The Board of Trustees of the Rochester Public Library District recognizes that this is a plan for contingencies due to the disability, death or departure of the Director. If the organization is faced with the unlikely event of an untimely vacancy, the Rochester Public Library District has in place the following emergency succession plan to facilitate the transition to both interim and longer-term leadership.
A temporary absence is one of more than one week and less than three months in which it is expected that the Director will return to his/her position once the events precipitating the absence are resolved. An unplanned absence is one that arises unexpectedly, in contrast to a planned leave, such as a vacation or a sabbatical. The Board of Trustees is authorized to implement the terms of this emergency plan in the event of the unplanned absence of the Director.
In the event of an unplanned absence of the Director, the Patron Services Manager is to immediately inform the Board President of the absence. As soon as it is feasible, the President should convene a meeting of the Board of Trustees to affirm the procedures prescribed in this plan.
At the time that this plan was approved, the position of Acting Director would be: Patron Services Manager
The person appointed as Acting Director shall have the full authority for decision-making and independent action as the regular Director.
The Acting Director will be offered a temporary salary increase of $3.00 per hour until the Director returns or a permanent replacement is hired.
The board member responsible for monitoring the work of the Acting Director shall be: Board of Trustees President
The above named person will be sensitive to the special support needs of the Acting Director in this temporary leadership role.
Immediately upon transferring the responsibilities to the Acting Director, the Board President will notify members of the Board of Trustees. The Acting Director will notify staff.
As soon as possible after the Acting Director has begun covering the unplanned absence, Board members and the Acting Director shall communicate the temporary leadership structure to the following key external supporters of the Rochester Public Library District. This may include (but not be limited to) government contract officers, foundation program officers, civic leaders, major donors and others.
A long-term absence is one that is expected to last more than three months. The procedures and conditions to be followed should be the same as for a short-term absence with one addition:
The Board of Trustees will give immediate consideration, in consultation with the Acting Director, to temporarily filling the management position left vacant by the Acting Director. This is in recognition of the fact that for a term of more than three months, it may not be reasonable to expect the Acting Director to carry the duties of both positions. The position description of a temporary manager would focus on covering the priority areas in which the Acting Director needs assistance.
The decision about when the absent Director returns to lead the Rochester Public Library District should be determined by the Director and the Board President. They will decide upon a mutually agreed upon schedule and start date. A reduced schedule for a set period of time can be allowed, by approval of the Board President, with the intention of working the way up to a full-time commitment.
A permanent change is one in which it is firmly determined that the Director will not be returning to the position.
Approved May 2021
Updated November 2025
