Keywords : SWOT Analysis, Library Management, Strategic Planning, Innovation in Libraries, Library Development

Abstract : Libraries are now seen as important sources of information and are important to the social, educational, and research progress of a society. However, in this age of the internet, libraries face severe challenges in relation to evolving user expectations, technological advancements, limited financial resources, and competition from for-profit information providers. The increasing financial pressure calls for the libraries to clearly understand the strategy formulation and the planning process to remain innovative and operational. This research focuses on the problem of public libraries and argues that SWOT Analysis can be employed for public libraries strategic planning. The research is entirely secondary, relying on published research articles, policy documents, institutional reports, and guidelines from IFLA, ALA, and ILA. A comprehensive literature review establishes the proposition that libraries will make the best use of SWOT analysis to balance the strength of the organization with the opportunities that are present. This research shows that there are several resourceful libraries that have several valuable assets including strong professional staff, strong collections, and professional institutional supports, as well as limited skill and budgetary resources, weak digital transformation, technological obsolescence, and low user engagement.

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