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It has been widely projected in the library literature that a substantial number of librarians will retire in the near future leaving significant gaps in the workforce, especially in library leadership. Many of those concerned with organizational development in libraries have promoted succession planning as an essential tool for addressing this much-anticipated wave of retirements. The purpose of this chapter is to argue that succession planning is the wrong approach for academic libraries. This chapter provides a review of the library literature on succession planning, as well as studies analyzing position announcements in librarianship which provide evidence as to the extent to which academic librarianship has changed in recent years. In a review of the library literature, the author found no sound explanation of why succession planning is an appropriate method for filling anticipated vacancies and no substantive evidence that succession planning programs in libraries are successful. Rather than filling anticipated vacancies with librarians prepared to fill specific positions by means of a succession planning program, the author recommends that academic library leaders should focus on the continual evaluation of current library needs and future library goals, and treat each vacancy as an opportunity to create a new position that will best satisfy the strategic goals of the library. In contrast to the nearly universal support for succession planning found in the library literature, this chapter offers a different point of view.

The dynamic environment in which the academic library operates requires explicit links between business strategy and a new management priority including the development of people; this is the focus of human resource development (HRD). It serves the needs of an organization by ensuring that employees’ expertise is state-of-the-art, something that is critical in a period of rapid technological development coinciding with ever-expanding societal needs. HRD can be relied upon to support and shape a wide range of academic library initiatives requiring a competent and engaged workforce by recognizing people as the organization’s most critical asset, one that drives competitive advantage and helps it out-perform the market. Emphasis is placed on developing an organizational context that will attract and develop talented individuals and leaders and keep them engaged. Furthermore, HRD activities must respond to job changes and integrate staff skills sets with the long-term plans and strategies of the organization thus ensuring the efficient and effective use of resources. This chapter explores HRD as a strategic concern of the organization and how it can best serve the organization in the long term. In so doing, it considers how HRD can help the academic library focus resources in those areas where there are strong likelihoods that they can produce substantial improvements in future capacity and performance. This kind of strategic planning helps the organization configure resources within a dynamic competitive environment, thus serving market needs and satisfying stakeholder expectations, helping meet its business purpose and maintain its strategic direction. The case study developed here highlights the need for the effective linkage of HRD and strategic planning for the advancement of the academic library. It suggests the need for developing and implementing both a strategic plan and an HRD plan and developing a culture of strategic human resource development (SHRD) in academic libraries.

The purpose of this paper is to take a look at some issues in information and communication technology (ICT) planning and implementation in academic libraries in Nigeria.

The paper highlights ICT planning and implementation, ICT policy guide for academic libraries and the training of personnel for ICT planning and implementation.

The paper concludes that planning can help the libraries to outline steps that must be taken to implement ICT, which will be binding on all stakeholders and accepted by all, in line with the mission, objective and goals of the library and the university towards provision of information for its community.

The study was restricted to academic libraries in Delta Central District in Delta State, Nigeria.

The paper shows how to improve the delivery of library services through planning and implementation of ICT.

The paper increases awareness of the importance of ICT planning and implementation in academic libraries in developing countries.

The paper shows that planning may help the libraries to outline steps that must be taken to implement ICT, which will be binding on all stakeholders and accepted by all in line with the mission, objective and goals of the library and the university towards providing valued information for its populace.

This paper reports on the findings of the HEFCE‐funded outcomes project which aimed to investigate strategic planning in UK academic libraries.

The research consisted of a literature and documentation review, followed by interviews with academic library directors and senior institutional managers. There was also a survey of all UK HE libraries.

The key issues which need to be addressed by academic libraries in terms of strategic planning are: the involvement of library staff; communication of library aims and plans externally; level of active involvement in institutional and departmental planning; evaluation and target setting; and involvement in more “difficult” institutional aims such as income generation and widening participation.

The response to the various activities of this research project indicate the lack of interest in outcomes assessment within the academic library sector. There is little rigorous evidence in this area to inform library professionals.

The lack of interest in outcomes assessment with the sector is worrying; there is a general view of libraries as essential part of higher education and do not need to demonstrate how they contribute to institutional aims. This may leave libraries in a vulnerable position.

The paper reports on an issue which should be of great concern to the academic library sector, especially in the light of the proposal to axe professional posts at the University of Wales, Bangor library.

The purpose of this original research is to gauge the level of academic libraries' strategic credibility by analyzing whether strategic planning goals align with annual reports.

A modified replication of a study by Jarvenpaa and Ives was used. A random sample of 28 ARL libraries was taken from ARL membership. Library directors were contacted for a copy of both a strategic plan and an annual report. A two‐way comparison was conducted between three groups using content analysis.

Analysis of strategic plans and annual reports revealed that the majority of the libraries in the study produced strategic plans. However, most libraries no longer produce annual reports. Canadian strategic plans were user‐centered, whereas US plans focused on “hot topics”. Themes emerged from the analysis of strategic plans including space planning, offsite storage, assessment, development, and personnel.

Determining the level to which ARL libraries have strategic credibility is difficult to surmise, since the anticipated number of annual reports did not materialize. Further research is needed to compare what impact strategic plans and marketing strategies have on fundraising.

Several tactical methods libraries can implement in order to get the attention of potential donors and funding agencies to support projects and programs include the hiring of a library development officer, contracting with a marketing firm, and greatly improving the quality of communication to clientele.

The paper presents original research and is of value to academic library leaders who want to know about current trends in communicating strategic goals and objectives to their clientele.

