AIC's 52nd Annual Meeting

Sometimes the most unexpected things that happen to cultural and arts organizations are internal. Staff transitions, whether unexpected or planned, can be stressful for all types of institutions, and the current outlook for the workforce pipeline is challenging.

Knowledge transfer from both professional staff and volunteers is critical in many areas of operations and collections stewardship. And personnel at small arts and humanities organizations may be hard- pressed to make time for thoughtful succession planning amidst many competing priorities.

In 2023, members of 15 arts and cultural organizations participated in listening sessions supporting the Collections Stewardship Succession Planning Initiative, a joint effort by the Conservation Center and Lyrasis, funded by a Museum Leadership Grant from the Institute for Museum & Library Services. This input, along with insights from museum, library and arts professionals across the country, has led to the development of tools and resources to support better succession planning for cultural institutions.

Join Michelle Eisenberg, Executive Director of CCAHA, and Tom Clareson, Senior Consultant for Digital & Preservation Services at Lyrasis, for an update on the project findings and a preview of forthcoming resources. Participants will be asked to share additional input to tailor the deliverables to the needs of conservators and the arts and cultural organizations they work with.

During the course of our project research, CCAHA and Lyrasis have heard many unexpected stories about staff transitions. The aim of the Collections Stewardship Succession Planning Initiative is to ease the burden of succession planning and position cultural institutions to move forward with better resources for knowledge transfer, career development and recruitment. With proper preparation - scaled for the realities of the operations of small arts and cultural organizations - staff transitions can be opportunities for growth.