Who? What? When? Where? Why? How? Answer These Questions with Good Succession Planning! Mary Wilkins Jordan Assistant Professor, Simmons College Boston, MA

Introduction Who will be leading your library tomorrow, and who will be working there? What qualifications will they have? When did these future leaders develop the necessary skills to excel in the library? Where have they previously worked? Why will they be selected, or not? And how will all of these questions be answered to help your library succeed in the future, with all the unexpected changes to come?

Elements of a Good Plan A succession plan has several pieces

1. Strategic Planning Where is the library headed over the next five to ten years?

2. Organizational Chart and Job Descriptions Important : who works for your library, how do they fit into the plan, & what do they do

3. Recruiting plan Director Managers Staff Everyone is important! KSA vs. Personality

And then…? Write it down Pass it around Follow through Train, train, train

It’s alive! Living documents require attention, modification and supervision. Keep alive the results of your hard work!

Contact information: Mary Wilkins Jordan Simmons College Boston, MA Feel free to contact me to discuss your library’s recruiting plan, or other administrative and planning issues!