Stepping back to move forward: Reflections on a first sabbatical

By Aleksandra Blake, Jennifer Browning, and Joël Rivard

In the reflections that follow, Aleksandra, Jennifer, and Joel share how their sabbaticals shifted them from tightly structured workdays to a slower more intentional rhythm. Their stories reveal common themes while offering encouragement to colleagues considering their own sabbatical journeys, reminding us that reflections are essential to a sustainable career in librarianship.

Joël Rivard

When I began planning my sabbatical, one piece of advice came up repeatedly: build in structure. While sabbaticals offer rare and valuable space for sustained focus, concentrating exclusively on a single project for an extended period can be isolating. Without intentional points of connection, it is easy to become disconnected from colleagues and the broader professional conversation.

With this in mind, I chose to maintain selective commitments during my leave. I continued my involvement on the University’s AI committee and applied to participate in the OCUL Visiting Research Program, proposing a project focused on artificial intelligence in academic libraries. Working within established groups provided a framework for my time, including milestones, deadlines, and regular opportunities for discussion. Just as importantly, it allowed me to remain connected with colleagues across Ontario universities, grounding my sabbatical work in shared concerns and collective inquiry.

Participating in the OCUL program brought a rhythm to the year. Regular meetings to plan contributions, discuss progress, and reflect on related projects helped transform what could have been solitary work into a collaborative experience. That structure proved invaluable, particularly as sabbatical work often lacks the external cues that shape day‑to‑day academic life.

To stay organized, I deliberately set aside time for different dimensions of the work. This included sustained reading on the evolving landscape of AI, as well as exploring and attending webinars, conference sessions, and professional discussions that are often difficult to prioritize amid the demands of daily work. Sabbatical time created space to slow down and to follow lines of inquiry that might otherwise remain unexplored and to engage more deeply with emerging ideas and practices.

At the same time, sabbatical work requires a recalibration of expectations around productivity. Some days were spent experimenting with AI tools or exploring functionalities that did not immediately lead to tangible outcomes. In a typical work environment, such time might feel unproductive or even indulgent. During sabbatical, however, this exploratory work became part of the learning process. Letting go of the constant pressure to produce, and allowing time for reflection, was both challenging and necessary.

Perhaps the most important lesson was learning to balance structure with openness: creating enough accountability to stay engaged, while also granting permission to pause, reflect, and rethink. Sabbatical is not simply time away from routine work; it is an opportunity to reconsider how we work, learn, and contribute.

Jennifer Browning

Taking my first sabbatical has allowed for reflection and re-evaluation of what is important both in my professional contributions and my personal life. Before starting my sabbatical last September, I had been coming out of a year that was intensely busy with managing two teams during a challenging period coloured by the impacts of budgetary and staffing changes. I had also been involved for several years in internal library committees, as well as external groups and initiatives in OCUL and other organizations. Looking back, I realize that I hadn’t felt truly present or properly focused for quite some time, like a caffeinated squirrel¹ scampering from one meeting, priority, or task to the next.

Interestingly, despite deeply valuing  being involved with many different projects and committees, it was actually quite easy for me to step away from a lot of these commitments when I started my sabbatical. Leading up to my sabbatical in September, I signalled  my intention to step-down from many of the formal committees that I was involved in. I had begun to feel that my involvement in them had run its course, so the sabbatical was an opportunity to formally close off some of those commitments that I had perhaps carried on for too long. I think it was easier to wind down from being so heavily involved in the day-to-day at work and with external committees because I knew that a  sabbatical was a rare opportunity not available in other workplaces or professions. I saw the upcoming year as a way to recalibrate my approach to my working life.

It was certainly helpful that I had a clear sabbatical project in mind, which connected with the North/Nord shared print partnership as their inaugural Researcher-in-Residence². I saw my upcoming sabbatical as a release from the pace that I had set for myself, however, like Joel and Aleksandra, I knew that I needed a bit of structure to avoid feeling at loose ends.  It was also very helpful that I had a personal milestone planned right at the beginning of my sabbatical; r a trip to England with my mother . This trip forced me to disconnect from email and Teams chat right from the start, before beginning my project with North/Nord in October. Having this time away created literal distance from my work life and provided the space to transition into my sabbatical project with a clearer focus.

