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Transition Notebook Overview

Why make a transition notebook?

If your library director were to depart or become incapacitated with little or no warning, how would the new (or interim) director learn to run the library? You never know what might happen tomorrow, so it is critical to the library’s continued well-being to leave a Transition Notebook. When the unforeseen happens, your staff and board will need this information as well.

The Transition Notebook is a place to gather everything you can think of that your successor (or interim administrator) might need to know. As you are assembling the contents of your Transition Notebook, please take some time to remember what it was like to be the new person and how helpful it would have been if someone had left crucial information for you in a neatly organized format. It is best not to assume that the new person or the board even knows how to turn the lights on.

How to use our guide

The Transition Notebook section of our Knowledge Base is a starting point for compiling your own transition notebook. We have included general resources and context, with places to add the information specific to your library.

This list is a work in progress, so please be sure to keep it current and add items as you think of them.

Please report any errors, omissions, or expired links to Public Library Consultant Clay Ritter at clay.ritter@libraries.idaho.gov.

The ICfL

This section contains information about the Idaho Commission for Libraries (ICfL), its services, and its programs.

What is the Idaho Commission for Libraries?

The ICfL assists Idaho libraries to build the capacity to best serve their communities. Originally the Idaho State Library, it became the Idaho Commission for Libraries on July 1, 2006. The ICfL’s chief administrative officer is the state librarian, who reports to the five-member Idaho Board of Library Commissioners appointed by the governor of Idaho. For more information, see chapter 25, title 33, Idaho Code.

Who is your Public Library Consultant at the Idaho Commission for Libraries?

Idaho’s libraries are served by ICfL Public Library Consultant Clay Ritter. ICfL public library consultants provide consulting services for library development, operations, and support, including library law, open meetings law, trustee issues, trustee orientation, policy formation, best practices, strategic planning, succession planning, and library districting.

What is the difference between the Idaho Commission for Libraries and the Idaho Library Association?

These are two distinct organizations, both supporting libraries in Idaho. The Idaho Commission for Libraries is a state agency, established in 1901. The ICfL is funded with state dollars and federal Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) funds administered through the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Each state in the union, along with U.S. territories, administers LSTA grants to its state’s publicly funded libraries through its state library agency, such as the ICfL in Idaho. The ICfL also accepts contributions from individuals and corporations. As a tax-funded agency, the ICfL does not provide legal advice and does not lobby.

The Idaho Library Association (ILA) is a non-governmental professional organization. Its membership is made up of library staff and administrators, library trustees and friends, volunteers, and those who wish to support the advancement of libraries in Idaho. The ILA’s work is funded through member dues, contributions, and its annual conference. Founded in 1915, the ILA’s activities have varied over the years, but its central focus has always been to support the role of Idaho libraries.

ICfL Services and Programs Provided to Idaho Libraries

Public Libraries

Consulting services for library development, operations, and support.
Public Library Consultant Clay Ritter: clay.ritter@libraries.idaho.gov or 208-639-4177

Broadband / E-Rate / EOR Consulting Services

Consulting for public libraries to acquire and maintain appropriate internet service for the library and its patrons, along with assistance in navigating the regulatory, accounting, infrastructure, and federal (E-Rate) and state (EOR) funding components of that ongoing process.
Library Technology Consultant Doug Baker: doug.baker@libraries.idaho.gov
or 208-639-4167

Continuing Education (CE) and Training

Online and face-to-face learning opportunities for Idaho library staff and grants for professional development programs and first-time conference attendance.
Continuing Education Consultant Annie Gaines: annie.gaines@libraries.idaho.gov
or 208-639-4151

eBranch

Library websites hosted on https://lili.org, enabling the staff of Idaho libraries to establish a web presence.
Library Technology Consultant Doug Baker: doug.baker@libraries.idaho.gov
or 208-639-4167

Idaho Library Statistics

Annual comprehensive data compilations about services and programs, staff, collections, service area populations, funding, technology, connectivity, use, and expenditures for Idaho public libraries.
State Data Coordinator Clay Ritter: clay.ritter@libraries.idaho.gov or 208-639-4177

Libraries Linking Idaho (LiLI) Services

Through LiLI at https://lili.org, Idaho residents have free, 24/7 access to a wide range of online tools that support and enhance their education, business, and recreational needs. These include: LiLI Databases (full-text content from trusted sources); LiLI Express (reciprocal borrowing between participating libraries); and ShareIdaho (Idaho’s group services agreement with the Online Computer Library Center [OCLC] to provide resource-sharing and cataloging services to Idaho libraries).
E-Resources Library Consultant Marina Rose: marina.rose@libraries.idaho.gov
or 208-639-4165

Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) Grants

Federal funds awarded to the ICfL from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) through its Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA). These grant funds are utilized in support of the ICfL’s programs and services.
Grants Officer Jamie Thill: jamie.thill@libraries.idaho.gov or 208-639-4153

Youth Services

Programming, training, and resources providing support to Idaho libraries and their community partners as they work to help parents and caregivers foster children’s literacy skills and provide effective tween and teen services, bridging the gap between children’s and adult services.

Youth Services Consultant Jennifer Redford: jennifer.redford@libraries.idaho.gov
or 208-639-4147

Youth Services Consultant Staci Shaw: staci.shaw@libraries.idaho.gov or 208-639-4178

Outreach Consultant Kristina Taylor: kristina.taylor@libraries.idaho.gov or 208-639-4136

School Libraries

Resources and services that help school library staff develop and sustain current, innovative programs that support students and teachers.
School Library Consultant: 208-639-4139

Talking Book Service (TBS)

The Idaho Talking Book Service (TBS) is a free, convenient audiobook library service for Idahoans who are unable to read standard print due to low vision, blindness, or a physical, perceptual, or reading disability. The service is completely free for users, who receive titles by downloading them and/or having the materials (on cartridges) mailed directly to and from their residence at no cost.
Accessible Services Library Consultant LeAnn Gelskey: leann.gelskey@libraries.idaho.gov or 208-639-4148

Other Services

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