ABSTRACT
If librarians and their libraries are to benefit fully from strategic planning, they must first understand and confront the environment in which they work and in which libraries exist. Perhaps the greatest strength of strategic planning is that it provides a process whereby library administration and staff can analyse their environment and relate the results of their analysis to organizational goals, objectives, and future plans. (Butler and Davis, 1992)
To exploit the advantages of the strategic planning process, it is necessary to feed into it all relevant data that could influence the outcome. The surrounding world has a bearing on information services; maybe on the way information should be presented, maybe on the delivery mechanism, maybe on the level of analysis or interpretation required. The client community - a local auth ority, an educational establishment, a business - has a bearing. The internal process of management also has a bearing: the way in which work is done, and the methods and evaluative techniques employed. So, there are three strands to the environment:
• the world outside: how the ‘macro’ environment will influence our field; trends in society, electronic handling of information, organizational cultures 31
• the professional environment: the best practices and expectations of our peers
• the internal organizational environment: how our own practices influence our efficiency and competence.