It is my hope that by being intentional about setting boundaries on my personal and working time during my sabbatical will put me in better stead when I return to work. Being afforded the time to relearn how to think deeply about what I am reading, engaging in, and participating in over the past 6 months is good practice for continuing these habits when I return to what I know will be a busy start of the school year this September. While I may not have control over the pace of leading a team and encountering whatever new priorities and initiatives I might face, I will strive to better manage my own tempo and evaluate the value of the commitments that I take on – both the value that I bring to them, and the value that I gain from my involvement in them.

 Aleksandra Blake

Preparing for my first sabbatical as a relatively new librarian was both exciting and a little overwhelming. I approached it with a sense of possibility, eager to finally take on projects that had been pushed aside during the busy rhythm of day-to-day work. Like many early career librarians, I had accumulated a list of professional goals that never seemed to fit into the margins of a regular schedule. A sabbatical felt like the perfect opportunity to focus, reset, and invest in my own development.

I began by outlining several projects, each meaningful in a different way. My main goal was to continue learning Russian—something I had long wanted to pursue but could never fully commit to during the academic year. I also planned a research project that had been waiting patiently for my attention. Having these structured plans gave me a sense of direction and purpose as I stepped into this new experience.

One challenge I didn’t expect was the emotional adjustment that came with slowing down. I’ve always been organized, self-motivated, and used to days packed with tasks and deadlines. But during my sabbatical, the pace shifted. Suddenly I had long stretches of unstructured time, and instead of feeling freeing at first, it made me feel a little guilty—as if I wasn’t “doing enough.” Learning to sit with that slower rhythm, and to see rest as part of the process rather than a lack of productivity, became an important part of the experience. It taught me that stepping back can be just as valuable as pushing forward.

What I didn’t anticipate, however, was how much of my sabbatical would be shaped by opportunities I hadn’t planned for at all. With more time and flexibility, I found myself connecting with colleagues across the field in ways that simply weren’t possible during a regular work cycle. I participated in professional organizations such as the Canadian Association of Academic Librarians (CAPAL) and the Ontario Library Association (OLA), especially within the academic sector through the Ontario College and University Library Association (OCULA). These interactions offered fresh insights and strengthened my sense of belonging within the profession.

Several unexpected opportunities also pushed me outside my comfort zone, including participating in a mentee program and joining the OCULA Council. When the invitation to join the Council first came up, I wasn’t sure if I was ready. But the slower pace of sabbatical gave me space to reflect, and with that came a new sense of clarity and confidence. My appointment to the Council became a turning point. Listening to colleagues discuss shared challenges and new initiatives made me feel part of something larger than my day-to-day role, and for the first time I truly saw myself as a contributor to the wider professional landscape.

As I met with Jennifer and Joel for lunch one day, I was struck by how closely our experiences mirror my own. Even though we approached our sabbaticals from different places in our career, we all found ourselves navigating that same shift in pace- moving from constant motion to daily responsibilities to a slower rhythm that felt unfamiliar at first. That conversation made me realize how valuable it can be to share these experiences more broadly, especially for colleagues who may be preparing for or considering their own sabbatical journey.

Practical tips to prepare for a sabbatical

• Plan for structure but expect imperfection. Some planning is essential, but it is equally important to accept that not everything will be fully defined at the outset.

• Shift your productivity mindset. Sabbatical is a time for reflection and exploration, not constant output.

• Build in connection and accountability. If you thrive on structure, seek collaborative projects or regular check‑ins with others.

• Break projects into manageable components. Keeping work logs or reflective notes can help track progress and support deeper learning over time.

• The timing will never be perfect. There can be a million reasons why now isn’t a good time to take time away from work if you are eligible for sabbatical. Recognize when time is right for you and stick to your plan.

• Trust that things will be ok in your absence. Trust in your team and colleagues. You cannot control what might happen while you are away, but this is ok.

References

Aleksandra Blake is a subject specialist in Research Support Services at the MacOdrum Library, Carleton University Library, supporting research in Political Science, International Affairs, Political Economy, and European and Russian Studies.

Jennifer Browning is the Acting Associate University Librarian for Collection Services at Carleton University’s MacOdrum Library. As the inaugural Researcher‑in‑Residence for North/Nord, Jennifer is examining the sustainability of shared print programs and how metadata and technology shape shared print collaboration.

Joël Rivard is Head of Research Support Services at the MacOdrum Library, Carleton University.