Date: June 18, 2026
Location: Zoom
June’s discussion featured J.J. Compton, CA, PHD, Assistant Department Head Special Collections & University Archives (SCUA) at Oklahoma State University and brought together 10 participants for a conversation on succession planning within the Galleries, Libraries, Archives, and Museums (GLAM) profession. The group emphasized the value of overlapping positions during staff transitions whenever possible to facilitate knowledge transfer and ensure continuity. Participants discussed the importance of understanding institutional politics, leveraging local resources and professional networks, and maintaining relationships with former archivists and librarians whose institutional knowledge can remain invaluable. A recurring theme was identifying the organization’s “knower”—the person who holds critical institutional knowledge—and developing strategies to learn from and document that expertise. The discussion concluded with a focus on documenting key decisions and their rationale to preserve organizational memory and support future staff. Thank you, J.J., for a great discussion!
