of me,” she said. “I know God placed me at the Troy Public Library so I could have so many wonderful people in my life.”

Growing up, Addie Green had no dreams of working in a library.

“We lived in a rural area didn’t have books in our home or any way to get any,” she said. “When I was at Ansley High School, Miss Sarah Kelly set up a library and I started volunteering and that’s when I got interested in books.”

After graduation, Green attended John Patterson Junior College and got a job with OCAP/Head Start. After 14 years, she applied for a job as circulation supervisor at the Troy Public Library. Two weeks later, she was hired.

“God put me where He wanted me to be,” Green said with a smile. “I’ve always been the circulation supervisor. I never wanted any other positon. I love people and I was right where I wanted to be. But now it’s time to slow down. I’ll go to the senior centers and travel. Just enjoy life.”

And Addie Green will continue to be a familiar face at the TPL because it’s a place near and dear to her heart.