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The Librarian Has Not Yet Left the Building: Resignation After-Effects
by Doreen Sullivan

You’ve got it all sorted: your new job is lined up, a short vacation is scheduled between work assignments, your boss and colleagues have been told, the official resignation letter is submitted, the farewell party is arranged, and your last day at work is circled on the calendar at home … but no one told you about the sense of loss and limbo. Or of the emotional mambo as you work out your notice. And somehow you never considered that aspect either.

No one told you of co-workers who freak out on you. About colleagues who want to hug you to bits. No one told you about bosses who veer between deer-in-the-headlights panic or react as if someone has snatched away their best toy. Where are the instructions on how to cope with a boss who thumps her hand on her desk and hisses, “How dare you leave me?” No one warned you of patrons who are affronted that the librarian they have cultivated for years, who knows just what book to recommend, and how exactly to debug computer number four … is about to walk right out the door. Or, worse, you hear sector-C has plans to celebrate your farewell … but you’re not invited.

Actually, rarely is it as fraught as all that, but leaving could be a more emotional time than you anticipate.

This article focuses on leaving a job voluntarily because you have resigned or retired. It is about some unexpected effects you could experience, such as a sort of low-key grief, even though you initiated the job end ... and how both you and your co-workers can deal with the transition.

The article covers what to expect after you make your announcement and as you work out your notice. You’re still there – at least as a physical presence – but then you’ll be gone. Neither fish nor fowl, you’re in limbo.

Leaving Is All I Ever Do

Confession time: until two years ago, in an almost twenty-year library career I had resigned a whole two times. Once was early on. The second time was after fourteen years working in various roles for one public library, in order to take a six-month career break. Both libraries were terrific work places. By contrast, in the last two years I have held six back-to-back contract positions and had five farewells, so I now feel experienced enough in the art of goodbye.

When my boss announced I had resigned from the public library after fourteen years, I was unprepared for the jolt I felt. I don’t know why. I had all the practicalities covered. Did I really expect my boss and co-workers to shrug, “So what? Who cares?”

My supervisor sent out an email announcing my decision. Reaction was immediate. The phone rang, emails circulated, co-workers stopped by to talk, someone swore in shock. I gave notice of my resignation on a Friday morning. By Friday afternoon I was spent, sore-throated, weak-kneed and grateful that I was in a back-room position, because I doubted I could have served the customers well just then.

Yes, I both valued my position and was valued by the people in that library, and so perhaps the fallout on hearing of my resignation shouldn’t have surprised me. Still, regardless of how fond (or not) you are of your job, you could be taken aback if you’re unprepared for the reactions immediately following your announcement, and then for the possible strangeness of the period spent working out your notice.

Leaving Is All We Ever Do

Chances are most of us will leave a position voluntarily at least once in our library career. Most times it will be to take up another job somewhere else. Leaving a job with style and grace is just as important as being on your best behavior when you start a new one.

Even if you loathed your job and the strongest emotion you feel is relief, be nice. Or neutral (the “If you can’t say something nice, say nothing at all” principle). Even if you want to tap-dance across the circulation desk whilst warbling the “Hallelujah Chorus” … don’t. As well as being a tad disruptive and discourteous, this behaviour could have future ramifications. Save the cheers for your friends and family after work. Save the venting for the exit interview. This is a library, not a talk show. Your colleagues still work for the organisation. The library profession is small. Memories are long. Word gets around. You could work with or for someone in that organization again.

Many of us have been fortunate to work in collegial environments. A lot of library philosophy and practice is based on cooperation. It is possible for some people that working by these principles could mean that the “sweet sorrow” of leaving the library – while the right thing to do – is a somewhat more heightened experience than predicted.

Practicalities

You know yourself and the library where you work best. In any case, it may be useful to:

Make your initial resignation or retirement announcement on a Friday;
Not be scheduled to work with customers afterwards.

These recommendations are so you can both deal with your colleagues’ reactions and have the weekend to come to terms with your decision yourself. Resignation remorse can hit as you wonder what, exactly, have you done?

Let some patrons (and suppliers, etc.) – those you have struck up a relationship with – also know of your decision.

Clients are perhaps the forgotten ones when a librarian leaves. Given that a) if it weren’t for the patrons the library would have no reason to exist, and b) the strong customer focus of most libraries, it seems a little odd to forget this group. Now, I’m not saying that you accost every person who walks through the door and declare, “I’m leaving!” – really, they don’t care – but if, say, you’re a reference librarian and Joe Smith from Engineering often asks for your assistance with his literature searches, and appreciates your help, then let him know. Some clients will deliver an impromptu thank you speech or email at this stage, which is nice, but that’s not why you inform the client – it is simply good work practice to keep the customer abreast with what’s happening.

