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Botswana National Library Service Mission and Project Background
The mission of the Botswana National Library Service is to provide the nation with information and promote its utilisation for purposes of education, research, recreation and to promote literacy and the culture of reading. Provision of library services is through a network of public, educational and special libraries. The revitalisation of the Botswana Public library system will broaden the BNLS readership and membership base and develop institutional capacity to enable the department to provide services more efficiently.
Four libraries have been recommended to be used as model libraries. Two of the libraries are in urban centres and two are in big rural villages. They were chosen as they serve highly populated areas; they have adequate space or are earmarked for expansion within the next 2-3 years and will therefore be purpose built; they have a diverse readership; and they are staffed by professional librarians. It is intended that the model libraries should receive and operate mobile libraries or book mobiles. They will extend their Internet access from the present "staff only" position to user access, and will stock multimedia information resources in the model libraries, while still expanding the book stock in all the branch libraries.
The portfolio of activities planned for 2002-2004 include undertaking stock evaluation; identifying manpower requirements and formulating a human resources development plan; reviewing the collection development policy; provision of relevant multimedia resources in the model libraries; improvement of service delivery mechanisms for outreach programmes; and development of publicity programmes with the relevant production of publicity materials to promote awareness of information resources in the public library system.
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