title: Exploring the sabbatical or other leave as a means of energizing a career
abstract: This article challenges librarians to create leaves that will not only inspire professional growth but also renewal. It presents a framework for developing a successful leave, incorporating useful advice from librarians at Concordia University (Montreal). As food for thought, the article offers examples of specific options meant to encourage professionals to explore their own creative ideas. Finally, a central theme of this article is that a midlife leave provides one with the perfect opportunity to take stock of oneself in order to define future career directions. Midlife is a time when rebel forces, feisty protestors from within, often insist on being heard. It is a time, in other words, when professionals often long to break loose from the stress "to do far more, in less time" (Barner, 1994). Escaping from current job constraints into a world of creative endeavor, when well-executed, is a superb means of invigorating a career stuck in gear and discovering a fresh perspective from which to view one's profession. To ignite renewal, midcareer is the perfect time to grant one's imagination free reign
keyphrases: career librarians professional growth midlife leave sabbatical leave library staff