Normal, Illinois; Chicago; Wilberforce; and Chicago Public Library

This chapter details Regina's years in Normal, Illinois; and then shifts to her return to Chicago and her college experiences at Wilberforce University. It was in Normal that she attended school with the future Illinois governor and presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson II. In terms of her experiences in Normal, Regina later credited an understanding librarian as a guiding influence in her early life and training which has brought success in her chosen field. Meanwhile, Regina's experiences at the Chicago Public Library were mostly negative. However, she later said she was influenced by Vivian G. Harsh—Chicago Public Library's head librarian. The current Vivian G. Harsh Collection of Afro-American History and Literature at the Carter G. Woodson Regional Library is named after her.