Succession Planning in the Library: Developing Leaders, Managing Change

by Paula M. Singer, Gail Griffith

Drawing on her expertise as a leading consultant on human resource issues in the library, Paula Singer addresses the often fraught issue of planning for not just at the top but at all levels of an organization. With Singer's help, administrators can Readers will discover techniques for spotting potential leaders and encouraging professional growth of current staff.

Genres: Nonfiction, Management

147 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2010

Reviews

[Alex · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh, on a whole I was not impressed with this book. I would have preferred the author's speak in a clear, concise manner rather than the convoluted writing style they chose. And as much as I like examples, especially when incorporating new ideas and laying out programs for people, there is such a thing as too much. When one could have sufficed efficiently they would provide four or five. There were some particularly helpful forms that I've made note of and found helpful, but even those don't make up for the overall tone of the book. Maybe this is just me, but it also drove me crazy that they ONLY used female pronouns. I don't know, it would have sounded more professional if they would have used neutral, generic pronouns when addressing made up scenarios. Overall, disappointed.

[Marjorie Elwood · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had a hard time giving this three stars and only did so because the authors laid out helpful strategies for succession planning and had useful ideas on mentoring. However, I found the overall tone of the book offensive: it was quite clear that the only people who count are those in supervisory or management positions, the 'higher up', the better. Staff members not meeting expectations were referred to as 'deadwood'. For an institution as democratic as the public library, this was a disappointment.

[Jason Walker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok.