Transition Toward Closure: Recounting the Years 1966-1974 in the Life of the University of Minnesota Library School

In 1983, during the early years of what later became known as a “rash” of library school closings, two members of the LIS professorate declared that library schools were in crisis, marked in part by an imminent closing of the University of Minnesota's Library School. They further claimed that Minnesota's departure created a fearful and worrisome atmosphere among LIS professionals and that other programs might be at risk. If such claims were true, what was it about the Minnesota experience that caused such concern? This article looks at a transitional period in the life of the University of Minnesota Library School and suggests that the lack of any succession planning and a poorly executed search for a new program director contributed to the school's problems. This faulty search and attendant transitions provided evidence of administrative and political weaknesses within the school that were later amplified and exploited by others.