+44 (0) 1273 386849When the Librarian Leaves: How to Keep the Library Strong and Moving Forward
Whether you’re in a school, law firm, prison, or a community library, there’s one question that often gets asked too late:
What happens when the librarian leaves?
In many libraries, the simple answer is – a lot disappears with them. The library keys. The logins. The “this-is-how-we-do-it” knowledge that lives only in their head. The systems that no one else has ever touched.
If you’re the only person running your library – or part of a very small team – this might feel uncomfortably close to home. But it doesn’t have to be this way. With a little planning and the right tools in place, your library can survive (and even thrive) when someone moves on, and someone else moves in!
This post is here to walk you through how.
Start planning before the librarian leaves
Succession planning isn’t just for big organisations. It’s about continuity and making sure the library keeps going, even when key people move on.
Think of it as part of your library’s everyday resilience. You don’t need to create a thick binder full of corporate strategies. Even a few small steps can make a huge difference.
There are three main areas to focus on when a librarian leaves. Let’s explore each in turn:
- Organisational readiness (what does management need to know?)
- Capturing what you know (so it doesn’t leave with you)
- Transferring the unwritten stuff (mentoring, storytelling, human connection)
I. Organisational readiness: Planning for people, not just tasks
This is where succession planning comes in – not just to find a replacement, but to build in resilience. Start by assessing where your knowledge lives. Is it spread out, or does it all sit with you?
If you’re planning to retire or leave, aim for a minimum 3–6 months’ notice. You don’t have to announce it straight away, but you can start preparing. That window can be golden, and it is enough time to document, train, and transition smoothly.
Some practical steps:
- Share the knowledge around: Don’t let all the know-how sit with one person. Cross-train where possible. Even just walking a colleague or volunteer through your weekly routines helps.
- Do a knowledge audit: What do you know that no one else does? What processes would stop if you weren’t here tomorrow? Be creative and don’t discount anything.
- Define responsibility: Ideally, leadership (a headteacher, library partner, director, or library lead) should champion succession planning but in reality, you can get the ball rolling yourself.
II. Capture the knowledge before it walks out the door
This is about creating explicit knowledge – things that are written down, recorded, and easy to share for when a librarian leaves.
Start simple:
- A shared Google Drive folder with how-to documents
- A “Library Manual” (even just a Word doc) outlining key workflows
- A spreadsheet of logins, renewal dates, contacts, and accounts
Even better, set up a central knowledge repository. This might sound grand, but it can be as simple as a cloud folder or internal wiki that everyone can access.
Just make sure it’s:
- Easy to update
- Easy to find
- Clearly labelled
And remember, your wiki content needs caretakers. Assign someone (yourself, for now) to keep it updated, and set a calendar reminder to review it quarterly.
Tip: Before someone retires or leaves, use interviews, surveys, or even recorded voice notes to extract the less-obvious stuff – like lessons learned, workarounds, or advice for the next person.
III. Transfer the unwritten stuff (tacit knowledge)
Some knowledge only lives in conversations. The things you learn from doing, from seeing patterns, from knowing people.
This kind of “tacit” knowledge needs human interaction to be passed on.
You can try:
- Shadowing: Let someone follow you during your typical day.
- Mentoring: Set up regular check-ins with someone who wants to grow into the role.
- Storytelling: Share your experiences – what worked, what didn’t, what you’d do differently.
- Legacy conversation: Before you go, record a few reflections or walk someone through your biggest lessons. Even short chats over a cup of tea can transfer valuable wisdom.
When someone is leaving, the formal HR process might include an exit interview but that rarely captures what the library actually needs. These interviews often focus on workplace culture, line management, or reasons for leaving. Valuable, yes, but they won’t tell the next person how to run overdue reports or find the book labels.
What happens to your Library Management System when the librarian leaves?
When someone leaves, it’s not just about knowledge, it’s also about the systems. Your library management system (LMS) is one of the most important.
If no one knows how to use it, log in, or make changes, the library’s daily operations can grind to a halt. That’s why your LMS should be part of your succession toolkit.
At Simple Little Library System, we build our platform with small libraries and schools in mind. We know that the person taking over might not be a trained librarian, or might not have been involved in the library at all until last week.
So we make it easy. There’s no installation and no complicated setup. The system is cloud-based, so access is straightforward and nothing is lost when devices or people change. Workflows are intuitive, and our support is personal, practical, and responsive.
Most importantly, your data, your processes, and your settings aren’t hidden in someone’s inbox or personal notes – they’re embedded in the system. That means the next person can carry on with clarity and confidence.
If your current LMS feels like a risk when someone leaves, it may be time to consider whether it’s still fit for purpose. A good system should support the people running the library -whoever they are, and whenever they join.
Let’s keep the conversation going
Have you stepped into a library role with no handover or left a role with lessons to share? We’d love to hear your experiences. Your story could help someone else feel less alone in their journey.
And if you’re starting to think about your own departure, know this: it’s not selfish to plan ahead, it’s a gift to the next person, and to the library and all your end users.
Got questions about how Simple Little Library System can support your transition? We’re here to help, so just get in touch.
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