Strategic planning and national libraries. a case study based on the national library and documentation centre (NLDC) of Sri Lanka

Abstract

Strategic planning helps any type of library to think and act logically. Strategic plan is a blue print of the progress of the library. The purpose of the strategic plan is to identify clearly the most desirable end, results and to give clear direction to the work of staff members of the library. A Strategic plan is a statement of where you are; where you want to be and how to get there? According to Peter Drucker "strategic planning is the continuous process of making entrepreneurial-or risk-taking-decisions systematically and with the greatest knowledge of their future consequences; systematically organizing the efforts needed to carry out these decisions; and measuring the results of these decisions against the expectations through organized, systematic feedback" (Drucker,1974). Strategic planning is necessary for national libraries in the changing socio economic and political environment of the world. Everywhere in the world, national libraries face problem of shortage of resources. Therefore the question becomes how to maximize the use of the resources which are available. Although the NLDC was established in 1990 a strategic plan is yet to be developed. NLDC has only annual plans. This situation is one of obstacles to achieve aims and objectives of the NLDC. As a national library of developing world does not have its own man power resources for a drafting a strategic plan. Under this situation it can be collaborated with suitable partners in the field of management to draft a strategic plan. The objectives of the overall study are to identify the current situation of strategic planning in the NLDC, to identify barriers for strategic planning process in the NLDC, to draft a new Strategic Pan for the NLDC. It was found that there is a severe need for introducing a strategic plan for the NLDC. It will be boost for financial management, human resource management, material management and the overall management and effective service management. Suggestion is made to develop a strategic plan for the NLDC.