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Dear ARLIS colleagues—

 

I am writing to let you all know that earlier this year I accepted an early retirement offer from Harvard, and will be leaving my position at the GSD at the end of the month, though Friday is my last day of work.  I can’t begin to summarize my feelings about this, except that Janine Henri said it well—bittersweet.  I have worked as an architecture librarian since 1987, when I joined Susan Lewis at the Boston Architectural Center. With her I attended my first ARLIS conference in San Francisco, where I recall an epic buying trip to William Stout Bookstore—and my first experience of the generosity of the wider ARLIS community. The conferences over the years were an opportunity to learn from and connect with colleagues, develop new friendships, explore local art and architecture treasures, and maybe enjoy a few parties in pretty outrageous settings. My husband got a t-shirt from each conference, but I got the memories. I still recall Peter Blank in an Hawaiian shirt and sandy feet on the stage at the conference in Miami Beach. Now that’s a conference venue…but so was Rhode Island in the blizzard…Banff…. New York City with Christo and Jean Claude.  It was a pleasure to work with the local planning committee when ARLIS came to Boston, where I teamed up with Amanda Bowen to organize the tours. While my attendance at conferences in recent years has been sporadic, I continue to be humbled by the ongoing generosity and knowledge of members through the list, all the more necessary and evident in these trying times. And like Janine, I am looking ahead….to Chicago!

 

I leave what I modestly say is the best job at Harvard, where I started as Collections Librarian back in 1999. The job has changed over the years, but what has remained constant is a group of dedicated and skilled colleagues working with a fabulous collection in an institution that engages deeply with the world. I hope whoever joins my marvelous colleagues has a blast. The school changed the way I look at the world.

 

This winter I’ll be walking the urban wilds, organizing a family archive, and further refining my granola recipe (tasters always welcome). And in the spring I’ll be the one tangled up in the wisteria, trying to find my garden, and pondering new ways to be in this world.

Hats off to you all, comrades!

 

Sarah

 

Sarah W. Dickinson

Research Support Services Librarian |Academic Writing Services

Frances Loeb Library

Harvard University Graduate School of Design

T: 617.496.1332 | [log in to unmask]

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