FOR decades Sandra Watson and Leonie Murphy have been the friendly faces residents see when entering the Leeton library.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
However, that will no longer be the case with both women calling time on their careers, deciding to retire, but it's not without a certain degree of sadness.
Mrs Watson formally retired at the end of last year, with Mrs Murphy officially finishing up on Tuesday this week.
The pair, who are both university-trained in their fields, have many memories and experiences to their names.
Working at the library has been anything but boring for the pair, who themselves are now friends for life, along with several others who have also worked at the Leeton facility.
RELATED
"It's definitely mixed emotions to be finishing up," Mrs Murphy said.
"Like any job there's been many ups and downs, but I'll miss it.
"It's the people I will miss the most, especially the children through things like storytime. Early literacy has always been something I've been passionate about."
Mrs Murphy started out as a primary school teacher, while Mrs Watson also has an agricultural background.
Both women have progressed through different roles at the library since starting in the 1990s.
They've also noticed a lot of change, including operational, technological and how people access the information they need.
The pair are both hoping to travel and spend more time with their friends and family.
Mrs Watson is finding retirement life enjoyable, but she did miss certain aspects of the job.
"Definitely the people ... I have them coming up to me in the supermarket and asking do we have the new Liane Moriarty book, but I have to tell them I'm not at the library anymore," she said.
"So now we're discussing books in the supermarket, which is funny.
"There's a lot I loved about the job over the years.
"It's been pretty special making such good friends along the way and meeting all sorts of people from the community.
"I think libraries still play a very important role in a community, especially here in Leeton."
****
While you're with us, you can now receive updates straight to your inbox every Friday at 6am from The Irrigator. To make sure you're up to date with all news in Leeton sign up here.