Visioning and strategising for the University of Namibia Library: planning the Library's facilities, services and resources for the aspired Library Vision

Abstract

This paper discusses the on-going strategic planning process that has been undertaken at the University of Namibia (UNAM) Library through a series of exercises since 2007. It starts with a historical overview of the Namibian education system that provided the main reason for turning to strategic thinking in planning innovative library services that respond to the information needs of the Library’s users. The authors then describe the analytical phase that informed the strategic planning process, and explain the steps followed in the strategic planning process. They detail the key strategic issues that were identified by Library staff as critical factors for the Library to fulfil its vision. The authors also outline the strategic objectives that emerged from the strategic planning process, and highlight the lessons learned from the planning process. From the lessons learned, they conclude that strategic planning is a useful management tool that can be successfully applied to plan and shape the future direction of an academic library.

Innovation, no.43 December 2011