To Fill, or How to Fill—That is the Question Succession Planning and Leadership Development in Academic Libraries

ABSTRACTSuccession planning and leadership development is discussed as a part of human resource management planning in academic libraries. In times of rapid change, libraries rely more than ever before on their strength in planning as a means of managing change. Planning the development and deployment of their human resources is a vital part of this process, and ensuring that the right people are in the right jobs at the right time, or succession planning, is one of the key human resource management processes. The advantages as well as disadvantages of succession planning are discussed and the benefit of leadership development to academic libraries is addressed.