After April 2, a familiar face at the Austin Public Library will be missing.

Gayle Heimer has worked at the Austin library for about 19 years, but on April 2 she is retiring with plans to become a full-time Iowa resident, and she and her husband, Mike, are ready for a change.

“I’m at a point in my life where I’m ready to do something different,” Heimer said. “Something else with my life besides libraries.”

Heimer hopes to have more time to play her flute and brush up her skills on the piano.

“I’m going to live a life of music,” she said. “And pursue other things I haven’t had time for since I’ve been full time here.”

She also hopes to have more time for traveling with her husband and reading, which she didn’t get to do much of working full time.

Heimer got a bachelor’s degree in music at Illinois State University, but she never really worked with music. After a few odd jobs at a newspaper, a bank and others, she pursued becoming a librarian.

“I thought the library would be a nice place to work,” Heimer said. “And I liked books and I liked learning and researching, so I thought that would be a good mix of my skills.”

Heimer moved to Iowa in 1994 when she married her husband, Mike Heimer, who farms near St. Ansgar. She hopes to have more time to spend there since she won’t be working full time.

“I plan to be a resident of Iowa, a full-time resident, and just spend time being a part of my community that I haven’t had time for,” she said.

Her position at the library will be taken over by two full-time librarians — a technology based librarian and a technical services librarian.

“It’ll be a good thing for the library to have the jobs I have done split, so that more attention can be paid than I had time for,” Heimer said.

Over the years, Heimer worked with supporting the library’s technology as well as many behind the scenes aspects of the library. She has hopes the new positions will be able to do things in the future that she could not, such as continued support of the library’s technology, thinking of new ideas for integrating technology, and implementing classes for patrons.

“I feel good that my leaving has created these opportunities for growth in both of those areas of my job,” she said.

Although she is glad to start a new chapter in her life, she won’t forget the many years shared at the Austin Public Library.

“I think I’ll miss being in the library,” she said. “I’ll miss my coworkers and the patrons.”

“I’ll miss the camaraderie of the office setting, the potlucks, the break times, going out to lunch, that sort of thing,” she added. “And it is a nice place to work.”

The library will host an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. Friday in the main lobby to say goodbye to Heimer, celebrating her career at the library with cake and well wishes. Heimer will perform with the Austin Symphony on April 12 as part of the Beethoven Bash a the Paramount Theatre.