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FDLP Succession Planning: Real coordinators' experience

This guide provides information, tips, and suggestions how to prepare for succession.

Disadvantages of not having a succession plan

This coordinator from a large academic library shared her experience coming into the position as depository coordinator, without any information from the previous coordinator who left suddenly. 

Her comments on what would have helped:

  • Contact information for our regional depository
  • Who to contact at GPO
  • List of our selections
  • Guidelines on collection maintenance
  • Rules on weeding
  • Internal workflows
  • Maintenance guidelines
  • Where the collection is located
  • How physical items are cataloged and processed
  • How e-resources are made available in our OPAC
  • How often our collection is evaluated
  • How to make sure we're compliant with rules/guidelines set by FDLP
  • Preserve longtime institutional knowledge
  • Succession planning prevents wasting time searching for the information on where to start

How succession planning helped

This coordinator from a small academic library shared her experience as a new coordinator who had access to succession documentation.

"My predecessor left me a USB drive with electronic files which included:

  • Past and planned projects
  • Processing instructions
  • Cataloging procedures
  • Other documentation

She also left a private LibGuide which includes:

  • Logins 
  • Contact information
  • First Steps

How the information helped:

  • It was helpful having the electronic files available to me
  • It gave me an idea where she had started and where she was planning to go
  • The most beneficial aspect was her willingness to chat with me about the collection and the library in general
  • It inspired me to leave my contact information along with my all my files on the same flash drive for my replacement
  • My predecessor's willingness to provide advice helped me adjust to my first position out of library school 

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