If All the World’s a Stage, Why Do People Fluff Their Lines? Unexpected Reactions

In an ideal world, this is what would happen when you leave: people would cry, and acknowledge that no one could ever, now or in the future, do as good a job as you do … in fact, the library should probably close its doors, because what is a library without you?

In the real world: life goes on. In the interim, it could get weird. But you’ve had time to consider your reasons for why you are about to leave: your colleagues have not. In your mind, colleagues and supervisors play out variations of, “Sorry to see you go, but I’m really happy for you. You did good here.”

Unexpected things that could happen instead are:

Your boss takes it as a personal insult, as “unprofessional” behavior, because you have the audacity to go;
Or, your boss makes a counter-offer. (I suspect this is very rare in libraries.)
Co-workers fight over who gets your plum role when you’re gone;
Assuming you’ve done all the right things and are not leaving your library in the lurch, some people may be angry with you for all sorts of reasons, which have everything to do with them, and not much to do with you;
Some may go all Chicken Licken – the sky is falling down! – and wonder how they can possibly cope without you there to stock the photocopier/deal with super talkative Mrs. Jones/give Mr. Basil the evil eye so he does not overstay his computer session;
Some may simply ignore you – especially if there have been several recent retirements or resignations and those left behind are weary and tired of saying goodbye so often.

Probably what will happen is that people wish you well. But it doesn’t hurt to prepare yourself for adverse or unexpected reactions. Or realize that receiving even positive love-bombs praising your wondrous self to the skies can tire you out. (Particularly if you think, “If I’m so great, why did no one mention it before?”)

You’re the person who is leaving, so it’s up to you to be gracious or civil when on the receiving end of what you consider odd behavior. Some co-workers may ask for some tips on how to deal with recalcitrant photocopiers and so on. Sometimes the photocopier is a red herring, and Chicken Licken doesn’t know how tell you that you’ll be missed.

Show Some Emotion – But Not Too Much

If you have a new job to go to, you’re probably excited about it. If you’re about to retire, you’re probably excited about it. Be positive and confident (regardless of how you feel on the inside) – but recall, again, that your colleagues still work there. Don’t tell them you’ll earn twice as much in your new job as you’re earning now (tell your family instead). Don’t gloat about the one-hour lunch break and flextime you will now have. Think, re-think, and think yet again about your comments if you hated your workplace. It may feel momentarily good to shout, “I’m out of here, unlike you losers!” If working in that library was such an unfortunate experience, well, you’ve extricated yourself from that situation. You’ve won already. Go to the new job with a clean slate, not as the librarian with the attitude problem. Your actions in your final days will be remembered.

If you have had a wonderful time working there – but this new opportunity was too great to pass up – let them know. If you think you will miss people – let them know. Everyone likes to be appreciated.

Transitions

Working out your notice is a transition period. It gives both you and your workplace time to deal with your resignation. It is also a practical period: your boss has space to advertise for and make a decision about your replacement; if a replacement is found quickly, you can assist with the transition and training if required. Working out notice of between two to four weeks will mean continuance with your job, but also make sure your procedures and files are current for the next person – and clear up your work area.

Celebrations (They Like You – They Really Like You!)

Your colleagues will probably hold a lunch or dinner to say farewell to you. A card and a gift could be given to you. Considerable thought sometimes goes into what to say on the card: this is an honor.

People probably supported you – looked after you on your first day, championed you for that special project, stood up for you when a customer screamed at you as she returned a sopping wet book (“It was like that when I borrowed it“). Thank those people in person or in writing.

If your co-workers organize a farewell celebration, go, even if you’re shy or prefer that a fuss not be made. And play nice. The ceremony is not only for your benefit, but also marks the end of your work relationship between you and your fellow library workers. The end of an era. If you’ve had a good relationship, let some of them know how to keep in contact with you once you’re gone.

And once you’ve made leaving a job easier both for you and your library … be prepared to do it all over again sometime.

About the Author:

Doreen Sullivan currently works in Melbourne, Australia as a contract cataloger for a book vendor. She has worked across sectors (public, corporate, health, science, and government), and in the last two years said a sorrowful sweet “goodbye” to five delightful work places as her contracts have ended.

Article published June 2006

Disclaimer: The ideas expressed in LIScareer articles are those of their respective authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the LIScareer editors.

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