Best Practices for Succession Planning

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Note: This Best Practice uses the Good, Better, Best, Aspirational terminology

Change is a constant, and as libraries in a shared print programs experience leadership or staff changes, closure, or other events that affect their membership and participation in these programs, both individual libraries and shared print program staff are encouraged to consider the following best practices to ensure these changes are not too disruptive to either library or program operations. Shared print program managers should have an ongoing and consistent communications plan that anticipates future changes and provide onboarding support for incoming leadership. These Best Practices may differ in focus depending on the transition (e.g., change in leadership or library closure) and the size of the library.

NOTE: In cases where a member library must transfer retention commitments, refer to Best Practices for Transferring Commitments or Materials.

Best Practices for Programs
Each level below presumes all checks of any/all preceding levels.

Good 

  • Program staff has at least one point of contact per member library.
  • Program staff creates and makes available generic onboarding documentation.

Better

  • Program staff has at least one contact person per member library, and it regularly confirms that the contact person is still at the library and in the same role.
  • Program staff regularly offers high-level onboarding webinars.

Best 

  • Program staff ensures that at least one contact person is in the member library’s institutional leadership team.
  • Program staff offers institution-specific onboarding for new leadership at member institutions.

Table 1: Best Practices for Programs

CriteriaGood BetterBest
Program staff has at least one point of contact per member library.

   x
Program staff creates and makes available generic onboarding documentation.

   x
Program staff has at least one contact person per member library, and it regularly confirms that the contact person is still at the library and in the same role.

   x
Program staff regularly offers high-level onboarding webinars.

   x
Program staff ensures that at least one contact person is in the member library’s institutional leadership team.

   x
Program staff offers institution-specific onboarding for new leadership at member institutions.

   x

Best Practices for Member Libraries
Each level below presumes all checks of any/all preceding levels.

Good

  • The member library creates and maintains local documentation of participation in the shared print program, including a timeline, the reasons for joining the shared print program, documentation (e.g., MOUs), local impact/challenges (e.g., weeding retentions), and what is expected from libraries with retention commitments.
  • The member library notifies its shared print program staff that the primary member library contact needs to be changed.

Better

  • The member library creates and maintains documentation of how retention commitments are handled at their library. This includes procedures on how to identify commitments and what to do if a retention commitment is determined to be lost or damaged.
  • The member library contacts the program in the event of an impending leadership change.
  • The member library provides contact details for replacement for any new primary member library contacts.

Best

  • The member library arranges internal and external onboarding for interim and then permanent library leadership replacements.
  • The member library arranges onboarding for replacement primary shared print program contact.

Table 2: Best Practices for Member Libraries

CriteriaGood BetterBest
The member library creates and maintains local documentation of participation in the shared print program, including a timeline, the reasons for joining the shared print program, documentation (e.g., MOUs), local impact/challenges (e.g., weeding retentions), and what is expected from libraries with retention commitments.

   x
The member library notifies its shared print program staff that the primary member library contact needs to be changed.

   x
The member library creates and maintains documentation of how retention commitments are handled at their library. This includes procedures on how to identify commitments and what to do if a retention commitment is determined to be lost or damaged.

   x
The member library contacts the program in the event of an impending leadership change.

   x
The member library provides contact details for replacement for any new primary member library contacts.

   x
The member library arranges internal and external onboarding for interim and then permanent library leadership replacements.

   x
The member library arranges onboarding for replacement primary shared print program contact.

   x

Last Updated August 2025