Succession Planning for Information Professionals

Abstract

This is a literature-based opinion paper which examines how succession planning and management in information centers can help in improvement of service provision and delivery. In general succession management plays a critical role in change management and change is inevitable. It ensures that library staffing levels and skill sets rely not only on recruiting new librarians and library technicians, but also retaining incumbent library staff in support of the future of the library. It also provides for critical and timely knowledge transfer. Effective succession planning and management helps an information center to identify, develop and retain capable and skilled employees in line with current and projected objectives. It is about developing pools of talent to fill key areas and positions that are critical to an organization's ongoing operations and long-term goals. This paper is aimed at helping information professionals to regularly review and update as change occur. The succession plan should evolve to suit the current circumstances of the information center.