Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Date of Award

1-1-2025

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ed.D. in Education

First Advisor

Kerry B. Melear

Second Advisor

Macey L. Edmondson

Third Advisor

Whitney T. Webb

School

University of Mississippi

Relational Format

dissertation/thesis

Abstract

Academic health sciences libraries are vital in educating and training future healthcare professionals. Over the last decade, a significant number of library directors, many of whom had served in their positions for ten years or more, have retired from the field. The retirement wave in libraries has been anticipated since the late 1980s with the advent of end-user searching. However, due to the aging workforce and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, this predicted exodus has become a more imminent reality. Consequently, the intricate organizational structures of academic medical centers and academic health sciences libraries, coupled with the frequent absence of leadership succession planning within these libraries, have often resulted in inexperienced leaders assuming director roles following retirements. This dissertation in practice explores the possible relationship between succession planning and the organizational structures of the library and its parent institution.

Available for download on Thursday, July 30, 2026

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