The professional discourse on academic library planning and design is examined. A critical realist philosophical stance and a constructionist perspective constitute the theoretical framework that, paired with Fairclough's methodology for critical discourse analysis, is used to examine the constitution of interpretative repertoires and of a discourse constructing the academic library as a learning place. The information commons, learning commons, and library designed for learning repertoires are described and the effects of discursive activity are analyzed. Three types of effects are presented: (1) the production by the LIS community of discourse on academic libraries of a sizable body of literature on the information commons and on the learning commons, (2) the construction of new types of libraries on the commons model proposed by Beagle, and (3) the metaphorization of the library as business. The study concludes that the existing discourse takes a facilities management perspective dominated by concerns with technology, equipment, and space requirements that does not address the physical, psychological, and environmental qualities of library space design. Consequently, it is suggested that architectural programming techniques should be used in library planning and design that consider the architectural features and environmental design factors contributing to the making of a place where learning is facilitated.

This paper focuses on the competencies and skills needed in preparing graduates of urban planning schools to meet the real-world challenges of professional practices. The present work explores the gap between skills and knowledge required to excel in the urban planning discipline and professional practices.

This research utilises a mix of qualitative and quantitative methods. This study depends on collecting data from descriptive and statistical analysis based on two streams. The first comes from a survey launched among students of urban planning. The second is interviews scheduled with academics that are also practitioners.

The results outline the missing correlation between what Egyptian students learn in schools of urban planning and professional practices. The findings show that academics, students, and graduates share the same experiences about the education system. Academics agreed that graduates need to be more skilful rather than knowledgeable. The discussion shows that the undefined role of the planner in Egypt influenced the mismatching between the current demand and supply of competencies and skills offered by planning schools. The concluded remarks mentioned that communication skills and negotiation skills are the most crucial skills for graduates, in addition to information finding and data-processing skills.

This research has particular advantages in presenting a model of competencies as results of scanning the expectations of Egyptian students and new graduates vs professional practices. The contribution is in answering the question of what skills students of the urban planning programs should learn in order to meet the continued changes in professional practices.

One of the important processes for success or failure of strategic plans in academic libraries is identifying different dimensions and factors affecting library activities and services. However, more previous studies focusing on strategic planning processes and few research have explored perspectives of academic library managers in factors affecting designed strategic plans. This article aims to identify the common factors affecting the strategic plans in Iranian academic libraries.

After adopting a qualitative survey design, 28 Iranian academic library managers were interviewed. Purposive snowball sampling method was used to select the libraries’ managers, and the data analysis was done using the thematic analysis method by MAXQDA 10.

The study revealed three main themes including personal, professional and organizational factors that effect on academic libraries’ strategic plans. Users' expectations and librarians' personality characteristics were identified as two sub-themes for personal factors. In term of professional factors, scientific achievement of libraries and communication skills are the most important factors. Academicals factors, managerial factors and budget alignment are most important organizational factors that affect the Iranian academic libraries’ strategic plans.

Iranian academic libraries use different approaches for developing their strategic plans. However, by revealing the common affecting factors by academic library managers, the study provides an opportunity for better controlling the academic libraries' strategic plans progresses.

Academic libraries do not operate in a vacuum; they must co-exist with change and competition on all levels. In order to succeed, they must know their internal strengths in order to take advantage of opportunities, whilst avoiding threats and addressing weaknesses. A SWOT analysis of Jamaican academic libraries can yield strategic insights for academic library praxis in Jamaica, the Caribbean, and the globe. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

Survey and discussion group were engaged for the five local academic libraries in higher education in Jamaica.

Human resources and support are the most recurrent themes in the reported strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

This paper focused on local academic libraries in higher education (university level) in Jamaica. A survey of academic libraries at all levels, and using more detailed strategic analytical tools, would be a useful follow up.

This paper provides academic library managers and the national/regional library associations with a situational analysis of Jamaican academic librarianship, which can be used to inform future planning and management of library and information services. Additionally, the findings can inform the Latin America and Caribbean section of international library documents on trends, issues and future position of academic libraries globally.

This paper is of value as it is the first published scholarly documentation on the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in academic librarianship in Jamaica. In this regard, it makes a useful contribution to the dearth of literature on SWOT analyses of academic libraries per country. It may also represent a starting point for looking at solutions and emerging challenges in a Caribbean academic library environment and should help to focus on the need for continuing innovation.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the process of developing an academic library assessment plan and its relation to the furtherance of a culture of assessment.

Qualitative study of a university library’s assessment planning process; findings based on documentary evidence as well as an employee survey; analysis framed in relationship to relevant literature.

Planning for the future of assessment offered the Jerry Falwell Library a significant opportunity for organizational change. Evaluations of the planning process were mixed, but generally revealed evidence of conditions associated with the development of a culture of assessment. Participants saw planning as the product of both external and internal factors. The plan’s orientation toward value and impact, though clearly understood, was not universally appreciated. Implementation of the plan remains a substantial challenge.

Reliability is subject to the limitations inherent to qualitative methods. Single case study design limits generalizability to different contexts.

The goal of developing a culture of assessment is not to be achieved easily or quickly. Library employees may be most inclined to support an assessment agenda when it is driven by internal factors such as quality improvement and the pursuit of efficiency and effectiveness.

The study emphasizes the process of developing an assessment plan at a university with a strong teaching mission. Additionally, it provides insight into the relationship between assessment planning and a culture of assessment.