The View from the Other Side

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I retired from my job as Youth Services Manager at the end of SLP this year. What's it like?

Not surprisingly, it's been great fun and the best stress-reducer known to humankind. Though I worked to keep stress under control and made lots of decisions to keep things balanced (forgoing some things; saying no to others; passing offers on to other youth librarians; working on some work things at home to leave more time for co-workers during the work day), work stress is just one of those things that was part of my day-to-day. Can't say I miss it.

Many friends said it would feel like vacation. It doesn't. It feels like freedom.

Lingering warm weather allowed me to have an extra run at summer, a season I felt unfamiliar with after SLPs entered my life. It's good to make her reacquaintance. Nature has been my balm and I was able to plunge in with hikes, bikes and adventures in this beautiful driftless region and northern parts of my new state MN.

I read - alot. I cook - alot. I visit and help with friends and family - alot. I take my time - alot. Time does tick down from here (one doesn't usually retire because one is young) but more slowly and at a more measured rate.

I found that I retired from a job, not from a career. While I am lots more relaxed, I still keep my fingers in library "stuff" - but at a pace that allows me to finally do all.the.things.

I realize now- in a huge way - that because of my longtime outside commitments in professional associations, presentations, teaching and consulting, almost all my work weeks were 60-65 hours. There was my 40 hours paid for by my library. For all those other outside things, all the prep and doing was done in home-time (good morning 4 a.m!; hello long weekends of prepping sessions; why I'd love to work at that after supper until 10 pm; oh a vacation week to stay at home and put this course together, that's swell). Lucky I was - and am  - to have a supportive partner! Now I have all the time in the world to put this stuff together since all my time is my own. Feels good!

I'm most excited to be embarking on a long-time dream. I will be the youth services system consultant for the Southwest (WI) Library system libraries on a very part-time basis for 2016 while they transition into a more permanent consultant position for 2017. I look forward to delving into work with the youth staffers and directors who-do-everything and lending a helping hand.

I'll still be seeing lots of you. I'm on the ALSC Sibert Award committee so my reading will turn to youth non-fiction in 2016 and ALA conferences remain on the agenda. I will be working on lots of teaching, webinars and presentations in the next year. I'm pumped to help contribute to planning for a national youth librarian leadership/management conference sponsored by UW-Madison SLIS and scheduled for April 3-4, 2017 (there will lots more on that soon!).

Blogging will occur at the same languid pace I've adopted in the past year or so. I promise to stay in touch and hope you will too.