Departures and Arrivals: Succession Planning for Libraries

Libraries are like airports with continual arrivals and departures of key staff. In order to have takeoffs and landings go smoothly, directors and trustees need to prepare for the departure of a director in times of crisis and otherwise by creating a succession plan. After covering what the current director and board must put in place prior to the landing of a new director, learn how to prepare for the arrival of a new director and the role of trustees in successfully onboarding a new director and gain strategies for how to transition the new director. Attendees will receive a flight plan and onboarding checklist for new library directors and a sample succession plan for a little light reading during your flight.  

Presenters:

Kate Hall is the Executive Director of the Northbrook Public Library, after having served as Director at the New Lenox Public Library and in various library positions in the Chicagoland area for over 20 years. In her 11 years as a library director, Kate has been in leadership positions in state and national library groups including the American Library Association, Illinois Library Association, and Reaching Across Illinois Library System. She has served on the committee and chaired Director’s University, an intensive training for new Illinois Public Library Directors. Kate is the recipient of the 2021 Illinois Library Association Librarian of the Year Award and has just launched Illinois Libraries Present, a new statewide joint programming cooperative.

Kathy Parker was the director of the Glenwood-Lynwood (IL) Public Library District from 2002-2018 after serving as Assistant Director at the Harvey (IL) Public Library. She has worked in public and private libraries for over 40 years in nearly every department and co-founded Director’s University. She has served on numerous state committees including the Illinois Library Association and has served as library trustee for her local library and the regional library system, Reaching Across Illinois Library System. She was the 2016 recipient of American Library Associations Trustee Citation award. After retiring in 2018, Kathy launched the kathyparker consulting firm which provides training to trustees and new directors.

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Code of Conduct

For questions, please email Eliscia Cirrone, ecirrone@lilrc.org.

Professional Development Hours: 1 (.1 CEUs)

Program Recording: No

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