All About Succession Planning in Libraries, Part 1:
Case Studies

By Deb Knox, W.T. Cox Subscriptions

Photo by Chris Zammarelli, NOAA

Part one of the two-part session on sucession planning panel reported the necessary measures to be taken to successfully implement a succession planning plan.  Helen Sherman from DTIC moderated the discussion.

Michele Masias and Jennifer McMahan discussed their efforts at the U.S. Department of Justice.  They said there is a dire need for succession planning and the government sector is severely affected.  Statistical estimations given for the year 2010 and the year 2012 were disturbing.  A large percentage of the government workforce is eligible to retire by 2012.  It was also noted that only 25% of the government workforce is under the age of 40.

The patron base is changing every day, almost as quickly as employment trends.  Secretary of Education Richard Riley stated that the top ten jobs in demand by 2010 were not even in existence in 2004.  Young professionals are preparing for those jobs using technologies that haven’t been invented in order to have solutions for problems that don’t exist.  Everything we know is changing exponentially, and it was noted that with technologies come challenges.

What does it all mean?  It means that generational issues matter.  It means that venues of information retrieval are changing.  And it means that librarians still play a critical role in information retrieval.

The case study from the U.S. Department of Justice identified the following steps for succession planning:

• Define succession planning.
• Make an action plan.
• Decide how to obtain human capital, whether it be to recruit, hire one level in order to grow another, implement growth with existing staff or borrow staff.
• Assess the workforce by using surveys, but be sure to define skills you are basing your ratings on.
• Have staff rate themselves and each other.
• Analyze results.
• Know what you plan to accomplish.

Unfortunately, speaker Keith Lance could not be present, but he sent a very good audio and PowerPoint presentation outlining must-do action items for succession planning.  He also drew on his own experiences when retiring as Director of the Library Research Service.  His PowerPoint presentation defined the following steps to succession planning, using Star Trek as its theme:

• Boldly go: In other words, take the initiative.
• Be true to your organization: Be clear about core identity.
• Follow your prime directive, whatever that might be.
• Recruit the next generation: Find and keep people with talent.
• Thrive in the future: Do not perpetuate the past.
• Recruit diversity: No group has a monopoly on talent.
• Be enterprising: Keep up with the times, consider new options, stay lean.
• Future success requires more than vision.
• Make "first contact": Encourage new leaders to start building their own partnerships.
• Make it so: Empower potential successors by delegating responsibility
• "Beam me up": When you are done, go away, stay away and be quiet (unless you are asked).
• Live long and prosper!

All About Succession Planning in Libraries, Part 1: Case Studies was presented by the Government Information Division and co-sponsored by the Military Libraries Division. It was sponsored by Dialog and ProQuest. All About Succession Planning in Libraries, Part 2: Panel Discussion was presented by the Social Science Division and the Education Division.