Yes it’s true: Alison Johnston is (finally) retiring on 1 May 2019.
It’s not that I don’t still enjoy my work … it’s simply that I am tired of my endless commuting.

Over the last 23 years I have officially been a reference/liaison/subject librarian. It may seem like the same position but the actual roles I carried out changed every few years. As a librarian I have taught across almost all of the subjects available at the university and find my most recent role as civil and natural resources engineering librarian the most intellectually and interpersonally challenging.

My first Masters degree is in Anthropology and I have always tried to be the anthropologist in the room, engaging in participant observation, to discover the information needs of staff and students. Completing my Masters degree in Geology is also an expression of anthropological training in the research method of participant observation!

Over the years I have attended 4 national and 5 international conferences with the assistance of the library and 2 General Staff awards. I have delivered talks at 3 international conferences. I found these conferences so inspiring that my wish for all subject librarians is to have the opportunity to attend conferences. I have to admit that making the audiences laugh was the best part of speaking….

I am very grateful to so many people who have shown me kindness over the last 23 years. We have had so many turbulent times. I don’t think I am going to vanish into the Canterbury foothills for long as I have research interests in both paleoarchaeology and civil engineering that I will continue to engage in.

I would like to share an afternoon tea with my library family before I go. It will be at the EPS library. I will let you know the date later!!